Beater Cars

[Se2002]

Watch out for old Subarus, certain models had Head Gasket problems that are expensive to have replaced and a pain DIY job.

[RobFMJ]

Find a early 90's Japanese 4 cyl car and go nuts... Theyll run forever if you do a halfway decent job of taking care of them.

[WD40]

Stay away from the mid 90s Dodge Avenger. What a beastly machine.

[Brickboy240]

My favorite beater car?

Easy...the Volvo 240!

I have had two of these cars. Ran the first 240 (an 83 model) almost 320k miles. My current daily driver (a 1991 240) is around the 240k mile mark and still in its original engine and tranny and shows no signs of giving up.

Why are these good "beater/daily driver" cars? Well, I have found several reasons.

First, they're very simple and straightforeward cars in design and operation...unlike many other European makes. They're RWD and have a solid rear axle. The suspension is simple and straightforeward. The engine is a SOHC 4 cylinder that changed little over the years that the 240 was made. Under the hood, the 240 is easy to work on and they'res nothing overly exotic about it. Belts, alternator, cooling system and all comonents are very conventional and where you'd expect them to be. Unlike BMW, Mercedes and Saab...that stick things in odd places and are hard to replace or get at.

Second, the 240 is one of the safest cars ever built. Look closely at it...they're almost all metal and built like a friggin tank. The post 1990 240s will have airbags and anti-lock brakes, too. Insurance on a 240 Volvo is VERY low because of its safety ratings and crash test results.

Third, it has a reasonable amout of room for people and a decently sized trunk. They ride well and are not overly noisy like many small Jap cars and have the typical European "tight" feeling to their driving. No...they do not handle like the BMW or Audis in the curves, but its other good features outweigh any handling features. It will not wear you out on trips and is well mannered on the highway or a long commute...unlike smaller Jap cars that beat you to death and wear you out with their rough ride and noisy highway manners.

Fourth, Volvos are rarely stolen. Thieves really don't want them and they're hard to hotwire and break into. A good thing if you leave your car in a mall parking lot or go into crummy areas. Thieves want Civics and other cars to mod out or part out. Volvos? Thieves pretty much leave them alone. Cops also leave you alone, unless you're totally driving crazy. I knw for a fact that a 40-something white guy in an old Volvo gets NO attention from cops. I went almost two years with an expired inspection and registration stickers on my 83 240. Cops just don't pay you any attention.

Fifth, for a European brand, Volvo's parts are easy to find and not overly expensive. I have owned two BMWs and a VW and BOTH had parts prices that were MUCH higher than my Volvo. I bought a new OEM radiator for my 91 240 for 165 bucks....I dounbt I could put a radiator in my old Bimmers or even my Tundra for that price. There are several online parts sources. I NEVER feel like I cannot get ANY part for my 91 240 Volvo...ever.

Sixth, Volvos...if taken care of...can go many hundreds of thousands of miles before engine rebuilds. Like the Mercedes, Volvos are known for high mileage relaibility...only Mercedes is better known for this as far as European cars go. I bought my first 240 with 145k miles on the clock. I bought my current 91 240 with 174k on the clock. Would you buy an Anerican car with that mileage? Hell no! But Volvos go a long ways and are barely broken in at 100k miles. Most of the new Volvo buyers are middle aged white people that do not drive crazy or rag their cars out really bad...a big factor when you'r considering buying a used car. The first owner sets the standard whether or not a used car is a good deal or a basket case.

So there you have it....take a look at the boxy old Volvo 240 or even a slightly used 740. you can find a decent used 240 or 740 from about 1988-1993 with about 150k miles on the clock for around 1200-1800 bucks if you look. read up on these cars (info is all over the web) so you'll know a little about them.

In my many years of experience...I have found that my Swedish ancestors built a pretty good car in the old Volvo 240...check it out. I have yet to blow one up.

- Brickboy240

[LUVMYSIGP225]

Laugh all you want. I have had tremendous success with old Cavaliers. Early '90's to Early '00's.

If they break, you can usually fix them for dirt cheap, because discount parts are so available for them.


I once bought a 1994 Cavalier with 87,000 miles and a fair body(rocker panels were rough). Cleaned it up. Put some good meats on it for cheap. $45.00 tune up. Drove it for 5 years, got reasonably good mileage. Liability only insurance was pathetically cheap. Sold it after five years for nearly what I paid for it. A good beater can only depreciate so much.

In that five years, I think I only put brakes on it(cheap), and a few oil changes.

I have now owned 4 of them over the years. All have been very reliable. Get a stripped down model with crack windows and manual locks, and there is really nothing that can go wrong with them.

I love them, but the prices are going up on them due to gas prices.

[akmjolnir]

Originally Posted by Brickboy240

My favorite beater car?

Easy...the Volvo 240!

I have had two of these cars. Ran the first 240 (an 83 model) almost 320k miles. My current daily driver (a 1991 240) is around the 240k mile mark and still in its original engine and tranny and shows no signs of giving up.

Why are these good "beater/daily driver" cars? Well, I have found several reasons.

First, they're very simple and straightforeward cars in design and operation...unlike many other European makes. They're RWD and have a solid rear axle. The suspension is simple and straightforeward. The engine is a SOHC 4 cylinder that changed little over the years that the 240 was made. Under the hood, the 240 is easy to work on and they'res nothing overly exotic about it. Belts, alternator, cooling system and all comonents are very conventional and where you'd expect them to be. Unlike BMW, Mercedes and Saab...that stick things in odd places and are hard to replace or get at.

Second, the 240 is one of the safest cars ever built. Look closely at it...they're almost all metal and built like a friggin tank. The post 1990 240s will have airbags and anti-lock brakes, too. Insurance on a 240 Volvo is VERY low because of its safety ratings and crash test results.

Third, it has a reasonable amout of room for people and a decently sized trunk. They ride well and are not overly noisy like many small Jap cars and have the typical European "tight" feeling to their driving. No...they do not handle like the BMW or Audis in the curves, but its other good features outweigh any handling features. It will not wear you out on trips and is well mannered on the highway or a long commute...unlike smaller Jap cars that beat you to death and wear you out with their rough ride and noisy highway manners.

Fourth, Volvos are rarely stolen. Thieves really don't want them and they're hard to hotwire and break into. A good thing if you leave your car in a mall parking lot or go into crummy areas. Thieves want Civics and other cars to mod out or part out. Volvos? Thieves pretty much leave them alone. Cops also leave you alone, unless you're totally driving crazy. I knw for a fact that a 40-something white guy in an old Volvo gets NO attention from cops. I went almost two years with an expired inspection and registration stickers on my 83 240. Cops just don't pay you any attention.

Fifth, for a European brand, Volvo's parts are easy to find and not overly expensive. I have owned two BMWs and a VW and BOTH had parts prices that were MUCH higher than my Volvo. I bought a new OEM radiator for my 91 240 for 165 bucks....I dounbt I could put a radiator in my old Bimmers or even my Tundra for that price. There are several online parts sources. I NEVER feel like I cannot get ANY part for my 91 240 Volvo...ever.

Sixth, Volvos...if taken care of...can go many hundreds of thousands of miles before engine rebuilds. Like the Mercedes, Volvos are known for high mileage relaibility...only Mercedes is better known for this as far as European cars go. I bought my first 240 with 145k miles on the clock. I bought my current 91 240 with 174k on the clock. Would you buy an Anerican car with that mileage? Hell no! But Volvos go a long ways and are barely broken in at 100k miles. Most of the new Volvo buyers are middle aged white people that do not drive crazy or rag their cars out really bad...a big factor when you'r considering buying a used car. The first owner sets the standard whether or not a used car is a good deal or a basket case.

So there you have it....take a look at the boxy old Volvo 240 or even a slightly used 740. you can find a decent used 240 or 740 from about 1988-1993 with about 150k miles on the clock for around 1200-1800 bucks if you look. read up on these cars (info is all over the web) so you'll know a little about them.

In my many years of experience...I have found that my Swedish ancestors built a pretty good car in the old Volvo 240...check it out. I have yet to blow one up.

- Brickboy240

You're argument for a 240 is 99% right.

Except that an old Saab 900 from the 80's is a much better car. It is indeed much easier to work on, gives better perfomance, and is the safer of the 2 Swedish cars.

For example , $1000 will get a a decent turbo-charged FWD car that excels in bad weather. Maintenance is EASY on these cars. For some reason they come with a stigma of being difficult to work on, and having expensive parts. Not so at all, you just have to do a bit of research... online forums are great.

I'm on #6 and #7 right now, even my '88 SPG is better than 90% of the junk out there now. My baby is the '97 Aero.

[Brickboy240]

The Saab 900 is fun to drive...moreso than a 240 Volvo...butit has a few bad things going for it.

First, there is that issue with the transmission. The thing that causes grinding between 2nd and 3rd gear and leads to a 2500 dollar repair bill to set it right. I don't know the details but watched a buddy in college and my bro-in-law struggle with the same problem. My mechanic (a Swede national that works only on Swedish cars) ahs warned me to stay away from the Saab 900 because of this.

Also, Saabs are like BMWs with high parts prices, odd locations for components that are hard to get to and not as reliable as the average Volvo. I don't mean to single out Saab...I found two 3 series Bimmers to have similar maladies and will never own another BMW product because of it.

Again...I have never owned one but am very close to people that have and saw enough to know to stay away from Saabs.

Also, Saabs are front wheel drive and that means a sideways engines and a cramped engine compartment. A Volvo 240 or 740 is RWD and that big boxy hood with a 4 banger insude is really roomy in comparison. Volvo's solid rear axle is also less complicated than the indy rear set-ups on Saabs and BMWs.

Also, another good indicator whether or not a car is a good used car to get: look around at how many are still on the road and the condition they are in. I still see lots of older 240s, 740s and 760s on the road...sedans and wagons. Most are in good shape and their interiors are not ruined. Other than Mercedes, Volvo is the most common European car I see on the road that is between 10 and 20 years old and still running fine. That tells you something about Volvo's build quality. I don't see tons of 10-20 year old Hondas, Nissans, Chevys or even Toyota sedans running down the road. If I do....they're usually in terrible condition.

- Brickboy240

[akmjolnir]

Originally Posted by Brickboy240

Also, Saabs are like BMWs with high parts prices, odd locations for components that are hard to get to and not as reliable as the average Volvo. I don't mean to single out Saab...I found two 3 series Bimmers to have similar maladies and will never own another BMW product because of it.
- Brickboy240

Not really, just gotta know where to look.

Originally Posted by Brickboy240

Also, Saabs are front wheel drive and that means a sideways engines and a cramped engine compartment.

- Brickboy240

all c900 (1979-1993) has a longitudaly (sp?) mounted inline 4-pot. There is lots of room to work.

I'm not busting balls or anything.

[nickb]

The only advice I can give you is this. Don't buy one from a mechanic.

We did have good luck with an old Caprice once. We bought it for $1200. It was stolen and the insurance company paid us $3200. It was a very nice ride, but sucked gas pretty good.

[rockerz71]

After reading Brickboy's posts I have a lot more respect for my mom's '89 240DL wagon