best minivan for $1000
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Dodge Caravan or Plymouth Voyager with the 4 cylinder. My dad used to have a 88 Caravan with the 2.5L 4cylinder, lots of room in the engine bay, easy to work on. Even with passengers and load, it still had good power. Only problems were noisy during startup (lifters?) and water got into the engine (head gasket?).
JTK
$100 Site Donor 2025
I'll prolly get flamed fer it, but I really liked the size/comfort/power/fuel economy of my 2001 Ford Windstar. If you can score a 2001+, it will have the 'updated' Ax4N trans. Mine basically cost me nothing in the 105Kmi I owned it. (owned it from 34K to 105K) FWIW, my Windstar averaged 21mpg day/day where my 2008 Ody barely scratches 19mpg.
Joel
Joel
I had a dakota with the 2.5 and a spirit as well. Bought the spirit for $162.50 with a blown head gasket and fixed it up. My kind of car but it's been a few more years of rust since then... unless I get a little old lady special I need to go newer. Conversely I like learning on a job then repeating it the 2nd time. Fortunately the 4 cyl vans all had 3 speed automatics and not enough torque to tear them up. They make "expresso" stripped down vans which I would consider, especially if I can get real cheap with a blown head gasket. (Has to happen to somebody, may as well be the previous owner.) Am watchful of the strut mounts on these late 90s chrysler vans... for rust.
The 94 caravan I looked at had no rocker panels left to speak of. While I can patch those too and get a fresh inspection sticker, I don't have faith in continued long term durability once rust starts.
If i can take the seats out and haul a motorcycle occasionally that would be a plus. Of course I could get a small trailer.
The 94 caravan I looked at had no rocker panels left to speak of. While I can patch those too and get a fresh inspection sticker, I don't have faith in continued long term durability once rust starts.
If i can take the seats out and haul a motorcycle occasionally that would be a plus. Of course I could get a small trailer.
Check the crash tests before considering an Astro.
Got one! 97 olds silhouette 3.4 with 122k running on 5 cylinders for $300! Previous owner was hauling chicken food grain sacks in the back. Battery is no good, rear hatch is jammed shut, front tires are not that great, and it might have an exhaust leak.
First person to moan about the intake gaskets gets a
First person to moan about the intake gaskets gets a
$300 sounds good for anything that can move under its own power.
Watch out for the intake manifold gasket.
Watch out for the intake manifold gasket.
Originally Posted By: eljefino
Got one! 97 olds silhouette 3.4 with 122k running on 5 cylinders for $300! Previous owner was hauling chicken food grain sacks in the back. Battery is no good, rear hatch is jammed shut, front tires are not that great, and it might have an exhaust leak.
First person to moan about the intake gaskets gets a
Find any "interesting" repairs yet? A farmer with welder can be a dangerous thing!
Got one! 97 olds silhouette 3.4 with 122k running on 5 cylinders for $300! Previous owner was hauling chicken food grain sacks in the back. Battery is no good, rear hatch is jammed shut, front tires are not that great, and it might have an exhaust leak.
First person to moan about the intake gaskets gets a
Find any "interesting" repairs yet? A farmer with welder can be a dangerous thing!
Man, I didn't know such a van existed. That tells you about the marketing department's capability in the Olds back in the days.
Originally Posted By: IndyIan
Find any "interesting" repairs yet? A farmer with welder can be a dangerous thing!
Let me guess: 1 out of the 6 cylinder has a chicken stuck in it!!!
Find any "interesting" repairs yet? A farmer with welder can be a dangerous thing!
Let me guess: 1 out of the 6 cylinder has a chicken stuck in it!!!
Originally Posted By: PandaBear
Man, I didn't know such a van existed. That tells you about the marketing department's capability in the Olds back in the days.
It gets worse, when olds folded they rebadged it the buick terraza.
I got her home, the cat ate a lot of raw gas but isn't even glowing.
Man, I didn't know such a van existed. That tells you about the marketing department's capability in the Olds back in the days.
It gets worse, when olds folded they rebadged it the buick terraza.
I got her home, the cat ate a lot of raw gas but isn't even glowing.
Pre 1997 Mazda MPV....was one of the most reliable cars i have owned
eljefino,
All the vehicles I see priced $1000 on craigslist are either a headgasket failure, trans failure, or the engine is knocking. I do see a couple that say "car wouldn't start one day I don't know what's wrong with it" posts. next time, I may snap one of those up.
All the vehicles I see priced $1000 on craigslist are either a headgasket failure, trans failure, or the engine is knocking. I do see a couple that say "car wouldn't start one day I don't know what's wrong with it" posts. next time, I may snap one of those up.
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