Buying a (very) cheap car - Ford Forums - Mustang Forum, Ford Trucks, Ford Focus and Ford Cars

smavid · 12-07-2002, 19:43

hey,
I'v got myself a job and I'll be on my L's in just over 6 months so i want to buy a cheap car and get to do a few mods before i get to drive it on the road, now i dont have *heaps* of cash so its gonna be a pretty crappy car... so what should i get?

Iv got a few ideas and so far im looking at 1.6/2.0L escorts, 2.0L TE (and similar shape) cortinas or maybe a ~84 bluebird.
Please give me some advice! thanks alot

P.S. i wouldnt be spending over $350 on the actual car to start with

Fairlane Boy · 12-07-2002, 21:30

Quote:

Originally posted by smavid
hey,
its gonna be a pretty crappy car... so what should i get?

P.S. i wouldnt be spending over $350 on the actual car to start with

Save up a bit more and get somthing not so crappy. For 350$ your going to be buying more troubles than you want. maybe up it to 700 atleast and you should be able to get a car that will last 2 years. But then again you may be lucky to find something good for $350 but very unlikley.

eb_5litre · 12-07-2002, 23:09

go the Escort.... I got my first one for $500... and it was a 2 litre ghia.

JG33 · 12-08-2002, 03:19

For $350 you'll be lucky to find anything decent other than something that will be deadly to yourself and to others around you so you want to save plenty of money to make the car roadworthy.

rsgerry · 12-08-2002, 06:17

agree with the others. $350 is only going to buy something that will be more trouble than it is worth. not only will it be dangerous, it will also be a money pit. dont know where you are, but in perth, i would suggest $1000 would get you a reasonable runner.

the escort / cortina option is probably a good one. parts are cheap, and they are easy to fix simple things yourself.

Barra_4_Eva · 12-08-2002, 07:37

for my first car, im sorta making it a case of my 2nd car cos im saving a lot of money, going off to buy a EF Falcon hopefully.

Even if it does take me a year, i dont mind, my Dad's letting me have his Corona Wagon (worth funnilly enough, about $350) until i get the dosh for that.

Anyone that owns an EF, can tell me Economy Figures, Problems they have had etc...

XR_Strider_GuY · 12-08-2002, 14:15

I have to agree with others here expecting to pay $350 for a reliable daily driven (not restoration) car is not going to happen.

Hate to say it to you but your better of svaing abit more dosh to save you teething problems while you have the car.

Blurter · 12-08-2002, 18:45

Not a lot of money and you might struggle a bit finding something that is road worthy but a manual Escort sounds good, easy to work on and rear wheel drive.

Watch out for rust in whatever you buy, that will be your biggest long term and costly problem. Save your pennies and have a great time doing it up. After all you have nothing to loose and heaps to gain.

But remember, while the car will be yours (yeehah) it will be a bomb so don't ask it to do too much. Drive like a little old lady, until you have invested some TLC into the mechanicals.

cheers

LoverBoy · 12-09-2002, 08:59

Save about $800 - $1,000. That would be able to get you an XE with four on the floor.

Mason.

TopGhia · 12-10-2002, 12:11

Get a MK 2 Cortina, good basic engine. If you are handy with a spanner, go for it, but don't expect too much for $350.

Try the local dump, you might get something for nothing. My MK 2 ended up in the dump, drove it down there, took the battery out and left her there.