Best cheap, or beater cars you have ever owned?

Noah Holcomb · 07-02-2008, 06:35 AM

For years my daily drivers were cheap beater cars, some of them were rather good. I had a 1986 SAAB 9000 Turbo that served me very well, I also owned a 1990 Mazda Miata that was good reliable transportation, but the best was a 1989 Civic Si.

That Civic was a great daily driver. It was light, had lots of room for such a small car, and was a hatch back. I use to haul around parts with it all the time, I even stuffed my racing karts in the back to haul around. The car got great gas mileage, and never missed a beat. It ran great! The only problem I ever had was a relay that died. I drove it for 4.5 years and it never let me down. The car handled great (I even autocrossed it and always had excellent results) The only gripe I had was the brakes could have been a bit better, the rear drums should have been disk. If you really drove the car hard you would experience brake fade too soon. Also a little more power and limited slip would have been nice. I don't even like FWD but this was a great daily driver. Not fast, but simple, reliable, practical, and fun to drive. Best $1800 car I ever owned. I sold it and bought a nice used SAAB 9-5, that car turned out to be one of the worst, if not the worst car I ever bought and ended up throwing a rod. I wish I kept the Honda.

gassy · 07-02-2008, 06:42 AM

My first car was a '76 Chevy Impala in ***** brown. Perfect high school car. It was huge. Wish I still had it for some strange reason. I can remember putting $3.oo worth of gas in at a time.

stomachmonkey · 07-02-2008, 06:43 AM

Dodge Neon. Currently a real POS Bronco ll with bondo, peeling paint the works.

My new neighbors are not thrilled having to look at it but F em.

The MB and 911 certainly make up for it though they are hidden in the garage and the Bronco sits in the street.

Tobra · Tobra's Garage

Had a '72 pinto that served me well and never let me down, until my ex wife wrecked it. Sort of underpowered, good fuel economy, RWD, rear seat folded down and made a nice little bed

mikester · 07-02-2008, 06:49 AM

My first car was a 1983 Mazda B2000 and there is not a single day that goes by where I don't lament letting it go.

Mule · 07-02-2008, 06:51 AM

Dodge dart, slant 6. Torsion bar, suspension cornered like a pig on ice, never broke.

speedracing944 · speedracing944's Garage

Mazda GLC. Had holes in the floorboard but it was out first car with a manual tranny. Just because of that it was fun to drive. It also had a cool hand cranked sunroof. We got rid of it because of blown brake lines and a leaking fuel tank. It was fun while it lasted.

Speedy

Sarc · 07-02-2008, 07:07 AM

I've been fortunate that all my daily drivers (which really were my primary cars since I have to yet to have a 'toy') have served me well with little or no trouble.

While in college:

-77 Datsun 280z: Great fun once I scuttled the FI for webers. 'Slight' electrical glitches and growing rust made me sell while it was tolerable. I feel for its next owners.
-70 Datsun240z: I miss it dearly. Always started, sounded incredible. Headlights failed one night in a blizzard, but other than that dead reliable. A joy to own.
-85 MazdaRx7 GSL-SE: Solid 1 owner car, felt like a tank crusing on the highway. Cursed with being beige/pale yellow. Started to lose compression at 110K so I had to part with her. Plus it was beige.

Post graduation:

-92 Mazda Mx-6: 1 owner car. As reliable as refrigerator. Always started. Just fuel, oil, and car washes. 30+ MPG all day. Sold for a grand with 194K miles.
-94 Toyota MR-2 NA: Bought on an impulse. Could have used more power. Loved the sitting on the ground feeling. Hated the t-tops.
-91 BMW 318is: Current car the past 5 years. Impulse buy from original owners. By far the best car I've owned possesing qualities of all my past cars--handling, suprising economy, fun to drive with the addition of feeling more expensive than it is regarding fit & finish, materials, etc. Constantly toy with selling it but can't seem to let it go.

Superman · 07-02-2008, 07:13 AM

'73 Datsun 620 pickup.

'79 Audi Fox.

'79 VW Rabbit.

GothingNC · 07-02-2008, 07:14 AM

Best : 78 4-door VW Rabbit with 280,000 miles purschaes for $1,000 in 1986 and sold for $800 in 1988 with 310,000 miles.

Only maint. - tires and oil

Worst:

78 Honda Civic with the CVCC motor.
Purchased for $600, spent $1,500 in maint and then the head went all within 6 months.

Car went to the scrap yard

onewhippedpuppy · 07-02-2008, 07:16 AM

'93 Nissan 240SX. I put 50k on it, pretty impressive with my car ADD. Bought it in high school, managed to destroy the front driver's side suspension on a curb (driving too fast), added plenty of "character" with dents due to agressive driving. Used it to master the e-brake 180 and reverse J-turn.

Sold at 100k, I think I maybe replaced the battery and tires, never stranded me. RWD, 5-speed, great handling, only limited by a truck engine that sounded like it was full of gravel.

2nd place would go to the car I had before it, an '87 Nissan 200SX. Only failure was a clutch safety switch that stranded me in a parking lot. Totalled it running into a brick post driving too fast in the rain, rebuilt it, later totalled it again being run over by a semi (not my fault). RWD, 5-speed, not fast but still fun.

onewhippedpuppy · 07-02-2008, 07:16 AM

'93 Nissan 240SX. I put 50k on it, pretty impressive with my car ADD. Bought it in high school, managed to destroy the front driver's side suspension on a curb (driving too fast), added plenty of "character" with dents due to agressive driving. Used it to master the e-brake 180 and reverse J-turn.

Sold at 100k, I think I maybe replaced the battery and tires, never stranded me. RWD, 5-speed, great handling, only limited by a truck engine that sounded like it was full of gravel.

2nd place would go to the car I had before it, an '87 Nissan 200SX. Only failure was a clutch safety switch that stranded me in a parking lot. Totalled it running into a brick post driving too fast in the rain, rebuilt it, later totalled it again being run over by a semi (not my fault). RWD, 5-speed, not fast but still fun.

craigster59 · craigster59's Garage

'88 LandCruiser, still own it. Over 300k on the clock and still runs like a champ. Now, if gas would just drop to $1.40 a gal, I could drive it again...

pwd72s · 07-02-2008, 07:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mule

Dodge dart, slant 6. Torsion bar, suspension cornered like a pig on ice, never broke.

+1 on the slant 6. Many claim the Small block Chevrolet V-8 to be the most bulletproof Detroit engine. I say the slant 6...400,000 mile examples not uncommon.

The car? We once had a Volare Wagon, slant 6...ugly, gutless, ill handling. And it just ran, and ran, and ran....

Stuart993 · 07-02-2008, 07:42 AM

1969 Triumph Vitesse, 2.0 litre Straight 6.
Not this actual one, but very much like it.

The Gaijin · 07-02-2008, 07:43 AM

That slant 6 had a tick-tick-tick of the lifters that was very distinctive... Ah, my wasted youth..

The 1990 Corolla just died - 255,000 miles. Got my money out of that car.

kach22i · kach22i's Garage

Right now, my 1990 Geo Tracker, RWD/4WD convertible with zebra stripes.

I'm losing brake fluid like crazy, may be time to put her down. Just towed the hovercraft 600 miles, her last battle is over, time to sleep forever.

vash · vash's Garage

my stepdad gave me an 80's jeep scrambler. one black fender, long block i had rebuilt. the thing is a small tank. if i didnt have the california smog to contend with, it would be with me. i fixed it up, to run great, and i gave it back. my family uses it as a hunting beater. i love that thing. man if i had it here, i would restore it, and use it daily.

VincentVega · 07-02-2008, 07:52 AM

88 Civic hatchback I bought it in college w/ ~115k, just sold it 2 yrs ago with ~240k. A ton of oil changes, a couple timing belts, brakes ,an alternator, radiator and a few axles. I hauled so much crap in that car it's hard to believe. Road trips with bikes on the roof. Countless trips to NJ for work... and it still got over 32mpg. It was a blast to drive, decent struts and tires, just dont lift.

Rough cost was $400/yr, not counting gas or insurance.

Tim Hancock · 07-02-2008, 08:09 AM

Over the years, I have had lots of foreign "beaters" (VW's, Hondas, Datsun/Nissans) along with a few American beaters (Valiant with the un- killable "slant six"), most did their jobs admirably, but to date, the "best" beater has proven to be my '92 E36 BMW 325i which at about 288,000 miles is still running/driving perfectly on it's original un-opened engine and clutch. I stole it with a few easily fixable mechanical issues (leaking AC and heater core/ and worn struts) for 5k when it had 140,000 miles about 10 years ago and it has proven to be just a d@mn solid car.