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Rikadyn
July 15th, 2020, 03:11 AM
1) looking for advice on a commuter car, looking for something around 5k. Want something that is just general maintenance and easy to take care of, but still not boring. Considering a interceptor crown vic, or Volvo v70 if I can find either around the price but would like some other opinions.

2) Remember that I bought a 240sx when I was in high school? Well I did, still do in fact. It just hasn't run in 15yrs. Stopped running because of the starter dying and I didn't have the time or money at that time. Replaced it couple years later but other things got in the way.

Kinda want to know how hard it would be to get running. Also any idea on the cost. I should start by turning it over but even then not sure if I should bump it on the starter or by hand(which requires pulling the fan) , also whether I should change the fluids before hand.

speedpimp
July 15th, 2020, 03:51 AM
Ex-MSP Charger.

Rikadyn
July 15th, 2020, 04:54 AM
https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/l-Used-Volvo-V70-d518#listing=273076279

Yw-slayer
July 15th, 2020, 06:54 AM
Get wasted?

Rikadyn
July 15th, 2020, 07:09 AM
Get wasted?

I tend to not drink these days (doesn't play well with depression) smoke a lot of weed tho....

Yw-slayer
July 15th, 2020, 09:38 AM
That makes sense.

George
July 15th, 2020, 10:25 AM
Honda Civic or Accord
Toyota Corolla or Camry

Reliability and longevity > fun to drive.

FaultyMario
July 15th, 2020, 10:31 AM
How much are those silly Accord neowagons going for?

George
July 15th, 2020, 10:41 AM
I don't know what a neowagon is, but I just went to the Denver craigslist, set $5000 as the maximum price, and Accord as the Make/Model. Here's the second one on the list that came up.

Honda Accord 2003 - 120K miles - $3000 (https://denver.craigslist.org/cto/d/denver-honda-accord-2003/7159573675.html)

"All maintenance records available.
Car was well maintained and garaged.
I took care of all Honda recalls.
Tune- up at 100K.
This model has a timing chain (and not a timing belt.)
New battery bought in April 2020
Good tires under Discount Tire Warranty"

https://images.craigslist.org/00U0U_boMM7qny7hl_0qk0jK_600x450.jpg

Putting my money where my mouth is:

I bought a 1999 4-cylinder automatic Accord in 2007 with 139K miles.
I traded it in on a newer used Honda in 2019. By then it had 254K miles.
I changed the timing belt and did other routine maintenance items but it never broke down, never left me stranded, and could get up and over the Rocky Mountains...if slowly at times later in its life.

Boring? Oh my gosh, yes! And mine was Power Beige like the one above. None more boring!

But, when shopping for a $5K car (and I was when I bought mine), buy quality, not excitement.

Rikadyn
July 15th, 2020, 12:06 PM
Well the reason I am looking at a vic is the 4.6 v8 is a workhorse engine and I have been driving a 95 town car for the last few years and it's pretty much the same car

(25yrs old 110k,runs good but 25yrs of Michigan salt does a number)

George
July 15th, 2020, 01:58 PM
I don't think I knew where you live, Rikadyn. I'd probably drive a Ford or similar if I lived in Michigan. I drove to Detroit (Warren) for a long weekend once from North Carolina with a friend in his GMC pickup and was amazed but not surprised at how few foreign cars I saw there. I remember passing a parking lot outside of some business in Ohio that had a sign that said Parking For American Cars Only or something similar. If I saw one, there were probably many more. Don't think I'd want to chance parking a Japanese car outside a union shop for very long.

Good luck in your search.

Rikadyn
July 16th, 2020, 07:49 AM
I'm on the west side of Michigan, also like I would care about people hating on a foreign car, the second half of my question was about my 240sx :p

FaultyMario
July 16th, 2020, 07:51 AM
Hey George:

"Silly neowagon" (https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/amv-prod-cad-assets/images/09q4/300860/2010-honda-accord-crosstour-4wd-instrumented-test-car-and-driver-photo-306158-s-original.jpg?fill=2:1&resize=768:*)

George
July 16th, 2020, 09:15 AM
"Silly neowagon" (https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/amv-prod-cad-assets/images/09q4/300860/2010-honda-accord-crosstour-4wd-instrumented-test-car-and-driver-photo-306158-s-original.jpg?fill=2:1&resize=768:*)

Oh, yeah, those! I completely forgot about the Crosstour. I actually considered those while websurfing when I was shopping for a replacement for my old Accord but decided they weren't large enough to be a Family Truckster and all around Manly-Man Machine.

I read they were fairly speedy too, with the same V6 that powers the Pilot and Ridgeline but a lot less weight...or at least they're supposed to be faster than a Toyota Venza. That could come in handy during the Saturday night street races with the other Dads here in Stepford.

neanderthal
July 16th, 2020, 10:11 AM
You pay a premium for Honda and Toyota, deservedly so. Their cars are known to keep going.

But its 2020. There are lots of cars that are well made and reliable. Hyundais. Kias. Malibus and Fusions. The Charger that was mentioned. (My God do I love that Pentastar/ ZF 8 speed combo. :up: )

Personally i'm looking at/ for a VW Passat, about 5 -7 years old for about $5000. I found a couple, even put a deposit down on one, but decided I didn't want to deal with the exhaust (it sounded awful, and had a hodgepodge Pep Boys boy racer exhaust.)

neanderthal
July 16th, 2020, 10:13 AM
As regards question 2.

Shouldn't be that hard to get the 240SX going. They're from the era of overbuilt Japanese cars.

Yw-slayer
July 16th, 2020, 05:00 PM
I think he was talking about the Accord Crosstour. I think it was only sold for a few years.

Rikadyn
July 18th, 2020, 06:22 AM
3569

neanderthal
July 19th, 2020, 06:28 PM
OK. Might want to write off the "revive the 240SX" ideas...

Phil_SS
July 20th, 2020, 06:43 AM
First things first. I would try to turn over the engine by hand. If it won't rotate, then just leave it there.

If the engine does turn over by hand. You at least know the engine isn't locked and you should be able to get it running. That being said, sitting for 15 years, you are going to have to do a shit ton of work to make it safe to drive. That's if the frame isn't rotted to hell having sat in a yard for 15 years.

Rikadyn
July 20th, 2020, 07:11 AM
Hasn't been outside the whole time. A lot of it was garaged, but the frame is fairly rust free.

Honestly, if it was running and had working brakes and everything else was the same, it would probably be safer than my Lincoln

Rikadyn
July 21st, 2020, 12:07 PM
https://m.imgur.com/a/YyLta5D

George
July 22nd, 2020, 04:49 PM
Whoa! That looks like something from an Indiana Jones movie. :)

Rikadyn
July 22nd, 2020, 04:52 PM
3573