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In search of a winter beater

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    In search of a winter beater

    It's October. I'm in Minnesota. The Potenzas suck in the snow. I have a 14 mile commute to work, thru stop-and-go traffic.

    Yup, it's time for a beater.

    I spent so many years scouring the papers for sub-$1000 cars, and I swore that once I actually bought a REAL car, my days of beaters were over. Well, what I wasn't taking into account is that a 5 speed isn't the best solution to rush-hour traffic, and a new car just means a car you worry about more. I find myself longing for the days when a window crank broke, and I just used a pair of vise-grips instead. I yearn for a car that I can park at work (on the street, in an iffy neighborhood) without checking on it every hour. And I'd do almost anything to avoid the numbness in my left leg after crawling along at 10mph for a half an hour.

    So I check the paper. 89 Camry, $999. Ok. 91 Corolla, $700. Even better. 90 Eagle Summit, $750. Hmm. 92 Metro, $700 (don't knock em till you try em). 87 Colt Vista, $900, and it's even 4WD. OK. So the cars are out there. For roughly 3 Protege payments, I can get something to fight the urban battles with.

    I can't believe I'm back looking for cheap POS cars again. Wish me luck.
    ~Mark.
    2002 Protege DX 5 speed, "Kenmore White," well-loved and a little over half paid-for

    #2
    I hear u dude im trying to score a 86 toyota tercel wagon 4wd 5 speed for this winter. But it looks like my protege will have to battle the snow one more year :-( ...Jon

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      #3
      I'd check out the Camry or Corolla. Older domestic cars are not the most reliable autos
      Dan
      dreesemonkey

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        #4
        80 year old gay guy owned it. Its a mint beater

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          #5
          Woohoo! I just found a dealer that has a 90 Protege SE and a 91 Protege DX for $895 each, and a 91 323 hatchback for $795! They're all automatic, and all around 135-150k miles.

          Guess I'm going car-shopping next week...

          Can any 1st gen experts out there give me any pointers on what to look for, besides the usual used-car stuff?
          ~Mark.
          2002 Protege DX 5 speed, "Kenmore White," well-loved and a little over half paid-for

          Comment


            #6
            i want to buy a little ass justy, they are small, and awd, litte go cart.
            .....HELLO MY NAME IS BEN...



            186.08whp
            225.94wtq
            torque monster!!!!
            dyno graph 8-10-and 12psi
            http://www.msprotege.com/members/THE...no%20graph.jpg
            http://videos.streetfire.net/player....0-C19CA06AF01E dyno vid

            blahblahblahblahblahblah

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              #7
              Originally posted by Mark 02dx
              Woohoo! I just found a dealer that has a 90 Protege SE and a 91 Protege DX for $895 each, and a 91 323 hatchback for $795! They're all automatic, and all around 135-150k miles.

              Guess I'm going car-shopping next week...

              Can any 1st gen experts out there give me any pointers on what to look for, besides the usual used-car stuff?

              Check the exhaust system, mine broke a couple times. The radiator and axiles ...Jon

              Comment


                #8
                Yeah I have a 323 '91 .. I paid 500 bucks for it .. Man that car gets me through thick and thin. I can go to the ghetto, leave the doors and windows open= noone will touch it.

                It's great and it's gonna do battle with the winter. The 323 is gonna get Blizaks. and I am looking into storing the Protege .. but yet still unsure ..

                Oh yeah cheak out
                craigslist provides local classifieds and forums for jobs, housing, for sale, services, local community, and events
                photo album|photo album 2 (pbase)

                dbest1a AT yahoo DOT com

                Comment


                  #9
                  I'm striking out all over on the beater hunt... the 2 Proteges were complete junk; one had a bad tranny and the other had practically NO brakes (made for a really exciting test drive) and the 323 was already sold.
                  So I looked at an 86 Civic 4 door: drove okay, but the exhaust was LOUD. Sounded like a crack in the manifold. And they wouldn't budge on the price because of it.
                  89 Dodge Aries (hey, it was worth a look): ran & drove great, needed tires, but smelled like cigar smoke. I can just picture some old fart chewing away on a stogie for about 15 years inside that car... No thanks.

                  Next up: 85 Tercel wagon, 82 Subaru Brat, 91 Merc Tracer (price is suspiciously low, but we'll see), 85 Chev Celebrity, 88 Sentra. Hopefully ONE of em will be good.

                  I also found a 1977 Fiat X1/9 for $500, in running condition, but I keep reminding myself that I'm looking for a BEATER, not a project...
                  ~Mark.
                  2002 Protege DX 5 speed, "Kenmore White," well-loved and a little over half paid-for

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by cablemirc
                    i won't ask what he "wanted" for it, but i suppose that's why you say "But it looks like my protege will have to battle the snow one more year"


                    ROFL
                    Actually he died and a mechanic friend of mine bought it and sold it to my boss, He said he will sell it to me next spring if im interested

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