A 944, run don't walk, the other way. $4700 buys a lot of Honda Fit or Civic or Mazda 2 or mazda 3 which will be more reliable to drive to work everyday, have better parts availability and be easier to maintain with fewer issues in addition to being less likely to need repair.
If you had a garage and you were looking for a third vehicle as a project or autocrosser or rallycrosser, sure go for it. but she is suggesting that she wants you to have reliable vehicle to commute with so that she doesn't need to get up and take you to work, this will be even more important once the baby is born. A 944 ain't it chief.
I wouldn't touch a 4700$ 944. Hell, half my fleet could have been bought for that much total lol
In reply to captdownshift (Forum Supporter) :
There's only one Fit on Autotrader within 50 miles under $4700, and it's an '07. Most are in the $6000-10,000 range.
The nice thing about shopping for enthusiast vehicles is that people treat you seriously if you're not local. Call asking about a Mazda 2 from four hours away, they hang up because they expect you're a scammer.
How well does a 944 fit a child seat?
They need a second car. One that is capable of fitting the family in it is more important than rear wheel drive. If the Prius needs to go in for repair or maintenance and is down for two or three days and the second car doesn't fit or doesn't fit well a child seat, that is a non-starter. There are plenty of funnish to drive options at the aurocrossable within budget that fit the need.
In short I'm saying that when your wife realizes that you purchased a vehicle that can't fit the family as a second vehicle while she's pregnant with your first child, that's not a conversation that you want to be a part of. There's an easy way to avoid it. Cross the 944 off the list until the realistic vehicle needs for the family have been met.
In reply to Pete. (l33t FS) :
As for distance, I have done a trio a flying drives to Georgia for BG chassis cars. if you reach out and contact someone about purchasing a vehicle and they think it's a joke or a scam, You're simply not providing enough information regarding yourself to be taken seriously.
Speaking of reliable foreign cars with easy to find parts, I found an old Alfa for a challenge price. I'm sure that would be wonderfully reliable, with no quirks or expensive parts to be found!
All valid points, captdownshift. I'm familiar with old Porsches and how they're great until you suddenly need a $2,000 part that costs $200 for any other car.
Antihero, anything particularly awesome in your fleet? I'm hoping to find something fun, or at least ugly enough to be cute to drive to work.
In reply to captdownshift (Forum Supporter) :
I've been on both sides of that, true. I have not purchased a car locally since 1995, not counting cars that found me through work. But I've found it goes MUCH more smoothly if it's an enthusiast vehicle.
In reply to captdownshift (Forum Supporter) :
I actually read a great thread on pelicanparts about putting child seats in 944s/968s. The basic consensus was rear facing is too cramped, but forward facing fits fine (certain brands at least) and there's several booster seats that fit great as well. And if I were to wind up with an older 944, the 3 point rear seatbelts from the later years bolt right in. One thing to keep in mind though, the Prius will always be the family car. My wife mostly just wants me to have something to enjoy, and take to work. And a 944 is just one of many cars I'm loosely considering, though definitely the most attractive!
(related note, some people have been swapping the 2.4 Honda K series motor into the 944. Sounds like a pretty fantastic combination)
In reply to infinitenexus :
And even if cost isn't an issue it may be 4-6 days out (pelican is pretty solid regarding leads times and their technical assistance is unmatched, but it still doesn't make the vehicle option convenient or viable).
Here's also something to consider as a larger reward for yourself in waiting for a vehicle that is more fun focused or oriented. In a short period of time you have gone from being very tight on cash, to being able to consider a $4,700 vehicle. If one assumes (assumptions are dangerous) that $2800 of that is stimulus, that's still roughly $2k saved in a relatively short period of time and that's while moving.
If you just get a vehicle that is a utility pocket knife at this point, in 24 months you'd be able to do one of two things. Option #1 have a downpayment for a home with a garage that you could stuff any sort of project you want into it.
Or if you're not sure where you want to set roots yet.
Option #2, Caymans would now be entering your budget potential.
A Cayman in 2 years versus a 944 now isn't even an argument.
In reply to infinitenexus :
I understand the Prius will be the primary car. But at some point you'll take the Prius to work as you'll need to pick up something that's large on the way home and the little one may have a mild low grade fever, nothing serious or of concern, but the question of what if will understandbly enter your wife's train of thought. When you have two vehicles as a family, they both have to be able to accommodate the family.
Dangerous, now you're speaking to the Porsche enthusiast inside me! My ultimate dream is to own another 911 - considering prices have skyrocketed on all of them except the 996, that'll be what I get when the time comes. Timeline for that is basically as soon as I buy a house, I've told myself I can save for a 996. We're giving ourselves 2 years in our current apartment to save money, then we'll go house shopping. So maybe 4 years if I'm responsible and/or get some raises? (Also a Cayman in Miami blue is my wife's favorite Porsche)
There's several others I'm tossing around in my head that I would be okay with, such as an E46 or pretty much anything Volvo, but nothing really grabs me the way the 944 does. Also compared to Baltimore or Florida, I haven't found a lot of decent BMWs at low prices - cars rust out here worse than in PA. The good news is I have plenty of time to continue saving, to dream, and ultimately decide on something. I did just buy the Lego 1974 Porsche 930, so if that has to sate my lust for a Porsche for the next few years then I guess it'll have to do.
In reply to captdownshift (Forum Supporter) :
No wait, if The Wife had a 944 she could just toss the baby in the trunk and get to the hospital really quickly!
In reply to infinitenexus :
A zx2 and an old Challenge Rampage would be the coolest.
It's not the coolest in the world but for total cheap utilitarian purposes.....it's hard to beat a 2nd gen explorer. It would do great in snow, parts are ridiculously cheap ( upper outside control arm with ball joint was $2.38, brakes are $15, tires sizes are cheap etc) it'll hold a car seat and all stuff for the baby with ease and there are 5 billion of them. The last one I bought was $600 with 123k miles on it, 5.0v8 AWD
Just don't get the 4.0 SOHC engine. The 4.0 OHV and 5.0 V8 can realistically get well over 300k miles out of them. I personally own 3, they are our winter cars and my wife's work car
A V50 T5 awd manual is a unicorn that would fit your needs nicely.
A 7/900 would if you had a garage.
I think one of the problems with cars around here is that a lot of them rust out (especially American ones, and especially American trucks) before they can get older and cheaper. Anything cool and older that would be cheap anywhere else seems to command a premium. So there's a solid chance whatever I get will be from a bit of a distance. I definitely understand why some people were telling me to try to bring my challenge Civic up to Cleveland and sell it here!
Just looking at your Craigslist I can see what you mean. Although in the land of cheap baby carriers I see this:
https://cleveland.craigslist.org/cto/d/elyria-98-saturn-sw-wagon/7299910851.html
I know some people love them a lot
I don't have any personal experience with any of those but the Craigslist doesn't seem great, unless you want a red Daytona in which case.....Bonanza!
I've definitely seen a couple Saturn fans here on GRM. My parents had one back in the day and it was a total lemon. Kinda ruined me on them. I also have an irrational hatred of Altimas. That's a long story.
I think what I have in mind - enthusiast car with a backseat, reliable, manual, affordable - is just going to be very hard to find in this area. An E46 would be an excellent option, and those can be found in the previous places I've lived (Baltimore, Florida, California) for 3 grand all day long. I'm still in that mindset. Cleveland is a much different animal.
In reply to Antihero (Forum Supporter) :
FB Marketplace is much better here, and I think in general these days. Pickings can still be slim. I figure if I set about a 150-200 mile radius when the time comes, I should be able to find something good, although the reality is that I now live in a part of the country where cars rust out.
One thing I've learned from a friend who's from SE Ohio who's become a travel nurse during covid is, you can fly to texas, purchase a pickup and car that's under $5k, rent a u-haul trailer, tow the car back to Ohio return the trailer and sell the rust free truck for enough to cover the cost of the truck, trailer rental and car (which is now yours)
It's so absolutely absurd and I believe it 100%
I've had a busy day and did not have time to reply. When I read of the 944, I too was thinking no back seat. Might not be the right thing for a family of 3 . However, I will inject that Ohio Child Car Seat Law does not require that a child be in a rear seat. You might see verbage that says someting like, "children are safest in the rear seat" but the law does not require it. Guilty of it myself:
But, ask yourself, is a 2 seater going to really be the right thing?
