Help me pick a cheap Daily Driver!, Subaru Impreza 2dr Coupe 98 Options

[jcbass7]

Ok so the celica is off the road with some big plans for the future. Meanwhile, i am at school in CT and live in MA. Basically i am looking for a cheap DD that i can make into a proect car in the future... but with about 2k maybe 3k to spend i can't find much..

I'm interested mainly in toyota and nissan..

Toyota
celica
mr2

Nissan
240sx

My sister might sell me her mid 90's subaru impreza 2dr or whatever it is.. for 2k, but not sure..

what i really want is a cheap mr2, but for my budget it would be an old one most likely if i can even find a decent one at all..

i wouldn't mind an older celica, like a fastback etc. could be fun

again i also wouldn't mind an s13 or s14, but s14 is most likely out of the budget range..

what i really need is something that runs reliable and passes inspection, the rest doesn't matter at this point..

any ideas?

EDIT:
i don't want to travel far to get it either.

This post has been edited by jcbass7: Mar 4, 2008 - 7:01 AM

[D-Man]

PERSONALLY (and this is ME) but i'd use the money to work on the Celica, Do your research first, know what your doing before you do it, and it wont be off the road for long.

You can surf stickys and other members projects to find out what needs to be done; project wise. (We all share our misteaks so that others dont make them!! )

EDIT: otherwise, surf craigslist.com and your local greensheet...

This post has been edited by D-Man: Feb 18, 2008 - 8:06 PM

[jcbass7]

PERSONALLY (and this is ME) but i'd use the money to work on the Celica, Do your research first, know what your doing before you do it, and it wont be off the road for long.

You can surf stickys and other members projects to find out what needs to be done; project wise. (We all share our misteaks so that others dont make them!! )

EDIT: otherwise, surf craigslist.com and your local greensheet...

Thanks for the advice, but trust me it will be off the road for a while and i have done my research, and need a lot more than 2k to get her on the road how i want her to be.

My progress thread touches a bit into the future of my celi. big plans, lots of work, moeny and time. in the mean time i want something reliable to play around with.


http://www.6gc.net/forums/index.php?showto...hl=car+progress

thats my progress thread. right now the engine is out and half of it is sold. my situation is intersting.. i'm too lazy to get into details.. but basically 30k to play with in 2010.. and ill put some of that into the celi, send the engine out to MCS possibly try AWD, get it painted, tuck the whole engine bay etc. etc.

until then, i need something to drive a few times a month when i can leave the academy


I'm really leaning towards an first gen MR2 to play around with.

This post has been edited by jcbass7: Feb 18, 2008 - 9:14 PM

[jcaron9gt4]

want another celica to play with? andddd its already boosted

[jcbass7]

want another celica to play with? andddd its already boosted

your selling your car?

I'm not incredibly interested in another 6th gen but its a possibility.

[jcaron9gt4]

im just in a weird situation with school that might put me off the road untill 2010, and i dont want my car sitting for that long

[D-Man]

Well then, looks like your doing well!!

I'll sell my celica, for as many miles as left on the engine bout $200-$300,000

Plus; i got a project thread too!!:

http://www.6gc.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=55992&hl=

This post has been edited by D-Man: Feb 18, 2008 - 10:25 PM

[jcbass7]

im just in a weird situation with school that might put me off the road untill 2010, and i dont want my car sitting for that long

where do you go to school? I'm originally from gloucester, ma but im stuck down here in CT now..


the more i think about it the more i want to stay in the toyota world...

maybe ST165 or and MR2.. might need to save more though.. if i want something reliable.

[bccentaur3]

I'll make it easy for you.. MR2

[jcaron9gt4]

i go to Wentworth up in Boston, but I have co-op every summer from here on out and i'll be staying up here

[jcbass7]

i go to Wentworth up in Boston, but I have co-op every summer from here on out and i'll be staying up here

sounds like me, i go underway on a ship all summer.. no celica until 2010.

[jcaron9gt4]

yea it sucks not having a car, but walking around isnt so bad lol

[Hanyo]

ae86

cheap and fun.

[DEATH]

IMO - A 5S Camry makes the ideal beater for us Swapped GT guys. All your left over stuff works towards keeping the DD running and we know the tech - it's simple and argueably the most reliable platform Toyota ever made.
I'm looking for a '99-01ish black Camry with 5S [ideally - or 1MZ-fe as I've already owned one and are ultra reliable as well]. I'm not sure what year but I would prefer the one with the straight tail lights as opposed to the one with the slightly hatchet cut tails [obviously that wouldn't kill a good deal]. The stock sport appearance package on a black Camry would be all I ever wanted looks wise out of a beater.
just my .02 - the reliabilty/interchangeability of parts is what really drives my interest in these.

IMO2:
MKI MR2 - very reliable if you find a good one, not the best DD because of the cargo/passenger space. Would be great if the above is no issue.
ST-165 - Money pit - beware this for DD

This post has been edited by DEATH: Feb 19, 2008 - 7:33 AM

[jcbass7]

IMO - A 5S Camry makes the ideal beater for us Swapped GT guys. All your left over stuff works towards keeping the DD running and we know the tech - it's simple and argueably the most reliable platform Toyota ever made.
I'm looking for a '99-01ish black Camry with 5S [ideally - or 1MZ-fe as I've already owned one and are ultra reliable as well]. I'm not sure what year but I would prefer the one with the straight tail lights as opposed to the one with the slightly hatchet cut tails [obviously that wouldn't kill a good deal]. The stock sport appearance package on a black Camry would be all I ever wanted looks wise out of a beater.
just my .02 - the reliabilty/interchangeability of parts is what really drives my interest in these.

IMO2:
MKI MR2 - very reliable if you find a good one, not the best DD because of the cargo/passenger space. Would be great if the above is no issue.
ST-165 - Money pit - beware this for DD

good advice, my main point is the need for something that i will want to play around with after the celica is done. Basically something i will keep long term and mod down the road, but keep as a DD for now.

The more i think about it the more i want an MK1 or MK2.. i really don't mind which, i figure they both will be fun

passenger/trunk space is not an issue.

[Vissi]

mk2 if u wanna do a swap eventually, or mk1 for some cheap fun. I drive a 3sgte mk2 and love the crap outa this thing . Its my dd, even though many people advise against mr2 dd.


edit: ats does swaps for a good price if ur looking at doing that, its like 4k for the engine, labor

This post has been edited by Vissi: Feb 19, 2008 - 11:29 AM

[jcbass7]

mk2 if u wanna do a swap eventually, or mk1 for some cheap fun. I drive a 3sgte mk2 and love the crap outa this thing . Its my dd, even though many people advise against mr2 dd.


edit: ats does swaps for a good price if ur looking at doing that, its like 4k for the engine, labor

I'll do my own swap, its more fun that way. besides that would be far off in the future, the celi needs to get done first.

so right now im looking into mk1 and mk2 mr2's as well as s13 and s14's

[jcbass7]

I've come to my conclusion. I'm sticking with toyota FTW. I'm going to save more and try to get (hopefully by May) a..

MkII MR2
or
MKIII Supra

[99Celica]

personally, I would get something more reliable like a early 90's late 80's celica, corolla, or camry. There is a risk that an mr2 or a supra could turn into a money pit with problems, I think one of these would be safer. When you decide you're ready to start upgrading a new car (i.e. mr2 or supra), just sell the beater and go back on the market again. Good luck and happy hunting either way

[Random_Stranger]

personally, I would get something more reliable like a early 90's late 80's celica, corolla, or camry. There is a risk that an mr2 or a supra could turn into a money pit with problems, I think one of these would be safer. When you decide you're ready to start upgrading a new car (i.e. mr2 or supra), just sell the beater and go back on the market again. Good luck and happy hunting either way

240SX!!!!!!! I miss mine..

[jcbass7]

personally, I would get something more reliable like a early 90's late 80's celica, corolla, or camry. There is a risk that an mr2 or a supra could turn into a money pit with problems, I think one of these would be safer. When you decide you're ready to start upgrading a new car (i.e. mr2 or supra), just sell the beater and go back on the market again. Good luck and happy hunting either way

I'm buying a car that i will drive maybe once a month for the next two years and then daily for about a year, (i guess thats what i mean when i say DD). I only want a car that i will want to mod after the celi is done, (approx 2011).

I also consider myself fairly mechanically savy. (enough to save my @$$) So i'm willing to take on the risk of something not as "reliable"

I feel like buying a car and then selling it only to buy the car i wanted in the first place is working backwards... I figure i'll buy a car that I've always been interested in having and know that I plan to keep it for an extended period of time.. This way even if i have to throw some money at it, its something i plan on hanging onto, so its not a big problem.

This post has been edited by jcbass7: Feb 28, 2008 - 10:46 PM

[bccentaur3]

personally, I would get something more reliable like a early 90's late 80's celica, corolla, or camry. There is a risk that an mr2 or a supra could turn into a money pit with problems, I think one of these would be safer. When you decide you're ready to start upgrading a new car (i.e. mr2 or supra), just sell the beater and go back on the market again. Good luck and happy hunting either way

I'm buying a car that i will drive maybe once a month for the next two years and then daily for about a year, (i guess thats what i mean when i say DD). I only want a car that i will want to mod after the celi is done, (approx 2011).

I also consider myself fairly mechanically savy. (enough to save my @$$) So i'm willing to take on the risk of something not as "reliable"

I feel like buying a car and then selling it only to buy the car i wanted in the first place is working backwards... I figure i'll buy a car that I've always been interested in having and know that plan to keep it for an extended period of time.. This way even if i have to throw some money at it its something i plan on hanging onto so its not a big problem.

Thats well put there. I didn't even know the MK3 supra was one of your choice. I'd rather pic the supra over the mr2 any day to be honest.

[jcbass7]

PS: It really isn't a problem if i have down time with this car either since its not crucial that i use it.. As in i don't need it to get to work etc. It really only would be used to get me from CT to MA maybe once a month. Although if i get something before summer its going to be going with me when i get stationed in Jonesport Maine for 6 weeks..

Wanna talk about far north.... its about 15 miles from Canada haha

personally, I would get something more reliable like a early 90's late 80's celica, corolla, or camry. There is a risk that an mr2 or a supra could turn into a money pit with problems, I think one of these would be safer. When you decide you're ready to start upgrading a new car (i.e. mr2 or supra), just sell the beater and go back on the market again. Good luck and happy hunting either way

I'm buying a car that i will drive maybe once a month for the next two years and then daily for about a year, (i guess thats what i mean when i say DD). I only want a car that i will want to mod after the celi is done, (approx 2011).

I also consider myself fairly mechanically savy. (enough to save my @$$) So i'm willing to take on the risk of something not as "reliable"

I feel like buying a car and then selling it only to buy the car i wanted in the first place is working backwards... I figure i'll buy a car that I've always been interested in having and know that plan to keep it for an extended period of time.. This way even if i have to throw some money at it its something i plan on hanging onto so its not a big problem.

Thats well put there. I didn't even know the MK3 supra was one of your choice. I'd rather pic the supra over the mr2 any day to be honest.

I've been all over the place, there are plenty of early 90's cars that i would love to own. The more i think about it though i like toyota and could easily see myself with another one. That being said, a supra has a bit more space than an MR2. I love the idea of mid engine though..

[jcbass7]

So this is just me being all over the place a little bit more..

I could to get me through the summer... buy a used 5sfe, throw it into the celi and drive it like that for now...

(the 3s is all torn down and waiting for big funds to rebuild it right and strong etc.)

[Havok1997GT]

just my 2 cents

your talking about getting 2 very high maintenance cars. and with your price range i wouldnt think youd get one with very low milage or one that hasnt had the hell run out of it. your really dont buy a car like those to just drive around as a daily, you buy them to drive around and put work into to keep them runing and fix them up as you go, and so on. i understand that you want to use it as a DD now and later Sup it up, but your also trying to save up for you Celi right? if you spend all your money on the MR2 or the Supra then youll never get very fare with your Celi. i think what DEATH said would be your best bet. again, just my 2 cents

[Random_Stranger]

If you do get the 240sx.... You know you could put a corvette engine in there...

[Defgeph]

Buy a 92-95 Civic. Cheap, reliable, and cheap.

[_mikeE]

Im planning to sell my '97 Civic hatch (shortshifted and aftermarket Alpine door speakers) but too bad you're too far away from me, if anyone else interested, just pm me. Lettin it go for $1700.

But to what Random_Stranger said, haha yeah i saw the youtube vid of the guy with the corvette engine in his 240. LMAO I've a friend who dropped a 3.8L motor in his sunfire, i'm like WHAAA?!

[jcbass7]

just my 2 cents

your talking about getting 2 very high maintenance cars. and with your price range i wouldnt think youd get one with very low milage or one that hasnt had the hell run out of it. your really dont buy a car like those to just drive around as a daily, you buy them to drive around and put work into to keep them runing and fix them up as you go, and so on. i understand that you want to use it as a DD now and later Sup it up, but your also trying to save up for you Celi right? if you spend all your money on the MR2 or the Supra then youll never get very fare with your Celi. i think what DEATH said would be your best bet. again, just my 2 cents

Yes everythign you are saying makes sense. But in my situation the cicumstances are different. DD for me means this car will be dirven ONCE A MONTH. And again it is not crucial for me to drive it, so if its down, or out of commission its not going to be a problem.

About money. I have it all under control and figured out. I will have plenty for the celi. We get 30k loans with <1% interest that are automatically taken out of our pay for the first 5 years of service. We get these loans as juniors so thats.. 2010.

EDIT: I'm also way to stubborn. and honestly i don't need a car until 2010ish but it would be nice to have one to drive when i am home in the summers etc.

I have already dealt with my fair share of unreliablity (see my progress thread) and it has only taught me more about my car etc.

If you do get the 240sx.... You know you could put a corvette engine in there...

I would just buy a corvette if i wanted to have that engine. but i do love 240's

Buy a 92-95 Civic. Cheap, reliable, and cheap.

I don't think i can bring myself to do that... i'll just buy my sisters 93 nissan altima if i were going to do something like that

This post has been edited by jcbass7: Feb 29, 2008 - 7:49 AM

[ILuvMyCelica95]

If you buy a civic i'll beat you

[celicaboston1983]

too bad i didnt see this sooner I just gave away my 90 celica gt it still ran and stuff but it needed work.

[jgreening]

If cargo space is not an issue, I would say N/A MKII MR2. They are very reliable and you can get nice looking ones for about 3k if you look hard. Plus they are one of the most beautiful cars ever designed.

If cargo space is an issue, I say get a CRX. You can definitely fine those for cheap and they have more cargo space than most 4 doors. I had one when I was in college and it was perfect. There is nothing more reliable than a civic (which a CRX is) but it is more unique and looks better.

[jcbass7]

If cargo space is not an issue, I would say N/A MKII MR2. They are very reliable and you can get nice looking ones for about 3k if you look hard. Plus they are one of the most beautiful cars ever designed.

If cargo space is an issue, I say get a CRX. You can definitely fine those for cheap and they have more cargo space than most 4 doors. I had one when I was in college and it was perfect. There is nothing more reliable than a civic (which a CRX is) but it is more unique and looks better.

Some good words, what i fortgot to mention above^ was that if i bought either an old supra or MR2 i would be getting an N/A one. That way i don't have to worry about reliablity issues with a turb set-up and i can always swap later if desired...


After thinking some.. here is a new twist that i thought i need to throw out there.. i live in New England... and if i do a lot of work to the celi.. I am not going to want to drive it in the snow/winter at all...

I know i'll be "ok" with one of the other cars i was talking about but should i think more practical and go for something like an early 90's jeep wrangler as a winter car? i could drive it how i intend now, and then use it as a winter car/beater when the celi is back..

EDIT: part of my motivation is, for the time being, i want something that is nice and open in the summer.. targa top, t-tops, jeep with no doors etc.

ideas, thoughts?



This post has been edited by jcbass7: Mar 2, 2008 - 10:53 AM

[jcbass7]

UPDATED:

So my step sister just told me she is going to be selling her Scoobie in the next month or two.

Subaru Impreza, Coupe (2dr) L (not the RS)
Its a 98' with 85k on it. 5 spd, white, AWD (obviously).

Its in good shape, and she said she would sell it to me for 2,200$ which i think is a fair price.

I know this is a stupid question but is there a strong aftermarket for the coupes? i know the sti's and wrx's have good markets but i know nothing about subaru impreza coupes etc.


PS: this fits my needs for a reliable car that i can trust and maybe mod down the road. Also its a good car to have for the winter since it is AWD.