OT:Wanted Incredibly Cheap Car for Incredibly Stupid Project
03-10-2005, 12:42 AM
#1
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OT:Wanted Incredibly Cheap Car for Incredibly Stupid Project
I am making a short movie based on documenting the experience of buying a very cheap car and then immediately driving it cross country. The destination of the trip is Boston, so a i'm looking for a car in the sub $500 range in either Florida (preferably the Tampa/St Petersburg area) or Las Vegas. Porsche would be nice, but not required. Car must be 1990 or older, and capable, at least in a not totally ungrounded reality, of making the trip (namely, "runs and drives" even if with somewhat serious problems, appearance is of no import).
I'd really like something with some sort of character/appeal, older german or japanese would be best. If any of you have a vehicle for sale, or know of one in your area, please let me know.
I'd really like something with some sort of character/appeal, older german or japanese would be best. If any of you have a vehicle for sale, or know of one in your area, please let me know.
03-10-2005, 12:49 AM
#2
This is one of the reasons I love Rennlist and this forum in particular. Seriously. Yeah, I know its "OT", but its identified in the subject line and its somewhat relevant here (imo), plus I got a darned good laugh out of reading it.
Best of luck on your project, yoyo!
Regards,
Best of luck on your project, yoyo!
Regards,
03-10-2005, 01:01 AM
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I'd start with craigslist -- at least in California, you'll easily find a drivable car under $500 (and it could possibly be a 924....)
03-10-2005, 01:56 AM
#6
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Aftering reading your post I immediately remembered the car in "Trains, Planes, and Automobiles." After it had been on fire of course...
Good luck and thank for the laugh!
Good luck and thank for the laugh!
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03-10-2005, 02:27 AM
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Originally Posted by yoyoguy2
Jeff, you're in Long beach? how far are you from LA if we fly in? any other major problems of note?
03-10-2005, 03:01 AM
#12
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Haha, I bought my 951 in NYC, sight unseen, no knowledge of any mechanical issues, and drove NYC - Calgary in the 5 days after I bought it.
Well, NYC - Medicine hat in 5 days, then 2 days waiting in medicine hat...
Sounds like an idea I would come up with...
Well, NYC - Medicine hat in 5 days, then 2 days waiting in medicine hat...
Sounds like an idea I would come up with...
03-10-2005, 09:18 AM
#13
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we picked up a 944 in arkansas, 12 hours out and 12hrs back nonstop, starting after work on friday and returning on sunday morning...One disconnected vac. line.
03-10-2005, 09:22 AM
#14
I bought a 1991 Dodge Stealth from a fellow lister for 500 bucks. I have driven it almost 8K miles including from Orlando to Chicago. It can be done. Aside from a battery and some belts I have almost nothing in it.
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03-10-2005, 09:41 AM
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I'll try to get some pics to you soon. Long Beach is very close to LA, but as has been mentioned it's easier to just fly here. I bought this car as an "opportunistic gesture of goodwill" from a woman who was the original owner ('79) and unfortunately had just let it go to hell. Since I was able to pick it up cheap, my intention was to use it for experimentation on my body work skills (or lack thereof) and ultimately give it to a friend of mine that could really use a car (single mom with no way to get to a job, etc.) It's been sitting around here for a while and I've been so busy as to not be able to give it what it needs.
It's very rough cosmetically. When I picked it up, I felt like I was rescuing an abused dog. This lady had smoked in it (ashtray overflowing, butts & ashes all over the passenger's side, between the center console & seat, etc.), there was various clutter including old newspapers, bottles of coolant, oil, etc. scattered randomly around, the windows were FILTHY, etc. In short it needed some MAJOR TLC.
I spent a good solid afternoon with it at a local car wash vaccum trying to at least make the interior something I could tolerate sitting in for starters, wiped down everything and assessed. It is what it is - a VERY rough, sad 924 that needs a lot of love to be made right again. The dash has the worst cracks ("chasms" is a word I'd use) I've ever seen, the seats look like someone's dog chewed on them, the carpet is stained, the center console is cracked, etc. The body has some sort of major dent on every panel (I think). The P.O. admitted to "hitting her own garage" a few times to explain some of the dented fenders; the doors have dents in them also.
The lady sold it because she had it at her mechanic's place, had recently bought another car (new VW bug) and was told it needed engine mounts, which she didn't want to pay for. I immediately knew that this was going to be a case of serious neglect, which it is. I feel for the soul of her new car - it's only a matter of time before she kills that one too. One of these people that just doesn't know how to take pride in / care of things. Anyway, mechanically it seems reasonably okay. The engine starts and runs. When cranking, you do feel some "pulsation" so I believe the assessment that the engine mounts are bad is correct. It's driveable as-is though. I'd SERIOUSLY recommend changing the oil & filter, plugs, etc. and having a tune-up done on it at the very least. The stereo doesn't work (old Alpine w/ cassette). It has a few "extras", mostly that don't work including a stereo booster / equalizer, alarm system, and air conditioning. I have no idea how most of this is wired up or supposed to work, mostly because I haven't had time to experiment and tinker. I would also seriously recommend new tires and a AAA card if you were going to go coast-to-coast in it. The windshield wipers work (though slowly) and the lights / safety equipment is operable.
If you were serious, I'd say budget a couple hundred bucks for consumables like oil, filters, etc. and whatever tires cost just so you had new ones on there before venturing out. I'm actually sort of intrigued by this car and the thought that I might be able to return it to something nice / desirable by an input of time and effort in order to help my friend out has kept me interested in it. All told though, it might be better for me to give her the $500 and say "here you go, this is to help you out" than try to do this. I was going to transplant a lot of the "good but not perfect" parts from my 944 into it as I move forward with the restoration / Callaway conversion I'm doing to it (replacing the dash, seats, carpet, etc.)
If you're seriously interested in considering this thing, I'll try to take some pictures and do a more detailed feasibility assessment of it for you.
It's very rough cosmetically. When I picked it up, I felt like I was rescuing an abused dog. This lady had smoked in it (ashtray overflowing, butts & ashes all over the passenger's side, between the center console & seat, etc.), there was various clutter including old newspapers, bottles of coolant, oil, etc. scattered randomly around, the windows were FILTHY, etc. In short it needed some MAJOR TLC.
I spent a good solid afternoon with it at a local car wash vaccum trying to at least make the interior something I could tolerate sitting in for starters, wiped down everything and assessed. It is what it is - a VERY rough, sad 924 that needs a lot of love to be made right again. The dash has the worst cracks ("chasms" is a word I'd use) I've ever seen, the seats look like someone's dog chewed on them, the carpet is stained, the center console is cracked, etc. The body has some sort of major dent on every panel (I think). The P.O. admitted to "hitting her own garage" a few times to explain some of the dented fenders; the doors have dents in them also.
The lady sold it because she had it at her mechanic's place, had recently bought another car (new VW bug) and was told it needed engine mounts, which she didn't want to pay for. I immediately knew that this was going to be a case of serious neglect, which it is. I feel for the soul of her new car - it's only a matter of time before she kills that one too. One of these people that just doesn't know how to take pride in / care of things. Anyway, mechanically it seems reasonably okay. The engine starts and runs. When cranking, you do feel some "pulsation" so I believe the assessment that the engine mounts are bad is correct. It's driveable as-is though. I'd SERIOUSLY recommend changing the oil & filter, plugs, etc. and having a tune-up done on it at the very least. The stereo doesn't work (old Alpine w/ cassette). It has a few "extras", mostly that don't work including a stereo booster / equalizer, alarm system, and air conditioning. I have no idea how most of this is wired up or supposed to work, mostly because I haven't had time to experiment and tinker. I would also seriously recommend new tires and a AAA card if you were going to go coast-to-coast in it. The windshield wipers work (though slowly) and the lights / safety equipment is operable.
If you were serious, I'd say budget a couple hundred bucks for consumables like oil, filters, etc. and whatever tires cost just so you had new ones on there before venturing out. I'm actually sort of intrigued by this car and the thought that I might be able to return it to something nice / desirable by an input of time and effort in order to help my friend out has kept me interested in it. All told though, it might be better for me to give her the $500 and say "here you go, this is to help you out" than try to do this. I was going to transplant a lot of the "good but not perfect" parts from my 944 into it as I move forward with the restoration / Callaway conversion I'm doing to it (replacing the dash, seats, carpet, etc.)
If you're seriously interested in considering this thing, I'll try to take some pictures and do a more detailed feasibility assessment of it for you.