i've got 3-4k for my first car, what do i do?
10-04-2012, 12:32 PM
#31
I would, but strangely by bus it's a 45 minute commute. Walking it's 25 minutes, biking is 6 minutes. I would keep biking but my leg is pretty messed up and not healing.
I also just need to go other places. I've started my own business and just the meetings all over town and such are getting to me.
I also just need to go other places. I've started my own business and just the meetings all over town and such are getting to me.
Escort. Cavalier. Taurus. Camry. Corolla. Accord.
When 944's break down, it's not like it's a 2 minute fix. Most of the time if I find something wrong with my car, it's parked, or up on jackstands, for a week at a time. It takes time to figure out what's wrong, then time to get the part (you can't just go to Pep Boys or AutoZone and pick up a part off the shelf for a 944 - you usually gotta order it online and wait a few days), then it takes time to put it back together. So during that downtime, you're going to be without a car.
It's not JUST the $$$ that's the killer with these cars. It's the TIME too. Sure, a reference sensor failure might only be $70 in parts (if you buy the cheaper BMW sensor)... but you gotta order it, wait for it, then fight to get the old sensor out and new sensor installed - and hope to God you don't drop the reference sensor bolt down into the inspection hole or you're pulling the trans and torque tube out to retrieve it! And if the old sensor is frozen inside the bracket (common!) then prepare to spend a few hours cursing at it...
Escort. Cavalier. Taurus. Camry. Corolla. Accord.
10-04-2012, 12:47 PM
#32
I bought a 1500 dollar 951 a few months ago because it was a "good deal". 7k in parts later.... It's reliable. Yes 7k in parts. If I had to pay labor, add another 10k. Don't do it.
10-04-2012, 12:56 PM
#33
Here's another thought that might be worth considering:
If you've got $4k in cash... what about taking a portion of that, using it as a down payment, and leasing something new? Sounds like you drive infrequently enough that you'll be able to stay under the mileage cap. It'll get you a new, reliable car (that shouldn't need ANY maintenance or give you any headaches).
Found this from a quick Google search: http://www.leaseguide.com/articles/b...s-less-200.htm
Civic for $2k down and $169/mo. Chevy Cruze for $2k down and $149/mo.
If you've got $4k in cash... what about taking a portion of that, using it as a down payment, and leasing something new? Sounds like you drive infrequently enough that you'll be able to stay under the mileage cap. It'll get you a new, reliable car (that shouldn't need ANY maintenance or give you any headaches).
Found this from a quick Google search: http://www.leaseguide.com/articles/b...s-less-200.htm
Civic for $2k down and $169/mo. Chevy Cruze for $2k down and $149/mo.
10-04-2012, 01:07 PM
#34
Rennlist Member
I had over $42,000 documented into my '86 (not including the purchase). This was a reasonably reliable dd over the 10-12 years I had it - not one of the exceptionally fine examples some on this forum have.
My '89 has been a rock solid reliable dd over the past 6 years, but it is actually not available to me presently and I guess that has been true for about 6 months. (I don't drive much and I have other cars.)
If you have the money, skills, time, and room to make a 944 a project (not your first-line transportation), which it sounds like you might, go for it. Speaking only for myself, putting that time and effort in I would feel a lot better about a 951 than a 944 or 924. And plan on your payoff being non-financial.
My '89 has been a rock solid reliable dd over the past 6 years, but it is actually not available to me presently and I guess that has been true for about 6 months. (I don't drive much and I have other cars.)
If you have the money, skills, time, and room to make a 944 a project (not your first-line transportation), which it sounds like you might, go for it. Speaking only for myself, putting that time and effort in I would feel a lot better about a 951 than a 944 or 924. And plan on your payoff being non-financial.
10-04-2012, 01:07 PM
#35
Three Wheelin'
Honda. Or the E36 if it has had all the preventative maintenance done and been owned by an enthusiast. I'm going to echo something Omni just said: realize if you get something uncommon (not Asian/American), parts are going to be difficult to get in a timely manner.
Example: My sister's DD is a 2001 E46, my dad and I were going to replace the steering rack as it was leaking. Okay, whatever, order a rebuilt rack for ~$200 and it'll be an easy 1 hour swap. HAH! 40 days later (yesterday) my dad and I finally finished the job. How did this job turn into 40 days? Well that's a fun story! Go to replace the rack, find that the engine is sitting too low to get access to the bolts: engine mounts are shot. I can get them from my local BMW dealership for about twice what I can on the internet, decide that it can wait and order new mounts, and go to harbor freight and buy an engine support bar. A few days later the engine mounts arrive, we install them with little drama, then notice a leaky coolant hose, okay whatever, this is getting kind of annoying but we'll just pay the price the local BMW dealership wants, replace the hose no problem. We then move to the steering rack, we go to knock out the ball joint and it will not budge. I have never seen anything so stuck. Whacks with a 3lb sledge did nothing, it destroyed a picklefork, shattered a ball joint puller, heat did nothing to loosen it, so we decide to order the "correct" and drop-forged ball joint puller from eBay, wait a few days for it to come and try again. New tool won't pop the joint, end up stripping the threads on the bolt of the tool. Reeeeeeally starting to get pissed off at this point. We go back to the pickle fork idea, borrowing a really nice set with multiple forks that are forged, add a larger sledge and finally, success! At this point we're also replacing the tie rod ends because they're now toast, luckily a local Advance Auto had these in stock. Button everything up, add fluids, run the car, annnnnnnnd a new coolant leak! This time coming from the expansion tank (replaced in 08 along with the rest of the cooling system)... at this point this is getting ridiculous and the car is in some serious danger of winding up an arson case. Napa has the expansion tank in stock for ~$100, go buy it, replace, refill, awesome I'm in the home stretch! Go unscrew the bleed screw and it sheers off in the hole; thanks for all the plastic BMW! Can't just buy the bleed screw unless I drive 45 minutes each way to BMW and pay them $9. Try to extract the broken plastic bolt, cracked the molded plastic piece it sits in and have to buy a replacement hose assembly from NAPA for $30, luckily it came with a new bleed screw in it. Replace that, bleed, and by George, this job is done, fingers crossed.
So yeah, those are some of the joys of owning a German auto.
Example: My sister's DD is a 2001 E46, my dad and I were going to replace the steering rack as it was leaking. Okay, whatever, order a rebuilt rack for ~$200 and it'll be an easy 1 hour swap. HAH! 40 days later (yesterday) my dad and I finally finished the job. How did this job turn into 40 days? Well that's a fun story! Go to replace the rack, find that the engine is sitting too low to get access to the bolts: engine mounts are shot. I can get them from my local BMW dealership for about twice what I can on the internet, decide that it can wait and order new mounts, and go to harbor freight and buy an engine support bar. A few days later the engine mounts arrive, we install them with little drama, then notice a leaky coolant hose, okay whatever, this is getting kind of annoying but we'll just pay the price the local BMW dealership wants, replace the hose no problem. We then move to the steering rack, we go to knock out the ball joint and it will not budge. I have never seen anything so stuck. Whacks with a 3lb sledge did nothing, it destroyed a picklefork, shattered a ball joint puller, heat did nothing to loosen it, so we decide to order the "correct" and drop-forged ball joint puller from eBay, wait a few days for it to come and try again. New tool won't pop the joint, end up stripping the threads on the bolt of the tool. Reeeeeeally starting to get pissed off at this point. We go back to the pickle fork idea, borrowing a really nice set with multiple forks that are forged, add a larger sledge and finally, success! At this point we're also replacing the tie rod ends because they're now toast, luckily a local Advance Auto had these in stock. Button everything up, add fluids, run the car, annnnnnnnd a new coolant leak! This time coming from the expansion tank (replaced in 08 along with the rest of the cooling system)... at this point this is getting ridiculous and the car is in some serious danger of winding up an arson case. Napa has the expansion tank in stock for ~$100, go buy it, replace, refill, awesome I'm in the home stretch! Go unscrew the bleed screw and it sheers off in the hole; thanks for all the plastic BMW! Can't just buy the bleed screw unless I drive 45 minutes each way to BMW and pay them $9. Try to extract the broken plastic bolt, cracked the molded plastic piece it sits in and have to buy a replacement hose assembly from NAPA for $30, luckily it came with a new bleed screw in it. Replace that, bleed, and by George, this job is done, fingers crossed.
So yeah, those are some of the joys of owning a German auto.
10-04-2012, 01:15 PM
#36
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im 19 and bought my 944 for $4,500 and its fantastic... however
the costs are brutal... timing belt and water pump have to be done asap, plus i had tranny issues right off the bat
i had money saved up from work, summer jobs etc. and i knew i wanted something more unique.. that being said my financial situation is A LOT worse than before owning the porky
the costs are brutal... timing belt and water pump have to be done asap, plus i had tranny issues right off the bat
i had money saved up from work, summer jobs etc. and i knew i wanted something more unique.. that being said my financial situation is A LOT worse than before owning the porky
