coolest 'beater' car?
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coolest 'beater' car?
right now i'm finding myself in sort of an awkward position. i wasn't necessarily planning on selling my e36 m3, but apparently it's been generating some interest of late and i have someone right now who is very interested, and i may find myself looking for another car here very soon. problem is, i'm not really sure what i want right now, as my situation is sort of unique.
i'm just about to get out of the navy. while this may be scary to some, it's actually a boon for me, as the field i work in (information security) is pretty lucrative right now. so i'm looking at a significant pay increase within the next couple months (late june/july). so if i sell my m3 within the next week or so, i have two options, as i see it.
i could buy a cheap beater car to get me from point a to point b for a few months, so i can get something nice later down the road when my money's right. this is where i'm looking for some insight from the vast experience of vadriven, as i have no clue what i would want, or what i could even get for around $4-5k.
or i could spend a little more, say $8-10k, and get something that i could take a little pride in, that i could daily for the time being with the potential i could keep and make it into a track/weekend fun car later down the road. i'm kind of leaning this direction, as i may have found a potential candidate car i've kind of set my sights on right now. it's an s14, i've always had a spot in my heart for 240s.
eventually, my plan was after i had been working for a while and prioritized my finances and determined i was in a good enough position i was planning on buying either an e46 m3 or possibly a new evo x. there were some other possibilities i was kicking around, but now i'm just entertaining some ideas.
i'm just about to get out of the navy. while this may be scary to some, it's actually a boon for me, as the field i work in (information security) is pretty lucrative right now. so i'm looking at a significant pay increase within the next couple months (late june/july). so if i sell my m3 within the next week or so, i have two options, as i see it.
i could buy a cheap beater car to get me from point a to point b for a few months, so i can get something nice later down the road when my money's right. this is where i'm looking for some insight from the vast experience of vadriven, as i have no clue what i would want, or what i could even get for around $4-5k.
or i could spend a little more, say $8-10k, and get something that i could take a little pride in, that i could daily for the time being with the potential i could keep and make it into a track/weekend fun car later down the road. i'm kind of leaning this direction, as i may have found a potential candidate car i've kind of set my sights on right now. it's an s14, i've always had a spot in my heart for 240s.
eventually, my plan was after i had been working for a while and prioritized my finances and determined i was in a good enough position i was planning on buying either an e46 m3 or possibly a new evo x. there were some other possibilities i was kicking around, but now i'm just entertaining some ideas.
Last edited by blackout; 04-04-2009 at 03:17 AM.
#6
Re: coolest 'beater' car?
Jeep Cherokee-you can find a good one easily for five thousand or less, it can carry all your crap, doesn't break down often (and when it does parts are cheap), and shortly there after you will have enough for a fun car in addition.
On another note I got a fat raise when I got out (about twenty thousand dollars), I thought I was gonna have so much more money, man was I disappointed when I was taxed pretty much my whole raise lol.
On another note I got a fat raise when I got out (about twenty thousand dollars), I thought I was gonna have so much more money, man was I disappointed when I was taxed pretty much my whole raise lol.
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Re: coolest 'beater' car?
for the $4k-5k range you could find a decent mid 90's E36 BMW (non M3 mind you)
you'd then get used to some of the BMW eccentricities in the way they do things
and since alot caries over from generation to generation you'd have a better understanding of the M3 when you got it
also if join the BMWCCA you get the awesome Roundel magazine and discounts on OEM parts
you'd then get used to some of the BMW eccentricities in the way they do things
and since alot caries over from generation to generation you'd have a better understanding of the M3 when you got it
also if join the BMWCCA you get the awesome Roundel magazine and discounts on OEM parts
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Re: coolest 'beater' car?
if i spent 8k it wouldn't be on a beater. i was thinking 4-5k.
and looking at some of the 240s on the market, 2-3k will get you an absolute piece of shit that's virtually unsalvageable and most likely doesn't run and/or won't come close to passing state inspection.
there's a few decent integras out there in the 4-5k range...
edit- and yeah, i was pretty disappointed when i found out that the ginormous raise i was expecting was literally cut in half by taxes. but i'll still be making nearly 1/3 more than what i'm making now, which is basically the equivalent of getting an extra paycheck. still not going to get carried away though.
and looking at some of the 240s on the market, 2-3k will get you an absolute piece of shit that's virtually unsalvageable and most likely doesn't run and/or won't come close to passing state inspection.
there's a few decent integras out there in the 4-5k range...
edit- and yeah, i was pretty disappointed when i found out that the ginormous raise i was expecting was literally cut in half by taxes. but i'll still be making nearly 1/3 more than what i'm making now, which is basically the equivalent of getting an extra paycheck. still not going to get carried away though.