the beater quest

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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 :D

i really don't have time for a project car. even if the price is right, there's no way i'd get it good before the bad weather came. Remember the del sol ? lol and that was when I HAD time. lol Alltrac's are near impossible to come by on top of it... i haven't seen one for sale in 5 months.

i've been keeping an eye out for galant vr4's, but they are rare, and even in crap condition sell for a lot.... and after all is said and done, its still a DSM.

I'm plenty used to RWD.... i owned a 240 don't forget :p i really think its the tires more than anything... 255's in the back float easy, not to mention the bridgestones that are on it aren't exactly what I would call a good rain tire....
Hmm, buy an STI maybe :ph34r:
i wish i could have kept it... but i don't have that kind of money to get both. I'm still more than happy with my decision to get the e46. it truely is an awesome car and makes the sti feel like a civic dx.
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.

hrm, thats good to know.
he mentions the heads have been replaced though, so i would think this would have fixed the known problem?
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.

:phear:
yeah, too much time... something i don't have.
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.
cavaliers aren't awd.
and yes, i live on a mountain. South Mountain to be exact. If it's a mis-nomer, blame the city. That's what they called it.

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...

wack :(

The quest continues.....
 
hell i may go get that 2000 Ford Focus ive been looking at. i already got approved for the loan...
 
To be honest B, I'm not sure. I kept decking or planing the head, not sure which is the right term, but eventually that didnt work and when they pulled the motor they found that the block was twisted/warped from the excessive heat over and over again. This may never happen to the one you're looking at, but then again it very well could. Since you have the chance now to pick something different, I would choose a 99+ if you like the RS' :)
 
My civic never failed me in Vermont winters, trekking up mountains on dirt roads that have hardly been cleared or when it was snowing on me. Is this a connecticut mountain or a vermont mountain we are talking about here?

If you know how to drive in the snow, fwd isnt a bad choice. Awd is for pussies :D

Get an outback wagon XD
 
My civic never failed me in Vermont winters, trekking up mountains on dirt roads that have hardly been cleared or when it was snowing on me. Is this a connecticut mountain or a vermont mountain we are talking about here?
vermont also knows how to plow.......
my street is a dead end, and its like the last street to get plowed.... and thats if the contractors come and plow out my condo complex access road.

It's long and steep. It might not be as HIGH as a real mountain, but its steep.

If you know how to drive in the snow, fwd isnt a bad choice. Awd is for pussies :D
I probably COULD get away with FWD, but if i don't need to, i'd rather not.
i'm honeslty considering a CRV right now..... and i hate suv's :(

Get an outback wagon XD

if i could find one reasonably priced, i would.
 
dont you mean 4WS
he probably does. just because it has 4 wheel steering doesn't necessarily mean they are drive wheels. they are still FWD, just more of a pain in the ass to work on.
 
according to google earth, the base of the way up to my place to my place is
310 ft above sea level to my place at 670ft above sea level

over a distance of 1.5 miles, minus .4 miles which is a flat "cross" road to go from one hill over the next block to the next section of uphill.

so in 1.1 miles, or 5280 + 528 or 5800 ish feet across, we're going up 360 feet vertical.

5800/360 =
16:1

for every 16 feet traveled, we've gained a foot of elevation.

hard to tell from the pic... but i'm way up the hill looking down over the city. my place is pimp :)
 

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so what is the degree of incline math man?
 
i will vouch for him he lives on the most remote mountain in bristol. not only that but the streets get plowed better than his parking lot at his condo, and that is not sayin much cause plow drivers around here like the one pass per street rule. hell my durango didn't even like his parking lot all that much last year. so fwd is pretty much not an option for him. plus like he said why would he want to drive that badass car in the salt i know i wouldn't, that and the fact that it is sideways on dry pavement now i can only imagine what it would be like in the snow.
 
"according to google earth, the base of the way up to my place to my place is
310 ft above sea level to my place at 670ft above sea level"

This kind of elevation change exists in grocery stores in Colorado. Grow a set, will ya ? You don't live on a "mountain" you live on something that can squeek by being called a "hill".
 
:word: Mountain. In less than a half hour drive here you can go from sea level to 7500 feet.
 
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.


Hold up the gravy train.

The '98 was the first year and only year to have DOHC engine. It had a problem with the headgasket popping, but I believe it was even under a factory recall after awhile.

With that said, I've never heard of the blocks being weak. Its the same basic engine that subaru has used for 25years now, which includes the WRX and STi and those blocks are plenty strong. Same type design, just different internals. I've never heard of anyone blowing the block only the headgaskets, but when they're replaced properly I haven't heard of any issues.

Once again with these things said, the market price of these cars are ridiculous even when they're beat up and have 100,000 miles on the clock they command $6,000-$8,000 at lowest. Can into a '99-'01 model with that kind of mileage and expect them to ask around $11,000.

I'm not calling you out if owned one and have the experience with one, just I own a WRX and was planning on buying a 2.5RS prior to my WRX purchase and I did a huge amount of research locally and on the four major subaru sites.
 
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Get a Subaru RX if you can find one. Hugh and I sold one a few years ago for $1k. Shoulda kept it.
 
I'll dig up pictures of the RX and put them back online. It was a sweet car.

That A6 is really nice... damn cheap too!
 
I hated SUV's before... But I LOVE my CRV... Good luck finding one for cheap.

Look for an accord B... I know you refuse to buy a civic for some stupid reason, but an accord will be great gas mileage, reliable, and a great DD... No AWD though, but a set of blizzaks on an accord will get you through anything.
 
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