Beater Cars - XDTalk Forums - Your HS2000/SA-XD Information Source!

**jshu0949** · 07-08-2008, 11:47 AM

So, I am looking for a cheap car under $1000. What kind of old beaters have you had good luck with? I'm looking at a couple Subaru wagons on Craigslist, as well as a few others.

Barbarossa · 07-08-2008, 11:48 AM

Get a Chevy Caprice B-body.

91-96

5.7 liter - LT1

join us over on ImpalaSSForum.com

1995 caprice
92 CHEVY CAPRICE POLICE CAR 9C1 1600.00 O.B.O.
92' Chevy Caprice

The wagons are sweet too!

101radioman · 07-08-2008, 11:50 AM

Current Beater is 79 Olds Cutlass with 350, engine has less then 25k on it managed to get it for 400.

forum · 07-08-2008, 11:57 AM

I've got an '88 camry that I picked up for a couple hundred bucks, A/c, auto, cruise, power windows/locks and it was great till I got rear ended. I'm on my second early 90s subaru legacy wagon(both well over 200k miles) I picked up the current one for $1000 and its an auto, awd, power windows/locks ice cold a/c. any early 90s import should be great on gas and fairly cheap/easy to work on.

**jshu0949** · 07-08-2008, 12:28 PM

Thanks for the quick replies!

Ride the Lightning · 07-08-2008, 12:36 PM

I've never been a big believer in beaters. Some people have great luck with it, but if it's an old POS that's for sale cheap there is a reason for it. Many times it's better to spend an extra $1000 for a better starting point.

FWIW, the Subarus often seem to run forever, but they are not without their problems. The crank pulleys like to eat the keyways out of the cranks which ruins the crank in many cases. They also have one engine, I believe it's the 2.5, that has a nasty habit of cracking the block at the top of one of the cylinders for no apparent reason.

Plumberdude · 07-08-2008, 12:39 PM

picked up a 92 integra for 1200 bucks paint sucks but the inside is like new. 170k miles runs like a champ. all pw options 5spd put 5k on it so far and 30mpg aint bad

D-Bo · 07-08-2008, 10:41 PM

Go find an 80s model Nissan Maxima, I've driven them for years from 85-01 and they were always great cars

**mhillsing23** · 07-09-2008, 06:23 AM

My Dad just bought a Ford Aspire. It is little and it looks like crap, but it drives incredibly nice and it gets great MPG.

**edm24** · 07-09-2008, 06:46 AM

Toyota's last forever if you change the oil every 3000 miles or so, especially Camry's. I traded one in last year with 165,000 miles on it. Purred like a kitten.

07-08-2008, 11:47 AM	#1
jshu0949 XDTalk 100 Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Western Washington Posts: 446	Beater Cars So, I am looking for a cheap car under $1000. What kind of old beaters have you had good luck with? I'm looking at a couple Subaru wagons on Craigslist, as well as a few others. __________________ Myspace

07-08-2008, 11:48 AM	#2
Barbarossa XDTalk 100 Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: 55 Electoral Votes. Posts: 492	Get a Chevy Caprice B-body. 91-96 5.7 liter - LT1 join us over on ImpalaSSForum.com 1995 caprice 92 CHEVY CAPRICE POLICE CAR 9C1 1600.00 O.B.O. 92' Chevy Caprice The wagons are sweet too! __________________ Not my choice. Last edited by Barbarossa; 07-08-2008 at 11:51 AM.

07-08-2008, 12:28 PM	#5
jshu0949 XDTalk 100 Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Western Washington Posts: 446	Thanks for the quick replies! __________________ Myspace

07-08-2008, 12:39 PM	#7
Plumberdude XDTalk 100 Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Central Virginia Posts: 210	picked up a 92 integra for 1200 bucks paint sucks but the inside is like new. 170k miles runs like a champ. all pw options 5spd put 5k on it so far and 30mpg aint bad __________________ "A militia, when properly formed, are in fact the people themselves...and include all men capable of bearing arms." -Richard Henry Lee, Additional Letters from the Federal Farmer.

07-08-2008, 10:41 PM	#8
D-Bo XDTalk 100 Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: PDX OR Posts: 351	Go find an 80s model Nissan Maxima, I've driven them for years from 85-01 and they were always great cars __________________ Visit the forums at www.otraw.com

07-08-2008, 11:50 AM	#3
101radioman XDTalk 100 Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Moorhead, MN Posts: 214	Current Beater is 79 Olds Cutlass with 350, engine has less then 25k on it managed to get it for 400.

07-08-2008, 11:57 AM	#4
forum XDTalk 100 Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Denver Posts: 102	I've got an '88 camry that I picked up for a couple hundred bucks, A/c, auto, cruise, power windows/locks and it was great till I got rear ended. I'm on my second early 90s subaru legacy wagon(both well over 200k miles) I picked up the current one for $1000 and its an auto, awd, power windows/locks ice cold a/c. any early 90s import should be great on gas and fairly cheap/easy to work on.

07-08-2008, 12:36 PM	#6
Ride the Lightning XDTalk 1K Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Broken Arrow, OK Posts: 1,526	I've never been a big believer in beaters. Some people have great luck with it, but if it's an old POS that's for sale cheap there is a reason for it. Many times it's better to spend an extra $1000 for a better starting point. FWIW, the Subarus often seem to run forever, but they are not without their problems. The crank pulleys like to eat the keyways out of the cranks which ruins the crank in many cases. They also have one engine, I believe it's the 2.5, that has a nasty habit of cracking the block at the top of one of the cylinders for no apparent reason.

07-09-2008, 06:23 AM	#9
mhillsing23 XDTalk 2K Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: +38 26 31 -90 22 48 Posts: 2,867	My Dad just bought a Ford Aspire. It is little and it looks like crap, but it drives incredibly nice and it gets great MPG. __________________ Governments tend not to solve problems, only to rearrange them. - Ronald Wilson Reagan

07-09-2008, 06:46 AM	#10
edm24 XDTalk 1K Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Broward County, FL Posts: 1,241	Toyota's last forever if you change the oil every 3000 miles or so, especially Camry's. I traded one in last year with 165,000 miles on it. Purred like a kitten. __________________ "If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much space!" edm24

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