Tohru wants a different car.

"Tohru" (tohrurokuno) 09/15/2014 at 11:46 • Filed to: None

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While I quite enjoy the TinyTohruTruck in all its majesty, and the 720 V8 project will be fun to work on for the winter, I still need another vehicle. I need something for use in Wisconsin winters, and two trucks with frail non-rustproofed glorious Nippon sheetmetal won't cut it.

I've been kicking around a few ideas, and wanted to get some feedback from you motley lot of gearheads. Before any of you mention it: I don't want to drive a Miata in the winter. No. Fuck that.

In no particular order, the options:

1. 2003 Chevy Impala, ~100k miles, ~$5k. Belongs to my dad, he's done all the maintenance on it. A sturdy and reliable vehicle, but boring as fuck. Seen here towing my old Escort after the diff exploded.

2. 1995 Nissan D21 extended cab 4x4, ~80k miles, ~$1500-2500. Belongs to my dad again. Has had structural repairs (rusted frame - I helped with the repairs), but purrs like a kitten.

3. 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis, 137k miles, under $3750. Sits on a backroad my roommate takes to work, at the end of a farmer's driveway. No rust, the window sheet has both $4500 and $3750 crossed out and just says "Make Offer".

There's another one of these on 82 about 5 miles from the house. It's about the same miles and he's asking $1800 OBO, but the body is super-rough (including rusty front fenders) and all the tires are bad.

4. 1984-1988 Pontiac Fiero - typically under $2k. Don't have a specific one lined up because Dad sold his. With the high-tensile steel frame they have, they resist rust very well. They also take well to V8 swaps.

5. '01-'02 S500 or S600 - $3k-5k. Blame Tavarish for this one. Though the idea of heated seats and steering wheel and those glorious motors (after being coupled with full-length headers and straight pipes because no inspections where I live) makes an Autobahn-burner sound like a good idea.

6. 2005-2009 smart fortwo - $3k-9k. I don't have a family... or many friends for that matter. For a work car I only need space for myself, my sales supplies, and my cooler. A smart would get the job done without problem. I test-drove one a couple months back and liked it. I had considered a new fortwo, but the nearest dealer is 55 miles from my home.

7. New Chevy Cruze Eco or Diesel - $16k-$19k. I get GM Supplier pricing through my job, so I can get into a new Cruze for reasonable money. I don't like new cars with all their nannies and computers, but a Cruze is a perfectly reasonable car. The Eco is a better value for the MPG's, but the Diesel has torque like my old V8 B-bodies.

Honorable Mention: 2006-2011 Cadillac DTS. I drove one for work for a year, and loved it. The gadgets like to quit working inside though.

Which one do you think is a better idea? Is there something I've missed? Let me know!

Note: I would only consider a GM product for a new purchase, as they have a much better dealer network where I live.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Tohru 09/15/2014 at 11:49

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I'm leaning Fiero, resisting the urge to say "with Oldsmobile diesel".

Sweet Trav > Tohru 09/15/2014 at 11:50

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If the Impala has a 3800. Take it and drive it for the next 45 years as your DD. It will not die.

Tohru > Sweet Trav 09/15/2014 at 11:54

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It *is* the 3800, actually. The only negative against it is that it is so Goddamn boring.

Sweet Trav > Tohru 09/15/2014 at 11:55

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I had a lot fun in a rusted out pick up truck too. however a truck like that is one you have until the day you die... because its a deathtrap.

Take the Imp save your money for your project car.

For Sweden > Tohru 09/15/2014 at 11:56

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Panther. Because Panther.

Milky > Tohru 09/15/2014 at 11:58

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You have got to be the hardest person ever to give car ideas to. Everything type of vehicle seems to be an option.

For Sweden > Tohru 09/15/2014 at 11:59

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Put the 3800 in a Fiero.

Arben72 > Tohru 09/15/2014 at 12:01

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S class, because comfort. You forgot to mention the amazing massage seats combined with the heated function.

Jayhawk Jake > Tohru 09/15/2014 at 12:04

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Leasing a Volt a possibility?

I only ask because it's something I wish I'd considered a while ago before buying a new car then trading it in 2 years later. They're actually pretty nice on the inside, they are very pleasant to drive, the MPG is pretty darn hard to beat, and last time I looked lease payments were reasonable (around $270 a month with $3000 down or so).

Stapleface-Now Hyphenated! > Tohru 09/15/2014 at 12:08

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Its probably pretty boring, but I'd probably get the Smart if you drive it and didn't mind it. The thing is probably light enough that it won't sink in the snow, and snow tires would be pretty damn cheap.

I'd add another vehicle to the search list, though. Subaru Justy. Although finding one might price rather difficult.

Tohru > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 09/15/2014 at 12:10

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No no no no no. No 5.7L diesel. If I had a Fiero and was going to give it a diesel heart, it would be a new take-out Cruze diesel from Nordstrom's Automotive in South Dakota.

Tohru > Jayhawk Jake 09/15/2014 at 12:14

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I've had the TinyTohruTruck 2 months and have put 3k miles on it. So averaged out I'd be at 18k-19k a year. After talking to the smart dealership guys, the lease gets expensive the more miles you need per year.

Tohru > Arben72 09/15/2014 at 12:18

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That's true, I did forget those.

Tohru > For Sweden 09/15/2014 at 12:18

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3800 Series II supercharged and then you're talking.

For Sweden > Tohru 09/15/2014 at 12:18

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Then do it.

Tohru > Milky 09/15/2014 at 12:19

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Pretty much. I'm a very open-minded car guy.

Tohru > For Sweden 09/15/2014 at 12:19

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I can respect this logic.

Tohru > For Sweden 09/15/2014 at 12:20

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B-but LS7 Fiero...

For Sweden > Tohru 09/15/2014 at 12:21

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DO YOU EVEN BOOOOOOOOOOOOOST

Jayhawk Jake > Tohru 09/15/2014 at 12:26

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Fair enough, and I'd agree with the smart dealership guys at that point.

Tohru > Stapleface-Now Hyphenated! 09/15/2014 at 12:26

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While I can appreciate the Justy, there's none of them left in Wisconsin. They quit selling them here in 1994, and the road salt has eaten them all. I did a Craigslist search with SearchTempest, and the closest one is 700 miles away. If I was going several states away to get a vehicle I'd pick up a rust-free Bronco and call it good.

IDROVEAPICKUPTRUCK > Tohru 09/15/2014 at 12:26

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Honestly I would go with the Impala from your dad. We're talking about a winter beater here, where the most important thing is reliability, the Impala is a known quantity since your dad has been the one taking care of it, and it's unlikely you'll have to dump more money into it.

Tohru > Jayhawk Jake 09/15/2014 at 12:30

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I met with the smart dealership right when I started the new job and wasn't sure how many miles I'd be doing a year. We priced out leases at 20k mi./yr and 30k mi./yr. At 30k mi./yr, it was actually $80/mo cheaper to lease two fortwo's at 15k mi./yr. each.

Tohru > For Sweden 09/15/2014 at 12:31

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Uh.. um... no?

Mattbob > Tohru 09/15/2014 at 12:37

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if you can fix it if it breaks, go with the Mercedes. If not, I would offer the guy $2000 cash for the Mercury. Seems like a merc is the nicest option either way. For winter commuting it's nice to have somthing warm and cozy to get in, in the mornings with a coffee.

Takuro Spirit > Tohru 09/15/2014 at 14:50

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Here's a Justy. In Wi.

Guy brought it to the Don Miller Subaru car show back in 2011. It might still be around. Guy was REALLY proud of it.

Tohru > Takuro Spirit 09/15/2014 at 15:47

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So there's one left. And it's beat-up and rusty. I just sold a beat-up and rusty car, I'm not keen on diving into another one.

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > Tohru 09/15/2014 at 15:59

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You're probably gonna end up with another Escort due to circumstances that are beyond your control. It seems to be your lot in life.

Tohru > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 09/15/2014 at 16:07

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If I end up with another one of those, I'm going to find you.

Hi there > Tohru 09/15/2014 at 17:11

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For a winter beater I'd suggest that little Nissan truck. Put some winter tires on it and put a few hundred pounds of crap that will not move much in the back and it should take you pretty much wherever you want to go. I'm familiar with several nearly identical trucks and if maintained reasonably well then they tend to soldier on for some hundreds of thousands of miles pretty consistently.

Tohru > Hi there 09/15/2014 at 17:20

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The Nissan is around 90k miles and the interior is immaculate.

Hi there > Tohru 09/15/2014 at 19:31

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Oh wow, I've never seen one of that vintage with less than 170k miles, most between 250 and 400k. Get it and drive it until the frame rusts apart again.

Tohru > Hi there 09/15/2014 at 21:23

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Yeah, we've kinda stumbled into low-mileage foreign trucks recently.

My '88 Ram 50 (aka Mitsubishi Mighty Max) has 89k miles, and the '86 Nissan 720 I'm going to drop a V8 into has under 70k.

Hi there > Tohru 09/15/2014 at 22:37

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My wife's first car was a Ram 50, it was a lemon piece of shit and ruined her on pickup trucks forever lol.

Tohru > Hi there 09/15/2014 at 22:40

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Mine's been pretty awesome, though I do have to drop it off with a family friend who used to be a Dodge Master Technician to get the idle squared away.