Time to Buy...

[imnotmikal]

So, a lot of you know the Silverado I posted up a while back, right?
(Right here, for a refresher)

Well, as it seems, Dad will probably have to sell his '03 Silverado, and start driving this one back and forth to work.
This ones paid off, the '03 isn't. So it kind of makes sense. And sentimental value. It was the first truck he had ever bought, brand new off the lot.

Anyway, as that is, I will need to buy a car.
I would buy one anyway, but I was hoping it would be after I had been driving the Silverado for a while to work, and made some money.

So, I'm going to have to some "credit" work with mom and dad.
They buy the car, I pay back with some interest.

Anyway, I've been on Craigslist just looking around, and picked these 3:

1997 Ford Taurus
1997 Honda Civic EX
1998 Honda Civic EX

Now, I can't decide between them.
Can anyone tell me a round/about MPG for them at the stated conditions?


And if you can suggest anything else for be thats better, for less or close to the same amount of money, please tell.
No manuals.



Also, just so you know.
I won't be driving (on my own) until around next January (**** laws requiring me to drive 45 hours before license, and other misc crap), but I would like to have the car as soon as I can to get used to driving it, and start putting together a sound system.

Thanks.

[bondo]

first cars are exciting as all hell but don't rush into the first car you can afford. espescially if you have time to buy.
take it from me,when i bought my Z28, i jumped at it because it was the first third gen i had seen since i moved down here(i always wanted me one that was long and black-Johnny Cash) and i paid $800 cash.
when i took it home i had more parts in the car then on the car and would'nt ya know it,two months later a nice and shiny(complete car) RS goes up for sale for $1000 literally a block away from my house.
i can think of atleast 6 times off the top of my head that this has happened to me.
i buy a car thinking it's what i want and that i'm getting a good deal,wich in most cases,i am but then a few months later i find something WAAAY better for an even better deal.

anyways, the point i'm trying to get at is don't just limit yourself to craigslist or the like and jump at the first reasonably priced auto you find.
your ABSOLUTE BEST BET is your local classifieds.
watch em for the next couple of weeks and you'll see what i mean.

if you're interested in a car then take it for a test drive it(have dad do it,mom will buy it for all the wrong reasons) and check EVERYTHING!
make a mental checklist of all that's missing or doesn't look right.
if the brake fluid is black and the "anti-freeze" is orange and the car is only 10 years old then there's a good chance that minor maitnence has been overlooked regardless of supplied paperwork.
they may have reciepts for brakework/hardware and a new thermostat but that does'nt mean that they fixed the problem.
if i'm looking at a car and the owner hands me a stack of service reciepts,that's usually where i start my inspection and work back from there.
50% of the time, if something breaks on a car then there is a contributing factor.
if a catalytic converter goes bad and needs to be replaced then you know for sure that there is something wrong with either the air,fuel or spark(combo) since a catalytic converter will outlast the predetermined mileage specs on ANY auto in production to date.

check the tire wear.
bald is ok if your willing to buy tires and the wear is even but if the wear is uneven or lopsided then don't be afraid to ask why.

little things like this(i'm sure others could add more*cough,tex*cough chux) could turn a 3k cruiser into a 6k project.


also,"credit" from your parents can EASILY go south so try to show a little good faith by picking up some job applications before it's time to ante up on the chosen auto.........maybe even fill a couple out and leave em on the kitchen counter long enough for them to see em.
it may help to "butter the bread" so to speak and just might take you from stock sounds to a nice (slightly used) JVC head unit...
also,if you have a job before purchase and can show you could make the payments then you might even be able to convince the 'rents to use that 2-3k as a down payment and get an even nicer auto.

forewarning,
i can almost garuntee that at some point your 'rents will use your new favorite possesion as leverage as long as you are still in debt.
all i can say is take it with a grain.......let em have their trip and keep your cool.
the better this deal turns out then the more likely they will be to co-sign when the time comes to buy your own auto and establish a line of credit.
let me tell ya,without a line of credit or a fat bank,you won't have anything nice.
it'll be all 19" tv's on milk crates numbing your mind from reality with final fantasy8 on playstation 1 thinking how good the graphics are compared to splatterhouse on your sega genesis.....

[Action B]

I looked at 6 DSMs before I bought the one I have now. If you don't know enough about cars pay a mechanic to check it over for you. Its worth it in the long run.

[Skv012a]

Also get yourself an RWD if you plan on doing anything besides daily driving. This is killing me because there's no way my Camry would die anytime soon and thus i'm stuck with the boring POS for quite a few years down the road.

I'll also defenetly second "not 100% running, not worth it" because you may end up paying 2x what you buy it for to get it all fixed up. Mechanics charge alot for the smallest things.

[123Vette]

the taurus be warned so many of those cars the suspension bassically gives out and it sags. my freind has one with that problem, its got 230,000 miles on it tho.....plans to drive it from massachsetts to washington state....

but id look into maybe a 200ish impala those are pretty nice and i like them...not incredable bad on gas and got some go...

[imnotmikal]

I guess I'm not really looking for an actual car right now.
I'm just looking for a good car to get when I first start driving, so I can get a general idea for how much to save up.

I won't get my actually license until January, so I don't really need to decide on a car, just a general idea of how much to save.

[xmods1993]

well if you live near King William there is a blue 1970's Mustang for sale. I don't know how much he wants for it but it is for sale.

[spitfire]

Originally Posted by 123Vette

the taurus be warned so many of those cars the suspension bassically gives out and it sags. my freind has one with that problem, its got 230,000 miles on it tho.....plans to drive it from massachsetts to washington state....

but id look into maybe a 200ish impala those are pretty nice and i like them...not incredable bad on gas and got some go...

That and the head gaskets go out quick. My grandmother had one with only 60,000 miles on it and it went out. the mechanic said the car isnt worth fixing. The machanic also has three tauruss in the back as parts cars all with the same problem.

[texan_idiot25]

Civic = Boring, repulsive, slow, every day, ricer jokes, reliable, won't fail you (on average), efficient, good start, boring, cheap, boring, don't get a stick as it's like shifting in peanut butter.

Taurus = Fires, failures, and poor build quality. Their known to rust prematurely around the motor (as in, the only thing left is the engine), which tends to be reliable. The transmission, on the other hand, typical ford crap. BUT! If you can find a sucker that can't get his to start, settle on a price, rip the carpet off the driver's side of the trunk and try the reset switch for the fuel cut-off, and walk away with a dirt cheap car that the owner thought was a goner. Most don't know about those kinetic switches.

Save up 3 - 4 grand if you can. Will get you into a lot of decent cars, new and old. Just gotta shop around and not jump on something just yet.