the beater quest

[posol]

well, with winter just around the corner, and the m3 going to get parked in just a couple months, the quest for a winter beater is on..... but i don't want a beater. I want more of a DD.

the M3 sucks donkey nuts in the rain. damn wide tires make the thing float. and i live on top of a mountain.... so come snow time, i'll be stranded. not to mention 255/35/19 snow tires are ungodly expensive... and i don't really even want to take the car out in the salt on top of all that.

so, the quest is on.

awd is a must i think... it will make my life so much easier and a lot more fun to tool around in the snow with

So, i ran across this... i sold him my rota's last year and hes a cool dude so i'm sure i can get it for a good price with little haggling...
HondaMarketPlace.com: FT:1998 Subaru 2.5 RS Connecticut+2004 rmz250 for a nice EG

he's asking 6k. it's a little more than I want to spend, and frankly, i don't have 6k right now at all... but credit cards are a wonderful thing.
yes, charging a car (through paypal) is probably stupid, but i can have it paid off in 2 months tops, so it will cost me like 200 bucks more in interest. i'm not too worried about it.

So, what do you think? I REALLY wanted a base model impreza around the same year, but they are impossible to find in a 5spd or not beat to shit.

thoughts?

 

[get_nick]

don't let this turn into a "what should i get" thread. the last one was like, 5 pages and you still didn't get anything mentioned.

if you REALLY want a base model impreza, then get one. you have 2 months to shop for one. don't buy something you don't want. plus in 2 months you will have the cheese to pay outright. sounds simple to me...

 

[BodyDroppedNikes]

im in the same boat as you B except my truck is getting parked and im tearing it down and am gonna redo it. ive got an appointment tomorrow to check out a 99 Civic EX coupe

 

[Havok]

Eagle Talon!

 

[posol]

finding an awd talon that hasn't been molested around here is near impossible.

I NEED awd, and i WANT a car. These leaves little options. talons, a4's, imprezas, legacy's... thats about it.

I have YET to see an imprezza base (thats not just fwd, but awd) for sale in the past 3 weeks thats A, running, B, doesn't need a shit load of work, C, isn't an automatic. Suby's aren't very popular around here... especially the older ones.

This isn't so much a "what should i get" thread, but rather, a "is it worth it" thread i guess...

 

[get_nick]

i would get an older eclipse. like a 90-91. spend like $1500 and sell it in the summer. swallow your pride and get a real beater. you don't drive that much anyways, you work from home. don't spend $6k on a 5 month per year car. get something cheap and easy to work on. plus you won't care about the paint getting fucked from salt and sand on the road. you wont' wash it. plus it's turbo awd.

 

[posol]

i go into the office at least once a week, sometimes 4 days. it all depends.
plus we just hired a new guy starting tomorrow, so i'll be going in a lot more to train him now who knows how long that will take.... i wasn't too confident when i interviewed him, but we didn't get like any response to our ad, and we simiply need another body to crunch out some code.

we are moving offices soon too... so its even further of a drive for me.
the reliabilty (or lack thereof) of DSM's scare me. i'd rather spend more on a good running car and keep it than buy a new one every year...

 

[LateApex31]

I picked up an AllTrac Celica for about $800. Granted it was a bit of a project, but good, running examples can be had for $2500 on the high side. Bit, it fits the bill of cheap, AWD, and reliable. Parts are cheap too and they kick ass in the snow.

You need to take the E46 out in the rain more, they really are quite fast and sure-footed in the rain. You just aren't used to RWD yet

 

[get_nick]

the reliability is understandable. i still think you should hold out. there is nothing worse than buying a car and seeing a better deal a week later. unless you can lowball the shit out of the other car, don't waste your time. you still have a while before the snow starts.

 

[Airjockie]

I love my legacy...even though it's FWD...it got me thru the snow pretty decent on bald tires...only got stuck once...and that was in my front yard...haha


but there is a decent red AWD with some miles in Middletown in front of the Midas shop, guy wants $2Ks for it, and it's fully loaded....if I can come up with the money then it's mine....

 

[Airjockie]

plus the red one is a 5 speed, AWD, ABS, power everything except heated seats...even has disk brakes on all 4 corners...add some JDM flare and buff out the oxidation in the red paint and it would be a sweet DD....I think it was at 125K miles...I got my blue one at 148K's...and it's already past 171K's, and all I've added was oil, rear brakes, wheels, cd player, and JDM foglights...best car that I've bought in the states...plus it still gets 24mpg...but if I took off the 17x8's and plopped some lighter wheels and tires...it would average out at 28mpg. And the red one is a 1995...

 

[CRX-YEM]

Hmm, buy an STI maybe

 

[Turbo&Auto]

Avoid the 98 2.5's, they have issues with the blocks on the DOHC design. I blew my head gaskets 4 times and eventually the block got all distorted and couldnt be machined flat enough to seal it all up again.

99+ is AOK, the SOHC motors addressed the weak block and head issues.

 

[Airjockie]

the red leggy in Middletown...$2000
have a buddy paint it...$500-1000
Find a decent motor swap...$500-2000
Wheels...$700
JDM parts out the ass...$50--1000

and end up with a shiny, fresh, sleeper, that I'd buy from you for the money you put into it when you get bored with it....like your other cars...hehe...

and you could end up with this...

https://hondaswap.com/auto-multi-media/if-i-get-tired-zs-then-ill-build-72161/

$6K's going into a project and you got freinds with connections...even if you pay a shop to do the swap your still coming out ahead... something that might turn a head or two if their car people, but other than that...it lays low inless you romp on it. I've passed cops or stayed behind them when their doing 80mph on the Merit....and they just see my car as a yuppy grocery getter...

Remove or diconnect the front diff, swap in a welded R180 from a datsun, or my nismo R-180...and you got a drift car.

hear:

 

[Vosty]

looks clean... subies are fun... i have a bud with a 2.5 rs and my bro in law has an STI... nice cars...

 

[Celerity]

I'm selling a $500 1996 cavalier.

And you don't live on a mountain, shut the fuck up. You have no idea what a mountain is.

 

[BodyDroppedNikes]

ahh dont get me started on driving in mountains when its snowing. 2 decembers ago, i was going to work in the morning....a good couple of inches on the ground, in my 1990 Integra GS. well i worked in another city and had to go between 2 mountains to get to where i worked. im putting right along...going slow and i start heading down one mountain (still going slow mind you) and i tap the breaks a lil too hard, and i started sliding. i slid half down this mountain with no traction at all. regained traction and made it to work. when i got to work, people thought iwas crazy for coming in because apparently the other people that worked there that lived in the same town i did, called in and couldnt make it. that was the proudest day for me and my little FWD Integra

anywho, good luck getting a new ride B. i didnt fair too well on that Civic i looked at today. it drove great but it needed brakes, had a back tire that was making a noise like it wasnt properly balanced and it looked like t had been in a wreck. ahh well. the quest continues...

 

[Celerity]

I just got a free 1989 Pathfinder in great shape. Black, SE V6. It's auto though. I think all the VG30s are automatic. Sunroof, all the goodies. This has more buttons and switches than my 4runner had, which I didn't think was possible. It's got a warning light for "Belts". how awesome is that ?

Putting my 33" on it, my fender flares and having someone swap the rear springs out. It's got that auto adjusting suspension, a front push bar and A/C.

Free is for me !

 

[BodyDroppedNikes]

hell yeah Cel!! thats awesome!! congrats on the Pathfinder. those are badass trucks

 

[Celerity]

I've always wanted one. Shame is, I'm only keeping it around until the brat is done. Pix to follow shortly. Thread jack over.