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car question

Gator

Gator

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 23, 2005
Messages
2,418
Location
Asheville NC
I need to get a car for my 16yo daughters. I don't want to spend much $, and want something simple to work on, and SAFE, already had them total my truck (not really her fault). Was looking at early 90's Volvo (want something that gets relatively good mileage), any of you car buffs got any advice?
 
I think that's a tricky question you're asking. I don't think those early 90's volvos are easier to work on, or rather, I don't find them easy to work on, but I've really only spent my time working on American Muscle. I think bang for your buck with safety and gas mileage will be a Nissan or Toyota, or even a Honda Civic from the mid 90's. They're not easy to work on either in my opinion.
 
Glacies said:
I think that's a tricky question you're asking. I don't think those early 90's volvos are easier to work on, or rather, I don't find them easy to work on, but I've really only spent my time working on American Muscle. I think bang for your buck with safety and gas mileage will be a Nissan or Toyota, or even a Honda Civic from the mid 90's. They're not easy to work on either in my opinion.
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really, you'd say they're safer than the volvo? I thought that early 90 cars would still be simplified enough to take basic components off (like alt, starter, water pump, etc..), i do know very little about cars, but i've fixed lots of tractors and other farm equipment
 
Gator said:
Glacies said:
I think that's a tricky question you're asking. I don't think those early 90's volvos are easier to work on, or rather, I don't find them easy to work on, but I've really only spent my time working on American Muscle. I think bang for your buck with safety and gas mileage will be a Nissan or Toyota, or even a Honda Civic from the mid 90's. They're not easy to work on either in my opinion.
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really, you'd say they're safer than the volvo? I thought that early 90 cars would still be simplified enough to take basic components off (like alt, starter, water pump, etc..), i do know very little about cars, but i've fixed lots of tractors and other farm equipment
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Get an old school Caddy(pre computerized), safe, and nothing quite so easy as working on a chevy big block
 
Mid-90's Pontiac Grand Prix with the 3.8L engine. Mileage will be decent for a big car, safer than a smaller car and easier (and cheaper) to repair than an import. Actually any of the GM's with the 3.8 (Impala/Monte Carlo, Buick Regal) should fit the bill.
 
My first was a 92 cheavy explorer, thing was a tank and got about 16mpg. The problem with 90-94 cars like Pontiac, Honda and I think GM too is they kept playing with dual cam and put those big plates over them so you couldn't get to anything :angry: .
 
Honda Civic, Accord, Acura Integra

Those 3 cars are great first cars, extremely reliable, unlimited parts availability, and almost as easy to work on as a dirtbike.
 
Mrepp said:
My first was a 92 cheavy explorer, thing was a tank and got about 16mpg. The problem with 90-94 cars like Pontiac, Honda and I think GM too is they kept playing with dual cam and put those big plates over them so you couldn't get to anything :angry: .
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Chevy Explorer? It's a bit early to be drinking, Mark.
 
Can't go wrong w/ an older Jeep Cherokee. They might start knocking likes Jeeps usually do, but they run well and are damn hard to kill.
 
What is your budget for this car?

Agreed w/ audilicious about Honda & Acura cars due to reliability, gas mileage, and abundant amount of replacement parts. If you start looking for cars older than that...their reliability can be questionable or parts become hard to come by.

Definitely look into:

Honda Accord
Honda Civic
Acura Integra (I would look at the model year near 1996. The 2nd gen or 3rd gen model I think. The one w/ the circle headlights)

Early Volvos were built like tanks. From that standpoint...they are safe...but I'm unfamiliar w/ their reliability.
Same goes for early BMWs. Not sure about their gas mileage, but I do know the BMW Diesels get crazy gas milage!
 
Brother...

Honda Accord or Honda Civic... I just gave my son my old one (over 100K) and it still runs like a charm. They are more expensive than some used cars, but RELIABLE. They hold their value because of their reliability.

C&G... I AM a "Honda Ho"
 
Had a '84 Honda Accord for 7 years...got me through college with over 300,000 miles on it. I did all of the work myself and I am no mechanic! Never needed a motor, clutch, alt or A/C. Honda mechanics always told me that was the best motor Honda ever used (aluminum block). Brakes and oil were a snap to do... Great gas milage and you can pick one of those puppies up for under $500 at this point. The only draw back is no airbags...

-Fetter
 
fetterjohn said:
Had a '84 Honda Accord for 7 years...got me through college with over 300,000 miles on it. I did all of the work myself and I am no mechanic! Never needed a motor, clutch, alt or A/C. Honda mechanics always told me that was the best motor Honda ever used (aluminum block). Brakes and oil were a snap to do... Great gas milage and you can pick one of those puppies up for under $500 at this point. The only draw back is no airbags...

-Fetter
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I'd like to offer some advice from someone who's seen lots of car accidents over the last 15 years. No mini suv's. NONE, don't even THINK about it.. This includes everything from samurais to jeeps to xterras etc. They are death traps for teenagers or anyone else for that matter.

Consider buying the newest car you can afford in something like honda, toyota, nissan, volvo, vw, audi. Preferably new enough to have side curtain airbags. I refuse to drive a car that doesn't have side curtains all the way around. In a roll over it looks like a cacoon inside the vehicle. In side impacts it protects the head from direct impact with hoods poles etc..

if you can't purchase something with side curtains, please take the car to the dealer and have them inspect the airbags. It is a growing trend to either not replace airbags, steal airbags, or not look for faulty airbags. Any vehicle without airbags should be on the scrap heap or a collectors item.

Repairs are not going to be as easy, but there's a tradeoff. Every year cars get more and more safe. You can literally see the differences in the damage done to the same vehicle over a period of 5 years in the same impacts.

Spend the money.. They're worth it.
 
Look into a Saturn!!! I purchased a Saturn SC2 for under 10K. GREAT car, great features of being so damn cheap (ie: leather seats, booming sterio, sunroof, power everything, ABS)

Saturn is all about safety and reliability. If you have questions, gimme a PM - would love to help you out.
 
Honda Accords are good beginner cars. The junkyards should have lots of them, so any part you need is usually cheap. They don't look too pretty in an accident though.

The older Volvo are built like tanks, but parts aren't cheap.
 
I owned a Saturn in the past. I would like to point something out, as a specific model to avoid.
I owned a 1997 SL2. This was actually my now ex-wife's car.

This car was the biggest POS I've ever owned/directly dealt with.
1) Sunroof leaked. This leak caused the roof interior to sag.
2) Engine block was created using a process known as foam casting. If you've bought a large product (such as a Vinotemp, a tv monitor, etc.)...remember the foam packaging used in the box to secure the product in place during shipping? Imagine that on the surface of your engine casting. This is a VERY cheap form of casting. It is what kept the price of Saturns so low...(Cheap casting also means a greater variation in exact tolerances)
3) Just a note relating to the engine block casting,...the engine itself burnt oil. I know my stuff about cars. I know how to take care of them to some extent. I can't rebuild an engine, but I can do the brakes etc. This oil burning was due to the cheap gaskets used in the block. Because of the gasket failure, I was burning both coolant and oil. The oil...was mixing w/ the cooling system and this was a bit evident when I checked the radiator.
4) This brings me to the cheap coolant know as Dex-Cool. GM's supposed answer to green coolant. I hate Dex-Cool w/ a passion. And if you do a search, you'll easily find info about how Dex-Cool was not the miracle long-life coolant that GM expected it to be. In fact, it becomes a form of gelatin,...causing possible overheating problems. Luckily I changed the coolant often to prevent this type of stuff...but still a HIGHER MAINTENANCE than what was SUPPOSED to happen.
5) The brakes are undersized for the vehicle. To the point where I'd go through the stock brakes too fast. (Again,...cheaply made product). So I had to "upgrade" to a more aggressive brake pad compound and change my rotors to slotted ones.
6) My odometer FAILED at ONLY 40k miles!!! You tell me if this is too early for an odometer to fail.

Want me to go on further? Or do you get the point?
It is possible that my ex-wife purchased a lemon. Possible.
But I think it is more of a problem w/ that entire model line, as others experienced stories similar to mine.
Just thought I would post this up so you know of my experience w/ a Saturn.
I will never buy one ever.
 
I'd go with the Honda or Toyota. Both are pretty reliable. I have a friend with an older Saturn and it is incredibly uncomfortable for trips longer than 15-20 minutes. Cherokees are pretty safe, but they have a nasty habit of busting engine mount bolts at around the 100-150k mile point. My first car was a 1968 Chevy Impala. It was baby puke green with iron oxide (rust) trim and a manual reverse. That meant we had to put in neutral, get out, and push. It also had a safety engine installed designed to limit acceleration (only 5 of 8 cylinders fired :D ). Just my $.02

Billy
 
I have had two since I got my license the first was a 1990 Toyota Corolla that refused to die on me. Not the safest car in the world, no airbags and the car was falling apart around me, but the engine was something else. That little 4 cylinder refused to die no matter what I did to it, I truly abused that car having fun (I knew it was going to be replaced and scrapped before I even got it) I haven't had any other experience with Toyota's but I do know they make a great durable engine.

My other (current) car is a 1995 Ford Explorer. It has 139,000 (could be more, the odometer is shot) miles on it and is on it's final stretch, but it has treated me well. I wouldn't hesitate before getting another. I accident;y backed into a car (some small 4 door sedan) a little over a year ago, and there wasn't a scratch on my car. I managed to cave in the other persons door without any damage to my explorer (fortunately it was parked and nobody was inside)

People say explorers and similar SUV's are prone to roll over accidents, I think as long as the driver puts some time into learning how it rides and understands to go slower into a turn than they would in another car they will be fine. I have no doubt I could go and flip my explorer very easily, but at the same time I know how far I can push it and won't go past that point.
 
I've seen some good suggestions above, but I've got to pitch in mine:

1989 (or so) Oldsmobile Delta '88

The thing was a tank, good in the snow, and gas wasn't terrible.

Oh, did I mention I never had a problem with one, or that you can get one for under a grand?

They ain't much to look at, but a really solid car, especially for the dollar. And plenty of space in the engine compartment to swap out parts (if need be)
 
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