WTB Inexpensive Car

[mtnbob]

I need an inexpensive second car so I can spend some time fine tuning my 86 Golf and maybe rebuilding the turbo. Nothing fancy, just something that drives. Even a gasser would be ok, if it is something I could eventually swap a diesel into. 
Thanks

[R.O.R-2.0]

I need an inexpensive second car so I can spend some time fine tuning my 86 Golf and maybe rebuilding the turbo. Nothing fancy, just something that drives. Even a gasser would be ok, if it is something I could eventually swap a diesel into. 
Thanks

go buy a civic.. they are cheap, and you dont even have to care about it!!

ford tempo maybe? they came with mazda diesels..

[srgtlord]

Get a dodge neon

[bajacalal]

Dodge Neon? What are you thinking. There's a reason the millions you saw on the road a few years ago have all since vanished.

Get a Volvo 240. They're super cheap for what they are- a decently fast, reliable, economical, comfortable, safe car... at least around here they're still dirt cheap. I've heard in other parts of the country they're more rare.

[TylerDurden]

Suzuki Samurai? Geo Tracker?

You can put a VW diesel in em....

http://greenville.craigslist.org/cto/3515529578.html

[srgtlord]

Well..the neon used to be very abundant not great quality but it did what it was suppose to do, get you from point a to be for fairly cheap. The ones with the auto slushboxes blew up early but the ones with manual transmissions were just about as good as any econobox. Now repairing these vehicles, thats another story... but goodluck finding one for cheap in this economy

[nwcali6]

Dodge Neon? What are you thinking. There's a reason the millions you saw on the road a few years ago have all since vanished.

Get a Volvo 240. They're super cheap for what they are- a decently fast, reliable, economical, comfortable, safe car... at least around here they're still dirt cheap. I've heard in other parts of the country they're more rare.

  I'd second this one...the 240's wrecked awesome, few deaths in all its years.  The B23F was in use a long time, and would bo 200,000 if taken care of.  Simple to work on.  And if your lucky they came in diesel, not sure who made it... 

  Back then Volvo actually made the blocks and let them sit for a long time.  This allowed the metal to age a little.. supposidly this was why they would run so long..I've owned several (years ago).

  Stay away for a turbo though...

[bajacalal]

They did come in diesel, which was made by... Volkswagen!

It's a 6 cyl variant of the IDI diesel.

The diesel ones don't really seem to be any more reliable or economical than the gas ones though (which are very reliable) and seem to have some issues that our 4 cylinder engines don't, so I guess it's just a matter of what you want to be driving.

I want to know what you have against turbos... The the turbo cars are nearly as reliable as the non-turbo and will do over 200,000, easy, as long as regular maintenance is done, and don't have significantly worse fuel economy. They're pretty fast. There are some turbo specific issues that are similar to what you deal with on any turbo car.

One thing to look out for on Volvos of this era is the wiring they used. The insulation breaks down inside the engine wiring harness and causes you all sorts of problems so you have to watch out for that.

[TylerDurden]

I never found the Volvo to be a value... every replacement part I ever bought cost twice as much as a domestic or VW. (Saab was just as bad.)

[nwcali6]

They did come in diesel, which was made by... Volkswagen!

It's a 6 cyl variant of the IDI diesel.

The diesel ones don't really seem to be any more reliable or economical than the gas ones though (which are very reliable) and seem to have some issues that our 4 cylinder engines don't, so I guess it's just a matter of what you want to be driving.

I want to know what you have against turbos... The the turbo cars are nearly as reliable as the non-turbo and will do over 200,000, easy, as long as regular maintenance is done, and don't have significantly worse fuel economy. They're pretty fast. There are some turbo specific issues that are similar to what you deal with on any turbo car.

One thing to look out for on Volvos of this era is the wiring they used. The insulation breaks down inside the engine wiring harness and causes you all sorts of problems so you have to watch out for that.

  I owned several non turbo ones, simple and reliable with high milleage.
  My turbo one smoked (only 136,000 when I sold it) and it had a mechanical fuel system (versus electronic for the gassers).  Not only was mine leak prone, I'd imagine it would be darn hard to get parts for now.  I never had a power problem with the B23F, and I pulled a trailer from Fairbanks AK to Georgia with it...  So why go with a turbo?  No upside (from my point of view) and only problems... Maybe the later turbo volvos were better?

[bajacalal]

The turbo 240s came with a T3 and used the "continuous injection system" aka "Jetronic-K" if that's what you mean by "mechanical" injection. The same system, btw, was used on many gas Volkswagens of the same era. It is a reliable and simple system but can be difficult to diagnose problems unless you're familiar with it. The 7-series and later 240s had the more modern all-electronic injection system. The earlier ones were better too, they came with a T3 (very common and good turbo) and the later ones were significantly de-rated and came with a smaller turbo. Parts availability for them is still very good, better than it is for diesel Volkswagens IMO, which is hit-and-miss. I'm not really that much of a Volvo fan but a friend of mine is one of the few people in the world that has made a business out of Volvo tuning and performance, http://yoshifab.com, so I've learned a lot through osmosis.

[Dakotakid]

Are you confused yet, Mtnbob? Sheesh.
A familiar alternative to the crap mentioned above would be a Mk. II Golf or Jetta with the super reliable 1.8 non-interference fit engine. Best to find an 85 or 86 with CIS-lambda (will have black cast iron fuel distributor on top of the air cleaner) or the more aggrevating CIS-e injection (with the silver aluminum fuel distributor). I would stay away from the 88's and beyond which use digifant electronic injection and suck.

In your area, it would seem a gas Mk. II would be fairly easy to find.

[R.O.R-2.0]

Are you confused yet, Mtnbob? Sheesh.
A familiar alternative to the crap mentioned above would be a Mk. II Golf or Jetta with the super reliable 1.8 non-interference fit engine. Best to find an 85 or 86 with CIS-lambda (will have black cast iron fuel distributor on top of the air cleaner) or the more aggrevating CIS-e injection (with the silver aluminum fuel distributor). I would stay away from the 88's and beyond which use digifant electronic injection and suck.

In your area, it would seem a gas Mk. II would be fairly easy to find.

this ^ ^ ^

best idea ever..

this is how i do it.. just buy old gassers as spare cars..

[bajacalal]

What about a VW FOX?

Totally disposable car, around here anyway, you can get one for a fistful of greenbacks, and they're still plentiful in junkyards.

I know someone who has one and it just will not die.

[mtnbob]

My decision was pretty much made for me when my girlfriend bought a new car and sold me her old one. Don't laugh!!!! 2005 Saturn Ion  but I couldn't beat the price. I hope I will be able to afford something like a Jetta TDI Wagon within the next year, but this is what I will have for now.