Suggest a Car: College Edition

"Cebu" (animoo) 01/06/2015 at 12:29 • Filed to: YOU'RE TOO WISHY-WASHY CHARLIE BROWN

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Well, seems like it's finally happened: I'm growing up and going off to college this fall. I got accepted to my college of choice (App State, right next to the Blue Ridge Parkway and a rather twisty mere three hours from the Tail of the Dragon), and as such, it's time for the parents to Give the Kid that's Going to College a Car, so He can Get Around and Stuff. Currently, they're leaning towards fobbing off my mom's high-mile '06 CR-V on me. It's got decent chassis balance and an entertaining engine, but it's not... well... It's not really a car for the Motoring Enthusiast. They have, however, raised the possibility of waiting a little while longer for my mom to buy a new car and getting me a car of my very own. Upon this prospect being raised, I immediately quoted a price cap of $2000 for a runner that I would like. Problem is, I'm having some difficulty choosing, especially since I don't know the used-car market inside and out like some of you folks do.

(Cheesy stock photo courtesy the Internet)

I figure that since, without guidance, all the suggestions I'd hear would be "Miata" or "Volvo 240" from this forum (and with reason, because those cars are both excellent), I'd better at least provide a list of requirements, in the form of "need", "want", and "would be nice." Further down in the article, there will be a "Top 5" list of cars that I'd like to own in the price range, so you can attempt to understand my bizzare taste in motoring.

NEED:

-Must be a running, road-legal vehicle. I'd love to take on a resto project, but I sadly will not have the time in college.

-Under $2000

-Manual transmission. This one's a requirement I'm imposing on myself, since I've been utterly spoiled by my parent's slushbox DD's and know how to drive a stick-shift in theory only.

-RWD/AWD, preferably RWD.

-Must be interesting.

-Must not be red, as my insurance policy doubles if I get pulled over for speeding.

WANT:

-Style. I'm a designer by trade and by field of study, so an ugly piece of just won't do. (Yeah, a "goggle-eyes" Impreza is right out, sorry.

-Schporty suspension.

-Bulletproof engine and transmission.

-Unmodified or lightly tuned up. I'd much rather have a slower car than one that blows up in my face, I'd rather be the one doing the decatting, and I'd want to be sure somebody was paid to redo the exhaust system. (If you're wondering, I'd have it make the "tearing calico" sound of an old Bugatti at redline, but have the engine's natural frequencies come through until about 2500-3500 RPM.)

-Stable at speed. I've driven the roads around App State before, and it is literally impossible not to touch 100 without cooking your brakes in some of the really long downhill sections.

WOULD-BE-NICE:

-Two doors.

-Looks good in white with black wheels.

TOP FIVE:

1. Nissan 240SX. I fell in love with this car when bossing the drift rounds in Need for Speed: Pro Street, where it had utterly telepathic handling. I have no idea if that's the way it handles in real life, though. It's still got enough design nous for me to never get tired of.

2. Toyota MR-2. Mid-engined. Suspension by Lotus. Japanese reliability. Need I say more? (Well, yes, I must. The newer models, in my opinion, look like a heap of rubbish, so it's either the original 1986 body style or the one that came directly after it.)

3. Corvair. Because it's just... well, if I would travel back in time to make sure Ralph Nader was born in, say Russia, I would. It's a brilliant platform with a wide range of performance-enhancing upgrades available. Also, it looks sublime.

4. Goggomobil Coupe

I offer no explanation or attempt therof.

5. P71 Crown Vic

It's built a bit too much like a tank for my tastes, but it's also supremely reliable if serviced regularly, and it's got... well, you know the old Blues Brothers quote. Nevermind the fact that it actually doesn't normally have most of those things, it will by the time I'm done with it. And a lot less weight...

Anyways, hope this is enough for Oppo's fertile minds to work with. Y'all have fun now.

sellphones2493 > Cebu 01/06/2015 at 12:35

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S70?

cletus44 aka Clayton Seams > Cebu 01/06/2015 at 12:36

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Datsun 280ZX.
Dirt cheap, easy to find parts for (I owned one once)
Great L28 sound, distinctive looks and nobody else has one. These are great cars.

My citroen won't start > Cebu 01/06/2015 at 12:36

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1989-ish 325i

Stapleface-Now Hyphenated! > Cebu 01/06/2015 at 12:38

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Good luck with your search. I don't think you're going to find anything close to your wants list. It seems a bit unrealistic with a $2,000 budget.

More than anything, you need a car that's actually going to work, since you won't have time or a place to fix it. With your budget, your best bet is most likely a FWD small car. Something like the Mazda Protιgι, or MX6/Ford Probe. You need something that is going to be small enough to fit into tight parking spaces. Parking is ALWAYS at a premium on a college campus.

cletus44 aka Clayton Seams > sellphones2493 01/06/2015 at 12:39

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I wouldn't wish S70 maintenance costs on anyone.

Andy Sheehan, StreetsideStig > Cebu 01/06/2015 at 12:40

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You'll have alot less trouble finding a sub-$2000 car if you move the R/AWD requirement to "Want." An MR2 for less than two grand? I wish it were so.

Still...

http://jalopnik.com/for-2-000-this…

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Cebu 01/06/2015 at 12:41

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I offer no explanation or attempt therof.

Nor is any required.

Anyway, if you'll be at App State, that adds you to a growing list of WNC/etc. oppos, among whom there will need to be meets. In addition to the MR2, have you thought about Fieros? If you make sure they don't auto-ignite, they're pretty decent. A Jeep XJ is actually pretty good on most points other than stick, which is a hard act to follow.

Mrfist9 > Cebu 01/06/2015 at 12:41

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240SX. Best/worst life decision ever. They handle on rails, I have a full drift setup car pushing 260whp and bone stock 90 Single cam daily, most fun ever. Stock car with a welded / cheap vlsd is more then enough to kill you / have the best time ever in the rain.

Justin Hughes > Cebu 01/06/2015 at 12:46

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240SX: Sweet car. Your stuff would fit. But thanks to the drift tax you probably won't find one cheap enough.

MR2: No space for stuff, so you'll end up needing the CR-V to get it to and from school anyway. Anything cheap enough will be a project car.

Corvair: Very cool but definitely a project car, and local parts stores likely won't have parts in stock.

Goggomobil: WTF???

P71: only available as an automatic, but it ticks every other box, is actually fun to drive, and drive your friends around in, and nobody's going to mess with it. This would be my choice, and I had one for two years (I'm too lazy to link my article but you might have seen it). Try to get a 2003+ for rack & pinion steering.

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > Cebu 01/06/2015 at 12:48

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I would sell you my E36 if you were near Cincinnati, I'm probably not going to sell it for a few months though.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > Cebu 01/06/2015 at 12:51

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Yep. To the surprise of no one, this is the one I was going to recommend. The engine's bullet-proof, the handling is perfect once you get it dialed in, and it can be more practical than you'd expect (has twice the trunk of most cars!). The downside is that they all rust. Seriously, if someone says that theirs is rust free, they're lying or an idiot. Mine was a Florida car for its whole life and I still needed to close holes in the floorboard big enough to put my foot through. On the bright side, while the sheet metal is thin and rusts, the rest of the frame's pretty good. Apart from the usual places like in the door jambs, it's ultimately mostly cosmetic. Other bright sides is that it's one of the most reliably supported cars I've ever seen on the internet. Nearly any little problem can be diagnosed with a few good google searches, and the information is usually far more accurate and detailed than I've seen for other cars. When I had a vacuum leak on mine, I decided to just pull the whole EGR system, and there was even a message board thread explaining every last detail of it including pictures with diagrams explaining what to pull and everything. It's pretty sweet having a cult car. The service manual from Toyota's excellent too with great diagrams. It makes Haynes books look like mile-high overviews in comparison.

BarryDanger > Cebu 01/06/2015 at 12:54

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boom. I picked charlotte cause that seems like the closest big city?

http://charlotte.craigslist.org/cto/4834118369…

http://charlotte.craigslist.org/cto/4823204408…

http://charlotte.craigslist.org/cto/4796781542…

http://charlotte.craigslist.org/cto/4831729967…

http://charlotte.craigslist.org/cto/4806369587…

Stapleface-Now Hyphenated! > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams 01/06/2015 at 13:00

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Where on Earth is a 280 cheap? I haven't even seen one in 20 years in any condition. I'm fairly certain 95% of them rusted back into the Earth.

scoob > Cebu 01/06/2015 at 13:00

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SJGeorge94 > Cebu 01/06/2015 at 13:03

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Mk3 supra? They look great (when cleaned up), toyota reliability (head gasket thing aside), and parts and engines are cheap (if you want to jz it) OR You could go 1g dsm which look great and are awd

cletus44 aka Clayton Seams > Stapleface-Now Hyphenated! 01/06/2015 at 13:05

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I bought mine in Alberta for $2,000 and it ran great for 2 years. It was a clean car. They're definitely out there. Where are you geographically? They might not be plentiful on the east coast.

jsemerica > BarryDanger 01/06/2015 at 13:25

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That's a pretty clean looking supra! I say take the CRV and trade for the supra.

Stapleface-Now Hyphenated! > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams 01/06/2015 at 13:25

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I'm on the east coast outside of Philly. The last one I remember seeing was a clapped out one a kid I used to work with a long time ago had.

signintoburnerlol > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams 01/06/2015 at 13:31

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Good luck finding one that's worth it.

You'll have better luck and handling with a Z31 300ZX, turbo or non. $5k and you'll be fine.

cletus44 aka Clayton Seams > Stapleface-Now Hyphenated! 01/06/2015 at 13:32

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Well there's yer problem.

theandysho - drives a SHO > Cebu 01/06/2015 at 13:38

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If you want something randomly awesome to drive around in, try a late 80's RX7. You may want to read my article about owning one first though.

Also read up online about them, there's lots of buyers guides.

http://greensboro.craigslist.org/cto/4803722589…

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > BarryDanger 01/06/2015 at 13:40

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that Civic is perfect for what your looking for. fun practical, cheeeeeeeeap to drive, insure, and maintain. It just needs a little De-Stancing, aka an alignment and some 15x7 inch wheels.

let me expand on this.

Super light weight, and fun Chassis. seriously like 2300lbs with a full tank of gas, and couple subs in the back.

Great after market and enthusiast support.

No ABS, or TCS, or any other electronic controls for a pure driving experience.

35-45 mpg all day every dayso you can fill your 10 gallon tank for 20-30 bucks, and drive 400 miles on it.

Cheap to insure. even at 21 years old with 3 tickets on record I still only paid 50 bucks a month for my 91.

Huge rear hatch for fitting a keg and a beer pong table, or what ever stereo typical college kids do now.

tons of glass, makes driving one through traffic easy peasy.

only con

under 100hp stock. lol but seriously my 91 was the must fun car I've ever owned.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Mrfist9 01/06/2015 at 13:41

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mm pig nose. I've always thought thet looked the best.

BarryDanger > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 01/06/2015 at 14:12

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That was my thinking. Also with a normal ride height and some snow tires it would hold its own in the winter!

f86sabre > Cebu 01/06/2015 at 14:24

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Cut the BS and buy a small truck. S10, Dakota or Ranger. Why? Insurance is cheap, they are easy to work on, you will need to haul your crap to and from school and you will have the ability to make friends with any and all lovely coeds who need something moved. Why not get something "cool"? Parking at school will suck and be unattended. You will get dings and dents. You will do stupid things like jump it in the school stadium parking lot.

Shawn > Cebu 01/06/2015 at 14:42

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If the 'rents are considering giving you their CR-V then they must be planning on buying a new car, no? If this is the case would it not be feasible to sell the CR-V and get a car of your choice with the proceeds? Depending of options, mileage, and overall condition the CR-V is worth anywhere from $6k to $10k. That will get u a much better car than $2k.

Slave2anMG > Cebu 01/06/2015 at 15:01

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Off to Boone huh?

You are aware that it snows rather a lot in Boone?

sellphones2493 > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams 01/06/2015 at 16:03

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The parts network on these is MASSIVE!

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > BarryDanger 01/06/2015 at 17:06

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I'll vouch for that! even on bald all seasons mine got though more than you'd think.

Travis, Senna of The High Seas > Cebu 01/06/2015 at 17:12

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Welcome to the High Country! I'd offer to hang out at some point, but I'm leaving next year

Cebu > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 01/06/2015 at 17:12

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Front wheel drive? Looking like every other ricer? Um, no thanks.

Cebu > BarryDanger 01/06/2015 at 17:14

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#1 is perfect. I didn't know the 300 went back that old... and that color. Mmm.

Cebu > Slave2anMG 01/06/2015 at 17:17

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I am aware of this.

I am also aware of this wonderful thing called "fitting winter tires".

Cebu > Travis, Senna of The High Seas 01/06/2015 at 17:19

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I'm getting there this fall, so we should be able to figure something out on a weekend...

BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest. > Cebu 01/06/2015 at 18:23

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Don't diss front wheel drive. Especially in such a lightweight platform like the Civic, it can be quite fun.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > Cebu 01/06/2015 at 18:57

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For $2000, if you care at all about reliability, running and getting something that works for that amount of money, forget about ALL the options you listed.

Get an *unmolested* used Civic, Corolla, Yaris, Echo, Sentra or Tercel.

http://charlotte.craigslist.org/cto/4775137092…

However... I did find this Saturn coupe which is sort of interesting:

http://charlotte.craigslist.org/cto/4818605859…

And here is a completely different kind of interesting:

http://charlotte.craigslist.org/cto/4744222362…

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > f86sabre 01/06/2015 at 19:02

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There's also this... which will also haul a surprising amount of crap too!

http://charlotte.craigslist.org/cto/4744222362…

Cebu > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly 01/06/2015 at 19:26

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Oooh, that last one. And that second one. Oooh.

ranwhenparked > Cebu 01/06/2015 at 19:42

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My college car was an old Fleetwood. Overall, I'd have no trouble recommending something similar. Comfortable, room for 6, good sized trunk, plenty of power. That was almost 6-10 years ago now though, so maybe something newer, like a Crown Victoria/Grand Marquis or Town Car. With the GrandMa, you have the advantage of finding lots of lightly used examples being sold by retirees that have given up driving or their executors, plus the resale value works in your favor.

cletus44 aka Clayton Seams > sellphones2493 01/07/2015 at 08:17

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and horribly expensive

Slant6 > Cebu 04/02/2015 at 19:02

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I'm going to App too!!!

Cebu > Slant6 04/02/2015 at 20:28

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Dude!!! Cool!!!

What's your major?

Slant6 > Cebu 04/02/2015 at 21:13

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Industrial Design. You?

Cebu > Slant6 04/03/2015 at 13:40

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Industrial Design.

OK that's creepy.

Did you happen to go to the Admitted Student day yesterday?

Slant6 > Cebu 04/03/2015 at 18:16

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I went on Monday.

Slant6 > Cebu 04/03/2015 at 18:31

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Do you have a roommate?

Cebu > Slant6 04/04/2015 at 11:25

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No. You?

I will warn you, though, I'm not exactly a clean-freak, but I keep to my own side and don't leave dirty laundry lying around. =P

You have Skype?

Slant6 > Cebu 04/04/2015 at 11:31

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I have a skype but I don't know what my name is. Maybe silvermoose4. I don't know. As far as cleanliness goes I don't really care as long as I can move without hitting something.

Cebu > Slant6 04/04/2015 at 11:34

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OK I'll search you. In the meantime, I know my handle is vashir0 with a zero at the end.