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


zeitgeist57

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FYI I texted her the Roadmaster wagons on CL...she said they were "hideous". :no:

 

I don't think she fully understands the options available to complete this plan...:lol:

Let her know she has to pay to play, or deal with cars like these.

 

Btw that roadmaster is SWEET!!

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Whilst searching, I'm realizing the biggest turnoff when I see it in the pics is not rust...

 

It's a "Black Ice" pine tree air freshener. Just screams low class to me.

 

Clean yourself or your car more often. Stop smoking INSIDE the car. Problem solved.

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Crown Vic. End of story.

Yup cheap, reliable, big enough for the family.

 

2007 mercury grand marquis 108k mles 2400$ This is actually a really nice car. You need to hop on this right MEOW!

https://columbus.craigslist.org/cto/5065675150.html

 

01 GM 170k miles 2200

http://dayton.craigslist.org/cto/5055306250.html

 

Little more then 2k but might be worth to jew down the price

https://columbus.craigslist.org/cto/5061931368.html

 

08 2200 litle rough but not bad

https://columbus.craigslist.org/cto/5052975699.html

 

05 115k miles 2k, could use a nice plasti dip

http://dayton.craigslist.org/cto/5029928767.html

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Hey, Craig...I definitely looked at Autotrader...been told that Car Source is an auction mill; should avoid it if at all possible.

 

I have a line on a 2004 Cavalier LS sedan (through a friend) with 105k miles that the owner would let go for less than $1500. He just got a new car and is looking to unload this one...may go that way. I'm not a big fan of Cavvy's but it seems like a really good new-enough, no-rust, lower-mile option for the dough.

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:barf:

Hey, Craig...I definitely looked at Autotrader...been told that Car Source is an auction mill; should avoid it if at all possible.

 

I have a line on a 2004 Cavalier LS sedan with 105k miles that I can get for less than $1500...may go that way. I'm not a big fan of Cavvy's but it seems like a really good new-enough, no-rust, lower-mile option for the dough.

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FYI I texted her the Roadmaster wagons on CL...she said they were "hideous". :no:

 

I don't think she fully understands the options available to complete this plan...:lol:

 

Do you?

 

I don't mean to be a dick about it saying it that way but let's be realistic here - a $2000 car now is basically the equivalent of a $500 college beater in the 1990's. It's the shitty, old, high mileage, oddball car territory. I hate to say it but you may be looking in the word of mouth territory where someone has a $3K-$4K car that they cut you a friend price of $2K on.

 

So let's talk about the real parameters for what you need from this $2000 hooptie. It needs to make basically a 1000 mile drive - the sitting around not running it will do after that is inconsequential because that all depends on your prep. But you are traveling with two young children and a wife, whom I am guessing is probably not as up for the type of comedic car adventure that comes from walking 6 miles down a highway. So, off the top of my head here is what you need this car to be/have/do:

 

- have working AC

- new tires

- no suspension issues

- be in excellent mechanical shape (no slipping trannys)

- Working brakes that are recently serviced

- be easy to locate parts for and fix cheaply

- be easy enough to fix roadside in case something happens

- have a spare

- be reliable

- be comfortable

- be clean

 

to that end I am going to again suggest the RWD Caprice, Roadmaster, and Fleetwoods from the 1990s because they are about the only thing in the price range that has the potential to satisfy most of your list. 1000 miles in a cheap honda civic/camry/corolla is going to be 1000 miles too far in a compact car with screaming kids.

 

Anything german isn't going to cut it mostly because a) german cars aren't cheap to fix unless you go back to early 1990s, b) they aren't as reliable as you think any more and most have a lot of deferred maintenance. I know your wife is probably not on-board for these kind of shenanigans where you are driving the automotive equivalent of a beluga whale to FLA, but you either need to figure out how to get her on board, increase the budget, or give up. Just harsh reality man.

 

You do realize that the VW you are trying to replace with a $2000 car is itself a $2000 car on CL, right? I mean that Irony isn't lost here.

 

I'm all for helping you any way I can, including going to whatever meth farm you have to travel to go look at a car so don't take anything I have said here as a negative. I just think your only shot is thinking outside the box of vw/honda/toyota and to really grab something odd and fun.

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oh...and you need to daily drive whatever you get for like 3 weeks before you go just to shake the bugs (both literal and figurative) out before the long haul.
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Kerry, I share some of your thoughts...honestly, my kids are great but I didn't even think about driving with them all the way down. When we took the Passat down it was just my wife and I.

 

Definitely agree with the shakedown, hence why I feel crunchtime to get the car is now. This is all for nothing unless I get kinks worked out by driving it DD for the next couple of weeks.

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I had to laugh at the vision of you, your wife, and your kids walking 6 miles after a breakdown only because you would NEVER hear the end of it (not hoping it happens of course as that would be awful). I was so worried my Camaro would break down on the way home for that exact reason. It would be funny and a story if it is you and a buddy...not so much with a wife and kids
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Kerry, I share some of your thoughts...honestly, my kids are great but I didn't even think about driving with them all the way down. When we took the Passat down it was just my wife and I.

 

Definitely agree with the shakedown, hence why I feel crunchtime to get the car is now. This is all for nothing unless I get kinks worked out by driving it DD for the next couple of weeks.

 

 

If you have the right vehicle it might not be an issue to take them on the journey. Make a real family vaca of it. When I was real little and my parents were broke, I saw the world out of the back of a 60's Buick Skylark 2 door, including several trips to Florida and Wisconsin.

 

I was going to suggest something like a Jeep Cherokee or GC but a) everything in your price range is 200K+ miles, and b) rotted up to the door handles. Also much like the ford Exploder and Dodge durango it will probably be boring as hell to drive and miserably falling apart at high mileage.

 

I would actually suggest you look at this but I wouldn't wish a 4cyl jeep on my worst enemy:

http://columbus.craigslist.org/ctd/5034127096.html

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2002 Chevrolet Impala - $1900

http://wheeling.craigslist.org/cto/5043173607.html

 

DAT COLOR COMBO LOL pimp juice

1988 cadi deville o.b.o. - $2600

http://wheeling.craigslist.org/cto/5051170919.html

 

2000 Honda CRV - $1800 5spd ;) SUV JDM YO

http://wheeling.craigslist.org/cto/5064642380.html

 

CHEAPO ECONOBOX

2006 Chevy Cobalt 4 dr black - $2000

http://wheeling.craigslist.org/cto/5055597977.html

 

 

2004 vw touarwg all wheel drive, fully loaded - $2000

The dark horse of them all. Could be cheap fix then have ultimate $2k beater

http://wheeling.craigslist.org/cto/5063252760.html

 

 

 

Couldn't make a list without throwing an old squarebody on it.

 

85' chevy

http://wheeling.craigslist.org/cto/5055676444.html

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As long as you have AAA this plan should go off without a hitch.

 

Get another membership in the wifes name, and one for each of the kids, then you can just get towed all the way down. :)

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Rebuilt title, body damage and 12 million miles (that's what is listed in the ad, to the right).

 

yea I saw the rebuilt title, body damage and the 122k miles. not the 12mil miss type to the right. buy it for 1200-1500 and take a risk. or don't :marc:

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Do you?

 

I don't mean to be a dick about it saying it that way but let's be realistic here - a $2000 car now is basically the equivalent of a $500 college beater in the 1990's. It's the shitty, old, high mileage, oddball car territory. I hate to say it but you may be looking in the word of mouth territory where someone has a $3K-$4K car that they cut you a friend price of $2K on.

 

So let's talk about the real parameters for what you need from this $2000 hooptie. It needs to make basically a 1000 mile drive - the sitting around not running it will do after that is inconsequential because that all depends on your prep. But you are traveling with two young children and a wife, whom I am guessing is probably not as up for the type of comedic car adventure that comes from walking 6 miles down a highway. So, off the top of my head here is what you need this car to be/have/do:

 

- have working AC

- new tires

- no suspension issues

- be in excellent mechanical shape (no slipping trannys)

- Working brakes that are recently serviced

- be easy to locate parts for and fix cheaply

- be easy enough to fix roadside in case something happens

- have a spare

- be reliable

- be comfortable

- be clean

 

to that end I am going to again suggest the RWD Caprice, Roadmaster, and Fleetwoods from the 1990s because they are about the only thing in the price range that has the potential to satisfy most of your list. 1000 miles in a cheap honda civic/camry/corolla is going to be 1000 miles too far in a compact car with screaming kids.

 

Anything german isn't going to cut it mostly because a) german cars aren't cheap to fix unless you go back to early 1990s, b) they aren't as reliable as you think any more and most have a lot of deferred maintenance. I know your wife is probably not on-board for these kind of shenanigans where you are driving the automotive equivalent of a beluga whale to FLA, but you either need to figure out how to get her on board, increase the budget, or give up. Just harsh reality man.

 

You do realize that the VW you are trying to replace with a $2000 car is itself a $2000 car on CL, right? I mean that Irony isn't lost here.

 

I'm all for helping you any way I can, including going to whatever meth farm you have to travel to go look at a car so don't take anything I have said here as a negative. I just think your only shot is thinking outside the box of vw/honda/toyota and to really grab something odd and fun.

 

Just saying, Naples is more like 2000 miles...

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