Share your beaters

"GeorgeyBoy" (georgeyboy) 12/22/2013 at 14:01 • Filed to: beaters

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I'm reluctant to admit it, but I'm the owner of a 1985 Cutlass Ciera.

It's my beater/oil dripper/driveway art. It has probably the worst gasoline engine to ever grace GM. The 2.5 liter Iron Duke.... It also has a 3 speed automatic transmission which is truly as horrible as it sounds. I would talk about it's driving dynamics but it has none.

And no, my engine looks nothing like the picture above. Mine is caked with oil. Also notice the placement of the spark plugs which make them impossible to change. Truly brilliant design.

Mine has just turned over 80k miles. Rust was non existent 2 years ago but has steadily taken over since my past 2 winters using it. It's not my DD, simply because I hate being in it. Love it or hate it, parking it wherever I please in a Walmart parking lot without fear of door dings is a good feeling. It also makes me enjoy my other car 10x more than if I didn't experience 1980's General Motors engineering.

Beaters make everything feel better. Feel free to share your beaters.

Goshen, formerly Darkcode > GeorgeyBoy 12/22/2013 at 14:03

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The first time I told to a person about the Iron Duke, he told me that it sounded like a V8 engine by the name.

Satoshi "Zipang" Katsura > Goshen, formerly Darkcode 12/22/2013 at 14:08

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It does, doesn't it?

Satoshi "Zipang" Katsura > GeorgeyBoy 12/22/2013 at 14:08

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I can't laugh knowing I once bought an old Integra as well as an XT6. They are horrendous pieces of crap and I will never, ever find the pleasure of owning one of them ever.

KB Garage > GeorgeyBoy 12/22/2013 at 14:10

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http://oppositelock.jalopnik.com/beater-shaming…

Singhjr96 > GeorgeyBoy 12/22/2013 at 14:14

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http://seattle.craigslist.org/oly/cto/424129…

slightly wrecked Honda. Someone please post this on the front page because I for the life of me can not figure out how to.

GeorgeyBoy > Goshen, formerly Darkcode 12/22/2013 at 14:18

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I think of it as a boat anchor.

PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power > Singhjr96 12/22/2013 at 14:25

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I SAW THIS AD A FEW NIGHTS AGO!
sorry, but I think your asking price is a bit high...

dogisbadob > GeorgeyBoy 12/22/2013 at 14:27

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There is nothing wrong with that. It has a hood ornament and timeless styling (especially with the 89+ refresh)

At least you have another car though!

I have a 96 ES300 (Camry). I got it cheap, and getting to the back of the engine is a problem, and I need to replace the valve cover gaskets! At least it's a Toyota though, so possibly it's too good to be a beater, because it always runs, even if the body and interior are a bit fucked up.

GeorgeyBoy > dogisbadob 12/22/2013 at 14:37

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Solid cars. Is it beige? That's how I imagine every 90's Camry or ES.

George McNally > GeorgeyBoy 12/22/2013 at 14:43

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Here's mine.

It's a 2000 Saturn SL2 with almost every single factory option. 70k miles, I inherited from my dad when he passed away 3 years ago.

I have the money saved up for a new car, but my Scottish heritage is preventing me from selling it because it's a perfectly usable car.

It's your usual Saturn, looks pretty nice but every single piece of interior trim resonates at different RPM's and engine loads.

dogisbadob > GeorgeyBoy 12/22/2013 at 14:51

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Only on the inside :)

The outside is black, with gray lower-body cladding.

GeorgeyBoy > George McNally 12/22/2013 at 14:55

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I wouldn't sell it. When I inherited this years ago I once thought about selling, it wasn't worth it. Keeping it as a spare car was probably one of the best decisions I ever made.

I'm sure your Saturn is the same. Worth more as a reliable working transportation than the money it is worth. I barely pay anything for insurance in mine. Having the peace of mind of an extra car is pretty nice.

Dann > GeorgeyBoy 12/22/2013 at 15:28

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This fine piece of machinery was supposed to be my brother's first car when he got his learner's permit, but he's unmotivated, so its my beater that I use when my car is in the shop, or when I do wrecking yard runs.
It has just over 130k miles and if you use anything other than a 20w50 oil will smoke due to worn stem seals, has an intermittent tappet noise, the body has seen better days and has mismatched interior trim, but for all its faults it doesn't drive too badly.

Fatamericanstig > GeorgeyBoy 12/22/2013 at 15:52

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Here's mine, a 2001 Safari Cargo van, 320000 miles everything still works ( granted there is not that much to break) and is generally my support car for my my 72 Monte carlo and 66 Nova.

(Picture is not mine, just add 320000 miles of dents dings and scratches)

JCAlan > GeorgeyBoy 12/22/2013 at 16:01

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2001 Sonata, 130k, check engine AND airbag light on, big ass dent. What I'm driving this winter (whenever 4x4 isn't called for). We call her "Grandma Sonata," obviously.

George McNally > GeorgeyBoy 12/22/2013 at 16:34

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Yup.....that's probably what we will do. We have a 3rd car- a 2002 24v Taurus our son uses.

It's a semi-beater, definitely a 20 footer (this pic is 4 years old) and gets horrible gas mileage, but mechanically, it is well maintained and is pretty fast for what it is. We will probably get rid of it when I get a new car.

GeorgeyBoy > JCAlan 12/22/2013 at 17:05

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The shopping carts prove beater status

GeorgeyBoy > Fatamericanstig 12/22/2013 at 17:06

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They just keep going and going and going.

pdthedeuce > GeorgeyBoy 12/22/2013 at 18:34

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I remember a magazine article once that said GM cars run badly longer than most cars run . I have found that to be true .

GeorgeyBoy > pdthedeuce 12/22/2013 at 19:42

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I can attest to this.

George McNally > Fatamericanstig 12/22/2013 at 20:54

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Co-worker of mine has one of these with 600,000 miles. He bought it off a rental company a few years ago.....he says it's unkillable.

Singhjr96 > PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power 12/23/2013 at 00:43

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it's not my car, i'm just saying post it because it's funny. but i can post stuff now, so thanks anyway.

PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power > Singhjr96 12/23/2013 at 00:59

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oh, I thought since everyone's sharing beaters, that that was yours!
sorry!

Singhjr96 > PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power 12/23/2013 at 01:17

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Lol. Naw you good. oh I do have a blue 1999 dodge grand caravan with a dent on the side.(someone took a hammer to the side) 220,000 miles on it. We've bottomed out the suspension 100's of times.

Route100 > GeorgeyBoy 12/24/2013 at 01:14

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1993 Honda Accord EX Coupe w/ a 5-speed and 140k. Reliable as heck, parts are still cheap, still 30+MPG , has aged quite well, and just fun to thrash about.

Bought it in California and drove to Vermont for less than $2k. Nice to have a FWD DD to beat on in the winter and save my other rides from the rust.

Yellow.One.o.Seven > GeorgeyBoy 12/30/2013 at 03:58

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This is my 2002 Daewoo Matiz - Rudolf edition :). 500 + miles on the clock, never changed a thing except spark plugs, oil, and belts.

It has the smallest engine I've ever owned, a transverse 3 cylinder 0.8 l SOHC tiny thing that feels and sounds like a sewing machine.

Top speed is about 90 but I don't think that's a good idea and it will easily get about 55 mpg's but I have a lead foot so more like 40. At first I really hated this car, but it grew on me. Later I found out that the styling was supposed to be the new fiat 500 back in 1999, but they rejected it because it was not modern enough.

At first i thought it was slow( compared to my 1998 passat tdi )but that too grew on me. Its not a cruiser, its more like a city car and that's exactly what i needed, fast starts at stoplights, small for the parking and I can even manage to get my drum kit in it for the gigs(unlike that retarded VW. I swear to god it had the stupidest trunk ever.)

I love the shit out of it, I love the fact that it's got a manual, love the styling, I even love that miniature engine. It's my jalopy and I love it.

mikeluscher159 > George McNally 01/23/2014 at 06:04

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At least you have the Duratec.... The mileage shouldn't be THAT bad

Didn't just buy, But bought used with 5k back in '06