Help Billfred Find a Ride!

Other Chit-Chat
1

Alright, so here’s the story.

August 19, I start classes at USC. The University of South Carolina, for you Californians.

Currently, our family has two cars, a 1998 Accord (my mother’s, who she won’t give up for anything save maybe an S2000) and a 1999 Civic (my current car, which is shared with my brother). But since I’m going to be gone and will need a car of my own (gotta get back home for FIRST meetings, y’know), there’s a need for a third car.

The rules:
-When complete, the monster machine must appear to be stock.
-The team can spend no more than $10,000 in cold hard cash.
-Billfred and his crew have until the end of July. On the first day they think. For the next thirty, they hunt. And on the thirty-first day, THEY BUY!
If successful, Billfred gets to have a decent mode of transportation for his college days.

AND THE CLOCK STARTS NOW!

Monster Garage jokes aside, here’s what it’s gotta be:
-It oughta be from 1990 or later, unless there’s a really overriding reason otherwise.
-The car HAS to be reliable. I don’t have the time, money, or sanity to be fixing something once or twice a week.
-Automatic tranny. Someday I’ll learn to drive a stick–but not today.
-I prefer sedans, although I’m open to almost any other body style (minivan, hatchback, shoot, even granny wagons). Just please avoid SUVs.
-It’s going to need at least decent fuel economy. 20 in the city is great.
-It doesn’t have to be a Honda. They’re great cars, but I’m open to branching out into other makes.
-Cars with a history of street racing aren’t going to be great–insurance.

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated…now to hope I can find a car!

2

As a suggestion you might want to look at Accords, Camrys, or Cavaliers. These are very much available as automatics and get good fuel economy. They’re very reliable vehicles (yes, even the Chevy) that seem to fit what you want. I know some people soup these up for racing but they do that to pretty much any small to midsize car these days. There are also good minivans out there like the Nissan Quest, Honda Odessey, Ford Windstar. I rode in a Windstar rental when I was in Chicago last year and it impressed me. The Windstar is discontinued and replaced by the Freestar but at this point you won’t find a Freestar for under $10,000.
You should look for something within 2-6 years old and possibly off lease. This is usually where you can find good deals on vehicles since they have already depreciated in price enough and still have 70,000 or less miles and plenty of life left. Some vehicles will even have the remainder of the factory warranty left.

I bought a '97 Toyota Camry LE in 2001 with 46,000 miles on it. It was an off-lease vehicle (I will never buy new, since you will lose several grand just driving it off the lot) and it currently has over 81,000 miles on it with no problems. It’s also great on gas with it’s 4 cylinder. My previous everyday driver, which I still own, is a '87 Chevrolet Caprice Classic 9 passenger wagon. I went through 4-5 tank fulls of gas a week with that so the Camry made a big difference in that department. The Caprice has a 8 cylinder (307ci) with currently a tad over 167,000 miles. We also have 3 Saturns in our family which have been good cars.

The main thing to remember is get something that YOU feel comfortable with and like. We can, and should, only give you suggestions and ideas. Look around and see what’s available with the options you want, in your price range, and meets your needs. Test drive a few different vehicles and see how you like them and you may decide that a certain model or class of vehicle isn’t for you.

Good luck in your search
Jason

Oh Wait! One last thing. If you get a wagon or van just be prepared to be asked by your team to “chuffer” the robot around to different team events. :smiley: You will be amazed at how many times I’ve used my Caprice wagon for the team! :wink:

3

I’d try Ebay Motors, you can get some good deals on there, just make sure the car is good (I’d use a service like carfax to check the vehicle history)

http://motors.ebay.com/

4

If you want a decent, economical car, a Saturn S-type sedan is a candidate. Ours gets around 38 mpg highway, (it’s a 1999 basic model with manual tranny). We have often driven it from Los Angeles to Sacramento (over 300 miles) on one tank of gas, while carrying 3 adult-size people and their luggage. So far, it’s been pretty reliable.

Our Saturn’s major drawbacks: I have trouble getting it into any parking space other than our driveway at home, and when we go camping, we cannot fit all of our gear, plus the 3 of us, into it. We had to buy a roof rack. These drawbacks are probably due to the American manufacturer’s inadequate efforts to imitate a Japanese company. The parking, ratio of interior room to exterior dimensions (oh, yes, and the force needed to open and shut doors) seem to be holdovers from large American sedans of the past.

Normally, I wouldn’t take a car to a dealer for service, but I like our local Saturn dealer. The best thing, though, is that Saturns are cheap to buy, especially compared with Toyotas and Honda, and widely available.

Another tip: avoid buying an “orphan,” a specific model or line that is not widely available. We used to own a 1986 Plymouth Colt Premier (not a DODGE Colt, and it was made by Mitsubishi, which also made a twin model with the Mitsubishi label). I loved it (it held all our camping gear), but as it got older, I had a hard time finding parts. Also, I got tired of mechanics writing on the paperwork that it was a Dodge, not a Plymouth. Adding to the confusion was the fact that it had a “performance package” which included a turbocharged engine, and tires in an unusual, hard-to-find size (I have an interesting story about those tires, but it would make this post way, way too long).

5

This is probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done (because personally I hate these cars) but I’d suggest looking into a Hyundai or Kia. If all you care about is getting around, it may serve your purpose well - and cheaply too.

EDIT: I thought of another one. I know it’s not 1990 or newer and I know it’s not automatic but how about a classic VW Beetle? They are really awesome cars and really easy and fun to drive. If you find one in good shape, they are super reliable too. (no cooling system problems). My dad got a '65 and I right away picked up on how to drive it on my first try; I only stalled it once while reversing. I’m 6’1" and I fit in it just fine. Plenty of head room and the only problem whatsoever with legroom is when you are in 2nd gear and foot on the break, then my knee hits the giant steering wheel. You could get a smaller wheel though (or different years might have smaller wheels).

They get great gas mileage even though they are old. And they’re cheap to buy too: Even really nice one’s can be had for under $4,000. And because it’s carburated and air cooled, if it does break, it is really cheap and easy to fix.

The only downside to any manual is if you are in traffic AND on a hill. Either one by itself is not too bad really. The upside of a manual that I enjoy is that it keeps you really alert and focused while yoru driving, because it is difficult to be distracted by a phone or food or something like that. Last, it opens up a whle new part of your brain. Controlling three pedals with two feet and a wheel and stick with your two hands really builds up coordination skills.

6

Really, although a lot of people don’t like to deal with them, used car lots can be a good choice (if you know how to deal with them). I recently got rid of my 91 tri-colored worthless POS Thunderbird for a 97 Grand Prix GT. I ended up going to an independent used car dealer, which most people will advise against.

First and foremost, check with the Better Business Bureau or www.ripoffreport.com for information on the business. Better to know them before you let them get to know you.
Second, find out everything you can about the car - ask obscure questions about potential problems that you know the dealer may not even know (like ‘How did this scratch get here?’) and ask what they plan on doing about them.
Third, if you aren’t comfortable with the dealer, don’t bother. Make sure they seem to want to genuinely help you… if not, there’s plenty of other lots. Don’t cater to them, let them cater to you. You are the customer. They don’t have a business without business like yours.
Fourth, RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH. I recommend www.carfax.com and other websites that give you the history of a car. I was lucky - I found that my car had only had one owner, never been in an accident or had an incident with the police, was never used as a lemon, and (most of all) had correct mileage. Any of these things listed would have dropped the value of the car. I paid my $20 on CarFax to find this out, and it was well worth it. Even to find out that the car had been in one accident would have made the whole report more than worth that $20. Please, don’t buy a used car without doing this.
Fifth, don’t rush! Even if you need a new car soon (as I did), take the span of a week or so. Let them know you are interested, but only casually interested. Bring other people with you to check out the car. Sometimes even bringing others along helps to point out small nicks, bumps, scratches, or loose items that will help when you are…
Sixth - bargaining. I got the price of my car dropped by $2000, had a whole new set of pads, shoes, and rotors on the brakes done, had new wiper blades put on, had the console tightened, had the battery plate tightened and painted, had several small scratches touched up, had the seal replaced on a door, and many other minor things done. Unless it is a new car, it is bound to have some wear and tear, which is normal. But even when it’s normal, you can bargain with it. Also, make sure that BEFORE you talk to anyone about the car, that you know the Kelley Blue Book value: www.kbb.com. Especially in used cars, the KBB can be used as a great bargaining tool. Check out other used cars like the one you are interested in in newspapers, magazines, ads from dealerships, etc. Use the estimates in the papers to compare to the one you’d like.

And although I shouldn’t have to say this (especially because Billfred is a pretty bright guy), make an informed decision. Don’t leave the lot with the car until you’ve signed and put money down. Test drive frequently. Know every small scratch and dent, and give them heck for it.

Best of luck!

7

Well, as great as the help’s been, it looks like I’m going to have to hunt this thread out again when we get closer to build season.

Mom’s decided that I really don’t need a car for college, although she’s willing to reconsider at the end of the semester.

Unless, of course, any of y’all who live on campus can testify otherwise.

8

So, is she going to let you get a Segway? :stuck_out_tongue:

I lived on campus at University of California, Irvine, all my four years there. My senior year, I got an old Schwinn bicycle from a friend. He only wanted $20 for it. Prior to that, I walked everywhere on campus. I got acquainted with the bus system for off-campus jaunts, but riding the Orange County and Los Angeles buses home on weekends took four times as long as driving, and fully as long as riding a bicycle those 40 miles. So, I usually arranged a ride if I needed to go home. My parents did let me borrow a car for one week when I had a seminar 20 miles from campus.

It pays to research your options on your particular campus–some are bicycle-friendly; at others you “need” to have a car. According to locals, USC, the California version, stands for University of Spoiled Children, and you should hear what some of THEM drive (sounds like lamb-bore-gheenee) --and in a high-crime neighborhood! :wink:

I must balance the above statement: I do know one student there who is NOT particularly spoiled, and he doesn’t drive one of THOSE kinds of cars. I hear that he is grateful for his four years’ experience with Team 330 (Beach Bots), which helped him learn how to manage projects–a necessary skill for his architecture major. He did very well on his assignments, and provided valuable assistance to his fellow students on their projects. Sound familiar?

9

Heh. My 1996 Ford Contour hasn’t failed me yet. A few years ago, we bought it used for maybe $5k… Now it probably couldn’t get more than $2.5k. It runs great, has NEVER failed (minus the snowy hills of Erie, PA and when it got covered in a 1/3"-1" layer of ice… but I guess I can’t blame that on the car :P). It’s a sedan and a peppy car. I recently filled the 12-gallon tank and headed to Buffalo, NY… and as a round trip, it’s probably 340 miles or so… and I still have a quarter of a tank left. With 108k miles, the only current problems with it is the cupholder is broken and the back seat squeaks.

10

Really, I could have gone without my car this semester. I only used it for some late-night Meijer trips, the occasional trip shopping, going home, and robotics trips.

However, if you live an hour or more away from home, I guarantee that it’s in your mom’s best interest to let you find a vehicle. I live three hours away, and not having a car (for that reason) was impossible. There’s no way to justify having to make my mom drive 6 hours in a day to come get me.

11

Rats…for my mom, she’d have to drive .6 (yes, point six) hours. Unless it’s rush hour.

Those fall meetings are going to be fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuun.

12

Are you required to live on campus? If I lived that close to school, I’d give up my apartment, electric, internet, bills, bills, bills, in a minute. They really add up if you have to live at or near campus. Just think, if the only thing you had to pay was tuition, and books and supplies, and spend the rest of the money over the four years towards a vehicle?? :eek:

I live just outside of Wilkes-Barre, and without a vehicle it’s a 4 mile walk to even find a soda and a sandwich. The little town of Lehman has a population of less than 100. I started driving a stick shift 2 years ago, and it was perfectly fine in my little muddin’ truck in the country, however, if I wanted to drive into the city - FORGET IT! It’s a nightmare to go through 12 redlights during rush hour!

I just got a Jeep Grand Cherokee. It took me just over two months to find what I wanted. It had to have the moonroof, Infinity system, tinted windows, etc, etc. I watched ebay tentatively, and also autotrader.com. Just be careful, and do your research. My mom has been a very avid user of ebay for years, and knows the tricks of the trade. I ended up with what I wanted, plus over the next year or so I will have to have body work done on the door due to rusting on the door skin. :rolleyes: So just be careful when searching!!!

13

Heh.

Get a Cherokee. They are decent on gas, and you have the legendary 4x4 option at your control. :smiley:

My ex-roomate ruined Cavys for me, and I work for a GM dealership, so I see the little querks with them. Kia parts are a PITA to get ahold of when something does go wrong. Imports can cost ya’ a nice penny (atleast around here) to fix. With my heavy foot and my heavy car (93 Grand Cherokee [ZJ] w/ all wheel drive and the 4.0 I-6) I still get around 14-15 mpg city and about 21-22 highway.

As you can tell, when I drive (even if it’s to the corner store) I gotta have my space… Maybe I’m not the right guy to be talking about some car that gets good gas mileage…:smiley:

Ashley - Get the 5.2 (318) V-8 in that? I’m looking for a 1998 ZJ that’s the 5.9 Limited Edition. I’m droolin’ just thinking about it. Hit me up w/ a PM and tell me how ya’ like it (and let me drool over the list of options that you got! :D)

14

crown vic polic package. It totally rocks, and will seat zix in comfort, seven or even eight if you really need to, and thats without putting anyone in the trunk (at least ten if you do that). On top of that, you get the police package which means your car is a decent performer (don’t expect good 1/4 mile times, it is a huge car, but its got a good top speed and good high speed handling. And you get a spotlight. And american full size sedans are totally awesome. Also look into a town car or a grandmarquis (crown vic with some extra options). Cheap, reliable (don’t believe the fix or repair daily nonsense, mid and late 90’s crown vics are about as reliable as cars get. I’ve got a 15 year old ford that has never had a major problem.)

But you gotta pay for gas. Beats an SUV, but not a civic.

15

Someone my brother had class with last semester at Purdue picked up something very similar to this near the end of the year. His dad got him a 2000 (or '01 / '02 not sure) Ford Crown Victoria, FBI retired car. This thing was awesome. It was all black w/ tinted windows and the black police wheels. It had the police search light and everything on the door. The odd thing was that this vehicle didnt have a VIN number on it so the kid had special paperwork from the government incase he ever got pulled over. I believe he picked up this car at an auction for $6000.

16

just my .02 look at buick lesabre

from 91-95 they didn;t change much and they are all very very reliable…all the parts are GM regulars that were used so much they are proven conept. you can pick one up for under 3,000. i have had mine (94) for a few years now and i love it. i know you might say yuck a buick but this car has been through the works with very little problems. also note that i live in rochester NY, the weather is probably the most sparatic ever so it is truely in my mine a tested concept…you can also find them anywhere, trust me you wont be disappointed

17

Excuse my Iron Chef, but…

Details will follow soon.

18

Coming from a family in law enforcement- That is a great car