what a bad end of the year

[freeride53]

yeah.
thanks for all the good words guys.
i have some money i've been building up for years in the bank, with bits from my salaries from the jobs i've had.
i want to be able to buy a car, and still have money left over in the bank.
my limit is $3-5k. I want to find a nice plastic bumper 5-spd IS and I plan on keeping it for a *long* time.
i still have another account for my college savings, this is just my emergency expenses account.

[newman]

Stop buying old "cool" cars

Buy a stock late 90s early 2000's civic and just drive it.

[Massive Lee]

Now I get it why you had a Peugeot: "Persian Mafia". The Peugeot is (was) indeed the usual Mid-Eastern do-it-all car. Great in countries where there's the know-how, but a hopeless situation in North America. Good luck with your e30 project. Surely a better alternative than the Pug.

Lee

[madformx5]

If you know how or are willing and have time to learn an e30 is a good car but no car that is twenty years old is going to be maintainence free whether is a Peugot or not. Paying someone to work on a twenty year old European car isn't cheap. Hell paying someone to work on any car isn't cheap so I stopped paying people years ago because I am cheap. Good luck with your search for an e30 or whatever you buy. I hear the Bay Area is a target rich enviroment of e30 though so you should be able to find something decent.

[iamsam]

get a 1991 318is. Good gas mileage, and reliable. I don't understand all this hype about how reliable hondas are, sure they are, but no more reliable than an E30.... at least in my experience.

And if you are still living with your parents, you have no worries compared to what you will have if you move out/get married etc

[newman]

I don't understand all this hype about how reliable hondas are, sure they are, but no more reliable than an E30....

It's just the fact of a 20 year old car vs a 10 year old car. Mileage aside, automotive technology has advanced greatly in 10 years, as well as availability of replacement parts.

There are much more locally stocked parts for a 10 year old civic than an e30.

[iamsam]

There are much more locally stocked parts for a 10 year old civic than an e30.

this is true. Try finding a BMW alternator at any AutoZone, for example. AutoZone probably sells entire Honda Civic transmissions, on the other hand.

But, whats wrong with pelicanparts.com or bavauto.com? they have every part you need, not to mention the rest of the plethora of aftermarket BMW parts websites.

[theox69]

But, whats wrong with pelicanparts.com or bavauto.com? they have every part you need, not to mention the rest of the plethora of aftermarket BMW parts websites.

They may have every part, but for a HS kid on a budget, it may not be the best idea...

[iamsam]

They may have every part, but for a HS kid on a budget, it may not be the best idea...

true. In the most general sense, to save money and live on as little as possible, buy an early 90's civic with the 1.5 liter motor. My friend still has his that he bought over 4 years ago for $250 and it consistently gets 45mpg on the highway, and the only thing he has ever bought for it was gas and occasionally oil.

[StereoInstaller1]

5 speed ETA sedan for the high school win.

[Streichholzschächtelchen]

5 speed ETA sedan for the high school win.

truth, and if anything goes bad, pick n pulls are all over the bay and full of e30s.

[snitzer]

if you try to go buyin peugeot parts it's going to get pricey .... most of the consumables are not french ... you'll find mostley german parts on it ... the radiator can be replaced with a small block chevy radiator for about 1/4 of the price... more than one way to skin a cat on the pigs ...

[freeride53]

thanks for the kind words guys.

i know how to do most things on my car, cept' tranny.

and here's an update guys.

even more bad news.
borrowed my parents' volvo cross country today to go pick up my sis from the oakland hills. the transmission failed on top of grizzly peak.
here's what happened:

http://www.volvoxc.com/forums/showthread.php?p=99266#post99266

but it's cool.
pops ain't trippin. various mechanics/techs have warned him that its gonna go, for the past year or two. well, it finally happened!

[payney8]

thats 2 everything bad happens in 3's