Looking for a cheap second car

Alec Moody · **Joined:** Fri Feb 15, 2013 9:02 am **Posts:** 299

My wife is going back to work and we need a second car. We are trying to get something reasonably reliable (and ideally easy to work on) for 3k-4k. Our only requirements are:

Manual Transmission
Cheap
Can put a forward facing kid seat in it in a pinch. We aren't totally ruling out two seaters and I am looking at half ton pickups.
Needs to have AC

Currently looking at:

90s hondas
22re toyota pickups
Integras
Older mazdas (like a 323 with a B6 in it)

Suggestions? I want to avoid cars that cost a fortune to fix. Anyone have a beater they are looking to get rid of?

BenjaminGuardiola · **Joined:** Wed May 14, 2014 8:31 am **Posts:** 84

Just saw this 2 days ago. Was hoping for a '94-95. Maybe this is for you:
http://www.skylinemotorsofraleigh.com/1 ... 351113.veh

Richard Casto · **Posted:** Wed May 31, 2017 8:34 am

I would think a sixth or seventh generation Honda Civic would easily fit that budget. You may even find an occasional eighth gen at the top end of that price range. You may get something with high mileage given the age, but just look for an unmolested example that is fully stock and less likely to be abused. Ask for documentation on most recent timing belt, tensioner and water pump change. If they can't provide that, factor in replacing those. It's actually a relatively easy and cheap job to do yourself. The Civic is pretty cheap to maintain.

Richard

Alec Moody · **Joined:** Fri Feb 15, 2013 9:02 am **Posts:** 299

I'm also seeing a lot of cheap protege5s - I'm guessing used values on those are low because of rust issues?

MikeWhitney · **Joined:** Wed Aug 20, 2003 9:15 pm **Posts:** 4724

Probably doesn't quite fit what you are looking for, but I am planning to sell my 2005 Mini Cooper S. ~150k, no sunroof, LSD, common power mods, well maintained. Silver on black interior.

It's not as easy to work on as other cars you mentioned, but I really haven't had many problems with it either. No issues except a couple of hail dents on the roof. I'm getting ready to finish some preventative maintenance on it, then it'll be up for sale. It's a fast, fun car.

Price will be in the $5xxx range

Alec Moody · **Joined:** Fri Feb 15, 2013 9:02 am **Posts:** 299

I found a ford escort GT that looks clean for under $1000. Anyone have anything bad to say about these? BP engine that I already have parts for, simple car... Seems like a winner to me.

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/deta ... P=atempest

Jordan Normark · **Posted:** Wed May 31, 2017 9:44 pm

I can recommend the Protégé 5. We sold it because we out grew it. I was amazed how well all the kid goop cleaned up off the interior before we put it up for sale!

The only time it left me on the side of the road was when the butterfly screws for some chamber in the manifold fell out and were ingested into the engine. Towed it home behind the truck with wife steering, figured out what it was, locktited new butterfly screws into manifold, used a magnet to fish around and pull out said mangled screws from cylinders (all were accounted for), put in new spark plugs (old ones had gap closed from screws banging around in CC), held my breath, started the engine and drove it another 100,000 miles before selling!

Pros: Somewhat sporty and fun to drive, available with 5 speed, spacious for what it is (back seats fold down for more spaciousness) roof racks are handy and many 5's have them.

Cons: Slow

Arthur McDonald · **Joined:** Fri Aug 29, 2003 1:54 am **Posts:** 2052

Alec Moody wrote:

I found a ford escort GT that looks clean for under $1000. Anyone have anything bad to say about these? BP engine that I already have parts for, simple car... Seems like a winner to me.

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/deta ... P=atempest

Long-ago THSCC pres Kurt Spitzner bought one of these new, back when he was the operations mgr for the Car Guys driving (HPDE before the acronym) school. It was probably the first non-AMC product that he'd ever owned, and he professed to like it a lot. Does this one have the motorized mouse shoulder harnesses? I guess the things I'd worry about would be rust and the many 25-year old plastic bits that just may have become brittle with age.

Richard Casto · **Posted:** Thu Jun 01, 2017 9:06 am

Alec Moody wrote:

I found a ford escort GT that looks clean for under $1000. Anyone have anything bad to say about these? BP engine that I already have parts for, simple car... Seems like a winner to me.

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/deta ... P=atempest

Ad is gone. Did you buy it? My comments are that if it's not a collectable car, you get all of the downsides of an older car without the upsides of collectability. More stuff to go wrong due to age (even if mileage is not crazy high). Maybe harder to find parts? Likely less safe than newer cars (a concern if used to haul family around). It seems that really older drivable cars that can pass inspection and is not a total hooptie seems to hover in that roughly $1K range.

Richard

Alec Moody · **Joined:** Fri Feb 15, 2013 9:02 am **Posts:** 299

I didn't get it. The guy pulled the ad down after I emailed about it.

Scott Johnson · **Posted:** Thu Jun 01, 2017 1:35 pm

Talk to Ryan Holton. He's selling a Focus SVT for cheap.

Richard Casto · **Posted:** Thu Jun 01, 2017 3:06 pm

Alec Moody wrote:

I didn't get it. The guy pulled the ad down after I emailed about it.

Wife: I am tired of being seen in that car with you. It's embarrassing! You need to sell that damn Escort or else!
Husband: But honey, it's a classic! It's all original and it was my first car? I LOVE that car!
Wife: It was cool when we were in high school, but not now. The factory radio has a tape deck in it for heaven's sake! What car radios these days use CDs let alone tape decks!? I want Bluetooth!
Husband: Fine! I will list it for sale. But if nobody shows interest, we are keeping it!

Days later, Alec emails the husband showing interest in the car. The owner has to quickly pull down the listing and find an alternative way to keep the car. Maybe hide it at his Mom's house.

Richard

PS: My apologies for the stereotypical gender roles. And for poking fun at Alec's used car criteria!

Aaron Buckley · **Posted:** Thu Jun 01, 2017 3:19 pm

Scott Johnson wrote:

Talk to Ryan Holton. He's selling a Focus SVT for cheap.

Selling? I'm pretty sure it is sold and is just waiting on the buyer to pick it up. - AB

Alec Moody · **Joined:** Fri Feb 15, 2013 9:02 am **Posts:** 299

Someone talk me out of this CRX.. https://raleigh.craigslist.org/cto/6150388515.html

Aaron Buckley · **Posted:** Sat Jun 03, 2017 9:51 am

How old is your child? No way am I putting my 5 year old in a forward facing seat in the front seat of a car. - AB

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