Jump to content

WTB: sub-$2K "vacation car"...or "Back in the car game Part IV"


zeitgeist57

Recommended Posts

Next month, I'm driving through ATL for a famiry get-together, then on to our condo in FL. My '00 Passat GLX (180k miles) is slowly dying at our condo in FL (exhaust flexpipe broke, clutch is slipping). If you combine these two items, it's easy to see that my wife and I would rather buy a better-condition car here in OH, transfer registration, and drive it through ATL on to FL to replace the Passat instead of a pricey rental and airfare.

 

Does anyone have/know of options? The purpose of this thread is to see if anyone hasn't put a car on the market. I've gone through a lot of CrazyList ads and would like to avoid the buy-here-pay-here auction-flip junk...would prefer a private owner that's looking to unload.

 

Car would preferably be somewhat reliable and have working A/C. All it has to do is survive the trip to FL, and it will only see maybe a few hundred miles a year in Naples after that: local driving to restaurants/stores/errands. No need for a van or AWD or anything like that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 80
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Buy a Car in Naples? All kinds of super rich people dumping nice chit for dirt cheap down there....What happened to the jag?

Let me help you with this.

 

 

Next month, I'm driving through ATL for a famiry get-together, then on to our condo in FL. My '00 Passat GLX (180k miles) is slowly dying at our condo in FL (exhaust flexpipe broke, clutch is slipping). If you combine these two items, it's easy to see that my wife and I would rather buy a better-condition car here in OH, transfer registration, and drive it through ATL on to FL to replace the Passat instead of a pricey rental and airfare.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Let me help you with this.

 

Whoops missed that.

 

That said, Driving a sub $2000 rust-bucket car that you just bought down to Florida is full of :dumb:. Clay the last thing you want on that trip (i've done it dozens of times) is to break down..common now.

 

Edit; both times we took cheap ($2000-$3000) cars down we ran into issues. Alternator went out on one vehicle, other threw a rod and grenaded the engine.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That said, Driving a sub $2000 rust-bucket car that you just bought down to Florida is full of :dumb:. Clay the last thing you want on that trip (i've done it dozens of times) is to break down..common now.

 

Seriously. I seriously doubt you'll find much that's worth a damn for that price range. Even decent mechanical stuff will be cosmetically so destroyed will be miserable to use.

 

I've got a sweet e36 that's been perfectly reliable for 3+ years if you want to give me $2000 + $1200? Plus it's a 6-cylinder so none of that pesky 4-banger head gasket trouble.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You can find reliable cars for 2k without issues or a ton of rust, just use common sense when buying. They aren't always easy to come across, but you'll find one if you can wade through the bullshit and keep your eyes and ears peeled.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Does sound kind of odd. Buy some rust free gem in ATL that will appreciate with the no-miles you are going to have while you own it. Sell later if you must for some profit.

 

Just an example off the top of my head- 80 series Landcruiser. Only going up if in good shape!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Only because it ties in with our redic conversation from the other day:

 

think of the fun you'll have driving this to FLA:

 

http://dayton.craigslist.org/cto/5049032384.html

 

Your kids will never forget it.

 

 

you can totally blend in FLA with this:

http://columbus.craigslist.org/cto/5050806866.html

 

or lift your budget and be the coolest pimp in Boca:

http://dayton.craigslist.org/cto/5039970255.html

 

there are quite a number of these 80's full sizer's for right around your budget:

http://columbus.craigslist.org/cto/5010351204.html

 

http://columbus.craigslist.org/cto/5001173169.html

 

totally worth paying extra for:

http://columbus.craigslist.org/cto/5027952152.html

 

 

now I am just waiting for the call from your wife for fueling really bad ideas.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

bad ideas part II:

 

Wood grain + LT1 + rear facing seats:

http://columbus.craigslist.org/cto/5000553641.html

 

maybe you don't like wagons:

http://mansfield.craigslist.org/cto/5026950694.html

 

maybe you do:

http://chillicothe.craigslist.org/cto/5000117784.html

 

it's already been to FL And back:

http://columbus.craigslist.org/cto/5039180659.html

 

I fully think you need to embrace the terrible-ness of driving a $2000 car to FLA and go for the gusto if you are going to do it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just to clarify...the whole idea is to get an OHIO car (yes, I get the rust...but it'll be way easier to re-register with the Passat's Ohio plates than FL tags) and drive it the full distance from OH to Atlanta to FL.

 

Thank you for the suggestions so far!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Roadmaster FTW. Any Grand Prix, Cavalier, etc that's been taken care of. Or find some low mileage Buick that some old people are selling. All can be had in decent shape for cheap.

 

bad ideas part II:

 

Wood grain + LT1 + rear facing seats:

http://columbus.craigslist.org/cto/5000553641.html

 

maybe you don't like wagons:

http://mansfield.craigslist.org/cto/5026950694.html

 

maybe you do:

http://chillicothe.craigslist.org/cto/5000117784.html

 

it's already been to FL And back:

http://columbus.craigslist.org/cto/5039180659.html

 

That first wagon is an LO5 (TBI 350) still reliable, just slow. LT1 didn't get in the b-body until '94

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Back in 2005 when I first moved to Naples, I drove my $1100 1985 Chevy C10 "Heavy Half" (305/4spd) tee-ruk with no working fuel gauge and an upright piano in the bed from Columbus to Naples 18 hours non-stop.

 

In 2008, when we were moving back to Columbus, I put my '95 Vette on a U-Haul trailer and loaded the bed of my 1982 C20 (6.2L diesel/TH400) with tools, chemicals, and everything the moving company didn't or wouldn't haul. I drove 8 hours to Atlanta, stayed overnight, and finished the drive to Columbus.

 

Both trips were without issue.

 

I say this not to jinx myself :), but to justify that it can be done! :fuckyeah:

 

If you havent, start watching every episode of Roadkill on YouTube...you'll get a lot of inspiration.

 

F**KING LOVE ROADKILL.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Back in 2005 when I first moved to Naples, I drove my $1100 1985 Chevy C10 "Heavy Half" (305/4spd) tee-ruk with no working fuel gauge and an upright piano in the bed from Columbus to Naples 18 hours non-stop.

 

In 2008, when we were moving back to Columbus, I put my '95 Vette on a U-Haul trailer and loaded the bed of my 1982 C20 (6.2L diesel/TH400) with tools, chemicals, and everything the moving company didn't or wouldn't haul. I drove 8 hours to Atlanta, stayed overnight, and finished the drive to Columbus.

 

Both trips were without issue.

 

I say this not to jinx myself :), but to justify that it can be done! :fuckyeah:

 

 

 

F**KING LOVE ROADKILL.

 

10 years ago $2,000 went WAY further than it does now

 

edit: here ya go http://www.columbusracing.com/forums/showthread.php?t=121978

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...