I need a recession-proof car

[RKC]

Recession proof? I bought a low mileage 87 911 in great condition in 2001, and sold it for pretty much what I paid for it 8 years later, during the spring of 2009 when the economy was in the soup. Figured the cost at about $1,000 per year, much of which was not for maintenance but for "upgrades" that weren't strictly necessary (wheels, steering wheel, etc.)

Only kind of car that you can't lose money on is usually:
1. Well-built with good parts availability.
2. Desirable enough to be sought after years later when you sell it (or so cheap to start with that the cost doesn't amount to much).
3. Old enough to have bottomed on the depreciation curve.

Don't know enough about #1, seems cheap enough for #2 if you keep it long enough, and seems to have bottomed for #3. The Audi might work....

[red-beard]

Originally Posted by krystar

1980's Mercedes 240D or 300TD (if u want turrrrbo).

there's one in mercedes museum that clocked over 2.8million miles

Everyone says this. One of my buddies bought a late 70's diesel in 2004 when he moved to PA for med school. It ran. No heat. lots of other little issues. It was a 25-30 yr old car.

[GG Allin]

E36 M3. And learn how to fix it your self.

[dtw]

Originally Posted by porsche4life

Trust me.... If you can't afford to keep the TT... You can't afford a Corrado...


$15 spark plugs....


I sold mine for 4k and thought I fleeced the guy... I LOST money on that car....

Thank you! I had a '92 SLC that nearly bankrupted me. Most expensive car I've ever owned. My daily driver 530i is cheaper to maintain and fix, as is every 911 I've ever owned.

I remember being on the phone with VWOA screaming "People's car my ass!!!" after the latest Corrado breakdown. Sunroof cable broke, and they only sold complete sunroof assemblies - $800 in parts in 1998. Two weeks earlier, my 911 sunroof had broken...$6 to fix. Man that VR6 SLC was fun to drive, but heaven help you when it broke. And it LOVED to break.

[m21sniper]

Personally i find VW's to be sorely lacking in quality.

[porsche4life]

Originally Posted by audiman08

I drove a 944 yesterday, a lot of fun but too high-maintenance. On a plus note, I picked up an internship and wrote an exhibit script for a local museum so things are looking up for the moment.

My 944 is less maintainance than my VW.... Sure I've spent lots on it... all in upgrades....

[porsche4life]

Originally Posted by dtw

Thank you! I had a '92 SLC that nearly bankrupted me. Most expensive car I've ever owned. My daily driver 530i is cheaper to maintain and fix, as is every 911 I've ever owned.

I remember being on the phone with VWOA screaming "People's car my ass!!!" after the latest Corrado breakdown. Sunroof cable broke, and they only sold complete sunroof assemblies - $800 in parts in 1998. Two weeks earlier, my 911 sunroof had broken...$6 to fix. Man that VR6 SLC was fun to drive, but heaven help you when it broke. And it LOVED to break.

LMAO sounds like me and the $500 window regulator... They would sell me the ONE plastic clip I needed....

[ForBell]

Originally Posted by speeder

Red is also the #1 resale color for most cars.

hmm
the way it was said to me by an authority: "white-colored autos hold their value better than any other color."

[crashmy911]

You just need to drive your cars Palumbo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[RWebb]

Originally Posted by Z-man

...the SVX did have some problems and can be a bit expensive to maintain. ...

- are any of the problems or maint. expense in the engine?

[Laneco]

Originally Posted by m21sniper

Well don't buy a 928. I just took mine out for the first shake down cruise of the season and burned through $20 in gas in about an hour of driving.

Now THAT sounds like a fun shake-down drive -LOL!

The Audi coupe is lovely but I wouldn't touch one with a ten-foot pole. Went to school with a fellow who was quite the Audi Fan (4000 and his father had a 5000). Always working on them and something was ALWAYS wrong. I was driving a $75 car that I'd bought at a garage sale and he would have to borrow my car to chase parts for the damned Audi. The last straw came on his graduation day when I had to help push his father's 5000 because the transmission went on on a car that had 40K on the clock.

I was wearing a dress and heels. I was REALLY pissed about pushing that fatas$ beige Audi across the highway and into a parking lot.

Hate them.

angela

[Z-man]

Originally Posted by RWebb

- are any of the problems or maint. expense in the engine?

There wasn't enough cooling for the transmission - I believe a filter was too restrictive in the OEM system. And the transmission would go prematurely. the replacement can be costly.

Since that car is somewhat rare (but not an exotic!) parts can be difficult to come by as well.

Still, the SVC is a wonderfully build car.

-Z

[RWebb]

thx - I'd love to have an SVX motor in my Vanagon...

[NICKG]

buy a diesel powereed vw or mercedes.
/ thread
you won't ever lose a dime and probably will make $ if gas goes up like I think it will

[Bill Douglas]

Corolla.

In fact Corolla is the answer to all motoring needs, ah, other than racing

[HarryD]

You guys got it all wrong. Go buy a $1,000 car from the Penny Ads. If it lasts at least 3 months, you got your money out of it and if it goes a year, you are golden. When it dies, shoot it and get another.

[kaisen]

1984 Audi GT LOW miles

Good deal, me thinks

[Embraer]

Originally Posted by HarryD

You guys got it all wrong. Go buy a $1,000 car from the Penny Ads. If it lasts at least 3 months, you got your money out of it and if it goes a year, you are golden. When it dies, shoot it and get another.

exactly...paid $400 for an '88 BMW E30, with the understanding that if it broke down on the way home, i'd leave it there. that was last year and 17,000 miles ago. the only thing ive done is changed the oil 3 times.

insured it with liability only....had a girl hit me back in february. her insurance co paid me, and let me keep the car. i've MADE a couple of grand on it

[onewhippedpuppy]

RKC nailed it. Buy a car that started out expensive, is cheap today, and is at least semi-desirable. But if you want cheap to run you'd be best to avoid German, and should absolutely avoid VW/Audi. I missed if you DIY maintenance and repairs, but that is key. Paying a specialist import wrench $100/hr to frequently repair your $5k car is insane.

[71T Targa]

Something like this for a grand?

'84 325e
automatic, very good condition with nice factory wheels...NO RUST. new speakers, new master cylinder, motor is very strong and does not use oil. have clean title, I would sell the car as is for 1,000 dollars. or trade for???



Not mine...