"zipfuel" (zipfuel)
09/16/2016 at 22:50 • Filed to: None
1
16|
"zipfuel" (zipfuel)
09/16/2016 at 22:50 • Filed to: None | 1
| 16 |
Setup: You’ve got a year or so to work/travel in Canada and want a car but only have a beater budget: what do you buy??
This came up on a FB group I’m a member of and I figured it made for a good excuse to browse used cars...
Budget: $3000 Canadian inc taxes which is more like $2500 before you pay HST and licensing.
Location: within a reasonable distance of Oshawa, Ontario say 25-75 km since you don’t have a car yet...
Brief: you came over with a backpack, you have no tools, no garage, no local mechanic or buddies with welders, oh and you’re broke as a joke working short term casual jobs.
Car should probably be at a dealer since you just moved here and have no idea how licensing works.
You want to explore the vast open spaces of North America and there’s a Canadian winter coming: needless to say reliability and is your #1 concern here followed by cheapness to keep running.
Manual shift is fine and bonus points if you can camp in it.
To autotrader.ca batman- Go!
My citroen won't start
> zipfuel
09/16/2016 at 22:55 |
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Toyota Matrix.
I Will Always Be The Honey Badger
> zipfuel
09/16/2016 at 22:56 |
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Kiiji.ca
Less murder-ry then Craigslist.
interstate366, now In The Industry
> zipfuel
09/16/2016 at 22:58 |
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90s Accord with a stick. Wagon if possible.
Seat Safety Switch
> zipfuel
09/16/2016 at 23:00 |
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Three grand CAD? You could buy pretty much anything you want. I can’t remember the last time I spent that much on a car.
Pontiac Vibes are way cheaper than Toyota Matrixes here even though they are the same car. That would be a forerunner in my book as well.
Onterrible is an inspection province so you are likely to be able to find both cheap-ass Polish/Russian bodyshops that can weld up rust holes well enough to pass inspection and cars which are very, very cheap due to having big enough rust holes to fail inspection. Get the idea?
There is a lot of turnover in 10ish year old domestics because of the proximity of a few different factories to Oshawa. You may also be interested to know that there is a strong historical Honda factory presence which may result in people trying to dump their employee-discount cars “at cost.” Even though that percentage is small, it will still force prices down across the entire region, especially near the end/first week of the month when rent is becoming due/overdue and people are getting desperate.
If you’re stuck on having a dealership so they can take care of licensing and stuff like that, it might behoove you to find a large-volume dealer like a Toyota dealer and ask them what they are sending to auction. You might be able to get a deal on something on the backlot that they don’t want to bother cleaning up and selling at a profit.
As also said, Canadians largely use Kijiji and not Craigslist (except in BC, which uses Craigslist and/or UsedVictoria).
The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock
> zipfuel
09/16/2016 at 23:07 |
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A 1st gen Matrix/Vibe. You can find them all day for under $2500, bonus points for a XRS/GT (2zz-ge, ughhhhhhhh 8000rpm redline). Vibes are more cheap to insure, and look way better.
The front passenger seat can also fold flat for easy sleeping.
dogisbadob
> zipfuel
09/16/2016 at 23:12 |
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I’d be looking for a manual Volvo 850 turbo wagon (they were automatic-only down here) or the awesome Echo 4-door hatchback!
Are EL’s and CSX’s in that price range yet? Granted they’ll have lots of miles km on them, but still good cars.
If I got lucky I could find a 95 Mazda 323 Neo.
Supposedly it might be easier to find an Axxess, since they were sold up there until 1995 (we only got them in 1990)
I love the Vibe/Matrix, but for Canada, I’d get something that wasn’t sold down here.
shop-teacher
> zipfuel
09/16/2016 at 23:59 |
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S-10 Blazer. Cheap to buy, cheap to fix, and virtually unkillable.
wiffleballtony
> zipfuel
09/17/2016 at 00:10 |
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A moose. And a saddle.
RallyWrench
> zipfuel
09/17/2016 at 01:23 |
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1st or 2nd gen Subaru Outback, if not that an old F150 or Silverado with a shell on it.
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zipfuel
> wiffleballtony
09/17/2016 at 04:50 |
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No reins required, you steer with the antlers...
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zipfuel
> The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock
09/17/2016 at 05:09 |
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I’d say we have a winner! There’s a several of these under 3k with manual gearboxes in the area. Much as I dislike beige-mobiles it’s hard to argue with their cockroach unkillability and that fold flat seat setup is awesome
Long Live the Longdoor
> zipfuel
09/17/2016 at 07:13 |
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My car: http://www.kijiji.ca/v-cars-trucks/…
Runs great, had valid etest, will safety no problem, heat/AC works, cruise control even works for those longer drives.
sm70- why not Duesenberg?
> zipfuel
09/17/2016 at 11:22 |
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Whatever 4x4 Subaru wagon I can get for that price.
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zipfuel
> Long Live the Longdoor
09/17/2016 at 12:55 |
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Good grief that’s got more mileage on it than a Saturn V...
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zipfuel
> sm70- why not Duesenberg?
09/17/2016 at 13:08 |
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But when do old scoobies start eating head gaskets?
Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight
> zipfuel
09/18/2016 at 22:26 |
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Late as usual, but would you consider a 95-2000 short bus. Sound crazy at first... but think about it: 1500-2000 purchase price, 5-1200 to turn it into an RV. Hot and cold running water, bed, cooking, toilet. HOME ON WHEELS.
