I've had a novel idea

"dtg11 - is probably on an adventure with Clifford" (dtg11)
05/08/2016 at 17:41 • Filed to: None

Instead of me trying to find a car, why don’t you guys find me a car?

Must haves:

automatic

less than 25 years old, preferable 2000 or newer but lenient up to 1991.

Must be less than 77" wide and 205" long

Absolutely, 100%, NO CAMRYS. Same goes for Corollas.

Reliable

Feasibly can be had for less than $3500.

NO body on frame suvs or any pickups.

Preferences:

sub-10 sec...to 60.

practical

reasonably fuel efficient

Here’s a slightly modified version of my usual search.

Here’s a few I’ve found:

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DISCUSSION (29)

not for canada - australian in disguise > dtg11 - is probably on an adventure with Clifford
05/08/2016 at 17:53

Kinja'd!!!

dtg11 - is probably on an adventure with Clifford > not for canada - australian in disguise
05/08/2016 at 17:57

Too expensive, too rare, too expensive.

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > dtg11 - is probably on an adventure with Clifford
05/08/2016 at 17:57

IS300.

dtg11 - is probably on an adventure with Clifford > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap
05/08/2016 at 18:01

That’s about $1k+ too much. So unless a rich relative passes in the next month, no.

PS9 > dtg11 - is probably on an adventure with Clifford
05/08/2016 at 18:09

...Not to dump on you or anything, but that is a terrible idea for a novel.

dtg11 - is probably on an adventure with Clifford > PS9
05/08/2016 at 18:12

“My plight of finding a used car and how you can learn from me: a self help book"

Boxer_4 > dtg11 - is probably on an adventure with Clifford
05/08/2016 at 18:18

That Impreza is probably going to need a timing belt soon (~13,000 miles).

Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch > dtg11 - is probably on an adventure with Clifford
05/08/2016 at 18:59

Something with a 3800 V6?

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > dtg11 - is probably on an adventure with Clifford
05/08/2016 at 19:18

Early to mid 1990s LS400.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > dtg11 - is probably on an adventure with Clifford
05/08/2016 at 19:44

Stay away from those auto Accords of that year.

http://www.carcomplaints.com/Honda/Accord/2…

On to the MDX: my dad has owned his ‘01 for like 13-14 years. They have transmission problems as well. His has 265k trouble free miles, but from what I’ve read, that’s the exception rather than the rule. The being said, they are SO comfortable. Excellent long-distance drivers.

VW Max > dtg11 - is probably on an adventure with Clifford
05/08/2016 at 20:16

An old GTI 1.8?

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > dtg11 - is probably on an adventure with Clifford
05/08/2016 at 20:19

Hey, didn’t I link that Lexus the other day? :P

dtg11 - is probably on an adventure with Clifford > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars
05/08/2016 at 20:58

You and 3 others ;p

dtg11 - is probably on an adventure with Clifford > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
05/08/2016 at 20:59

Thanks for the heads up. On the MDX I figure if its lasted this long, it’ll last another 10k.

dtg11 - is probably on an adventure with Clifford > Boxer_4
05/08/2016 at 20:59

I drive about 2k a year.

dtg11 - is probably on an adventure with Clifford > Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch
05/08/2016 at 21:01

Idk they just seem a little plain. Maybe that’s just me tho?

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > dtg11 - is probably on an adventure with Clifford
05/08/2016 at 21:02

Yeah that’s a pretty safe bet. Just because some models have problems doesn’t mean each individual vehicle will. And that MDX is just dynamite, and actually has a useable third row (if you care about that kind of thing).

dtg11 - is probably on an adventure with Clifford > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap
05/08/2016 at 21:02

Good luck finding one less than an hour away.

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > dtg11 - is probably on an adventure with Clifford
05/08/2016 at 21:32

Where do you live. There's loads on my local craigslist.

dtg11 - is probably on an adventure with Clifford > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap
05/08/2016 at 21:33

I’ve got a link to my CL in the post.

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > dtg11 - is probably on an adventure with Clifford
05/08/2016 at 21:34

Alabama craigslist seems to have a go of old lexus sedans

dtg11 - is probably on an adventure with Clifford > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap
05/08/2016 at 21:40

See, the problem is, I don’t live in Alabama. Obviously I need to move there.

Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch > dtg11 - is probably on an adventure with Clifford
05/08/2016 at 22:02

They are, except some of the SC ones. SSEi Bonnevilles, Grand Prix GTP, Buick Regal GS, Monte Carlo SS, etc.

Amoore100 > dtg11 - is probably on an adventure with Clifford
05/12/2016 at 21:36

Ok, I’ll try my best with what I’ve got here:

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Many have said it including myself, but that GS seems like a good bet, it may have many, many miles but it ain’t called the million mile Lexus for nothing. Something worth taking a look at in the very least.

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In a similar vein, how about this pristine 2003 Acura RL with 232K miles? You could probably talk the seller down to a bit under $3k and save the rest to replace the rear O2 sensor and window motors (depending on how important you deem either of those things...)

Kinja'd!!!

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Also not too shabby is this Nissan Primera (Infiniti G20 for us) going for $3500. A bit of negotiation would probably offer some wiggle room in your budget but do be wary since 59k miles is suspiciously low on a 15 year old car, despite its immaculate outside appearance.

Kinja'd!!!

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We’ve never actually owned an American car but based on other peoples’ accounts, it sounds like the 3800 engine is relatively durable making this Bonneville with its rebuilt motor probably not too bad a choice despite its 309k miles. Also, supercharger = excitement!

Kinja'd!!!

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Finally, the 960 you suggested before is looking better and better the more I look through your Craigslist of Camrys and K-cars as long as you’re not concerned with little electric niggles here and there. Also, I have noticed that a lot of old Volvos have a teething period when they change owners during which everything which can go wrong will go wrong. Both my dad’s V70 and my V50 had separate no-start instances within the first six months, for the V70 it was a clogged fuel filter and for the V50 it was an alarm system malfunction. After that, they run like a top, but be aware that every now and then you might have to drop $500 or so on new struts or something, so just be warned. This is an older pre-Ford RWD Volvo, though, perhaps they are less susceptible to the maladies that our cars faced.

Kinja'd!!!

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I do really like that heckblende on the rear though...

dtg11 - is probably on an adventure with Clifford > Amoore100
05/12/2016 at 22:24

I looked at the Volvo, but like I’ve said, just got a few too many problems for the price. $1k? Then we’d be talking.

The Bonneville still has 180K on the engine, and 309k on the tranny. Wouldn’t trust that it would last much longer.

The Infiniti is a little fishy with that mileage, and my brother has a ‘98 Altima (same engine, tranny, basic body structure and some interior parts sharing) and I’m not a fan of it (it’s really slow, like 11 seconds or so to 60).

The Acura is nice, but I’m already at the top of my budget and it needs work, so probably not. Also why couldn’t they take the time to clean it?

I’m sorry, but I’m pretty picky. I do like this tho:

https://springfieldil.craigslist.org/cto/5564273188…

Maybe I’ve been driving my parent’s Odyssey for too long and am turning into a soccer mom...

Amoore100 > dtg11 - is probably on an adventure with Clifford
05/13/2016 at 01:00

Yeah, Volvos are a hit-and-miss on the used market so I don’t blame you there, shame the pickings are so slim in your neck of the woods.

True, 309k on a GM tranny is definitely pushing it, especially given their reputation of lasting no more than 80k miles when hooked up to a twin-turbo Volvo I6.

The Primera is definitely suspicious but it looks nice enough, though the mechanical bits may or may not tell a different story. It’s definitely slow and boring, though it has more Euro-cool than the Altima. Perhaps a pass on this one since its 0-60 of 9.5ish seconds is appalling by any measure.

The Acura is basically a lowered MDX so you might like it more than you think although the burnt out dash does make me suspicious and the repairs are concerning. I’m not sure about the MDX though for the same reasons, the mileage is quite high and these transmissions, while better than second-gen Ody ones, still weren’t great. Our ‘05 Ody (same generation as yours) now has 150k miles and it does shift a bit rough when it first sets off in the morning.

I must say, that Lexus does look pretty tempting but I hesitate to recommend it since I have very little knowledge of Toyota vehicles in general other than that Camrys of that era had sludge problems. IMO that Subie seems even sketchier than the Infiniti; $3500 for a 2009?! Maybe I’m just feeling old, but my V50 was $4500 for a 2005.

What about this Xterra? It looks like it’s being sold by a dealer but it looks clean and solid. Again, not sure of the mechanical record on these but it’s worth considering. Worst case, you could always cut your losses and find a nice Regal or Crown Vic and just stay beige. You could do far worse than those two. You could be driving an Aerio .

dtg11 - is probably on an adventure with Clifford > Amoore100
05/13/2016 at 09:52

Xterra is too truck like in handling. I’m gonna go out tomorrow and look at some different things, I’ll probably make a post then.

Amoore100 > dtg11 - is probably on an adventure with Clifford
05/13/2016 at 10:12

Oh, that’s right, I forgot the Xterra is BOF...well that sort of rules out the Panther body too, doesn’t it? ;)

Have fun, and I wish you the best of luck!

dtg11 - is probably on an adventure with Clifford > Amoore100
05/13/2016 at 10:23

Panther I’m not as worried about, but I don’t really want a “real” truck.