Simple car

[glennc]

I like those old Toyota minitrucks. All the way back to the earliest ones with the 7" round headlamps (another example of perfect simplicity that is gone for good). I have an old Land Cruiser, but not old enough - the underhood is a horrendous maze of emissions junk that was needed on many post-EPA-pre-FI motors. I bet there are a hundred separate vacuum lines.

I remember, in particular, looking under the hoods of older Volvos, probably mid-late '70's. There was NOTHING BUT AN ENGINE under there! Everything that needed to be there, was there, but you had about two wires going to the engine, a couple of accessories hanging off the front, and lots of empty space. Now THAT is an appealing thing to see.

- Glenn

 

[vwoom]

I used to own a '90 Civic DX Hatch(1st owner, 125kmi when replaced for my '00 Passat).

Yep, basic transpo..crank windows, 5sp, basic am/fm/tape 2 speakers. Less electronic gizmos, sensors, etc. It was easy to fix(replaced with oem radiator, brakes, muffler, timing belt myself)the better...w/c also equates to a lighter car. The only mod I did was to do a +2 OZ rim upgrade(13" to 15").

The Aveo, new Kia Rio(prefer a base Rio 5) or Accent would fit the bill...or this new "Renaultish" '07 Nissan Versa(1.8/120hp/38mpg) if you want something bigger.

 

[labman]

Cous and I are happy with our 02 Cavaliers. Mine did get me for over $300 in the last month. Replaced 2 of the original tires and a ''lifetime alignment''. Unfortunately I am stuck with power windows which I hate and power locks that can be ignored. I also threw the remote in a drawer and haven't used it since I discovered the alarm went off if you locked the car with the remote and unlocked it with the key. Beyond incredibly stupid.

Still love my 77 LUV. Manual everything except for power brakes. I would prefer a modern ignition and FI to its carb and points.

 

[jmacmaster]

That description perfectly fits my 4WD 2003 Ford Ranger regular cab pickup. Nor does it have other unnecessary frills. Unnecessary frills are just more things to go wrong. However, it came stock from the factory with the following, all of which I like: ABS on all 4 wheels, air conditioning, cruise control, intermittent wipers, tilt steering wheel, 4-speaker stereo w/6 CD changer, a wiring harness hookup for a trailer, step bars, front tow hooks, fog lights, cloth seats, heavy duty shocks, full size spare tire, tach, and an engine block heater. For this I paid $15,885 brand new at the dealer, which I think is a helluva deal, especially since its 4WD. I'm very pleased, have 22,000 mi. on it in 35 months, and have had no problems.

 

[cousincletus]

Love my 2002 Cavalier base model with the pushrod engine and 5 speed manual transmission. Even the base Cavalier has rear defroster, AM/FM/CD, body side mouldings and remote trunk release. I paid (with GM card discount) $10,140 new. $10,800 w/o GM card discount. Got it at C&O Motors in St. Albans, WV, which is a very good dealer that didn't try to cheat me. No problems either.

 

[LarryL]

Could it be that simple is good? We just loose track of it, sometimes. Some of these new cars are going to be a real adventure for the local independent mechanic, once they are out of the warranty. Can you imagine what some owners will be up against when there are problems with all these wonderful features in new cars. It's getting to the point that only a dealer will be able to service these cars. Do you think the resale value will take a tumble? Maybe, simple cars will make a comeback....maybe.

 

[obbop]

My my my..... 1978 Toyota pick-em-up.

Sold mine around 2 years ago. Short bed, non-SR5. No A/C, and.... it had the rare auto tranny!!!!

With the 4.10 rear end and torque multiplication via the auto tranny I hauled 4-1/2 ton on a trailer down the freeway with no problem. Accelerated fairly well to highway speed, also. Well, to speed of 50 mph where it handled well but any faster and you could tell the critter wasn't happy. Darn fine truck. It's parked a few blocks away where the happy buyer still uses the critter.

Bought the 2004 Silverado Work Truck version (W/T). Manual windoes and seats and door locks. Vinyl interior, no carpeting. Manual this and that. Manual transfer case for the 4wd. A basic truck that has less to go wrong over time than the more expensive trim levels such as the LS model. Gimme' the basics, buckaroo, and I am happy. Sure, the truck has its share of computers (brain boxes) and has the fancy distributorless ignition system etc etc but so do many other vehicles. But, I believe those actually improve reliability!!! And, with the nifty on-board diagnostics that the mechanic can plug into it is easier to track down many problems.

Fuel injection systems have been pretty much perfected compared to those of the not-too-distant past. What was once considered to be the latest greatest gimmick is now considered the norm. But, I can do without the add-ons such as fancy "driver centers" displaying a host of data I don't need. I can read a map and a sign so GPS isn't needed. My basic simplistic truck may not be "fancy" as most Silverados are but I envision much less trouble and expense over the years. Besides, the few extra calories burnt while cranking the window up and down should allow a couple dozen bacon cheeseburgers to slither down the gullet without adding even more lard to my corpulent still-living carcass.

 

[1sttruck]

"What vehicle, sold new, today would fit the bill?"

My 2003 Dodge 2500 4x4 short bed Quad Cab diesel does. It has the ST trim (lack of :^), which is rubber mats, manual crank windows, manual door locks, cloth seats with manual adjustements (some say more comfortable as there isn't a bunch of motors in the padding), air (I do despise the fact that the air turns on automatically when selecting defrost), manual transfer case, manual transmission, plain radio, steel wheels. I would have liked a selectable locker for the rear axle but they don't offer one.

I was worried that the family wouldn't like it, but a good example of how comfortable it is was afer the wife and kids spent several days driving in a friend's newer BMW wagon while we were visiting. My friend's wife evidently wouldn't ride in the truck so they rode separately when we went places. My friend shook his head when he realized that it was my 'mid life crisis vehicle' as he knew me when I drove motorcycles. On the way back home I asked the wife and kids if they'd prefer being in the BMW, and all said no :^)

 

[mikemc]

Larry, we have a 2003 Cavalier that nearly fits your description, except it has an auto tranny for the wife. I really like this car, runs great, good mpg and very reliable. My Ranger has a 5 speed but also a CD changer and cruise, both of which I view as mandatory for my 30 minute highway commute. We keep vehicles 4-6 years and I view power locks, windows, moon roof, etc. as something costly I will have to replace post warranty.

 

[Ben Boyle]

I own a car that's simplicity is almost totally beyond what most of you could imagine.

It's a 1986 Citroen 2CV. 2 Cylinder 4 speed, front windows that FLIP UP, with no winding mechanist. 2 barrel carburetor, simple canvas roof that only costs $200 and takes 10 minutes to replace, the only job that really sucks to do to it is replace the rotors on the inboard front disc brakes.

Here's some pics
http://community.webshots.com/album/103049208hGsPzB

 

[oilpan49]

I require 4 things and I'm happy.

V8
CD
4x4
Cruise

 

[Shaman]

90 Honda Civic hatch

1.5L
4 speed
A/C

Still not happy with my dad for dumping it. All of 90 hp but still loved the car.

 

[LarryL]

You're right, the 2CV is a great car. A friend and I drove one from Basra, Iraq to Athens, Greece in 1978. Going across the desert we used a brick for cruise control and the trip took two weeks. I worked for Solar Turbines in San Diego and lived in Athens. We did a lot of work for the INOC in Iraq but on this trip we could not get an exit visa so could not get on an airplane. We drove out in a 2CV, headed north. The 2CV was a great car. Everywere we stopped, people fed us and supplied us with gas an oil. When we crossed the border into Turkey a rock thrown up by a truck shattered the windshield. We were able to get someone to cut a new windshield using the old one as a pattern and in a couple of hours we were on our way, again. All this happend before the world went to war and it's a trip that we may never be able to repeat. Today I've forgotton about the heat, the bugs and the dust and remember going on a great adventure. Simple cars are good.

 

[rjundi]

Given the prices of used cars and new cars are not excessive compared to the average US income, NEVER.

 

[97f150]

My truck is the stripped down model. 5-speed, 4.6 liter v8, crank windows, manual locks and vinyl flooring. The only add on is tilt and cruise. I love it, especially the vinyl floor, with all the mud I drag into it I can just hose it off when I am ready.

 

[Triple_Se7en]

Does anyone still make a vehicle with an automatic tranny that's stripped of power options?

 

[JHZR2]

quote:

---

Would you buy a simple car, no auto trans, no power seats, no sunroof, now power locks/doors/keyless entry, no dual zone climate control, just a/c that you turn on/off, no leather, do digital dash, no navigation, no voice controls, rubber floor mats, no power mirrors, no extra anything? Just a car to drive where you wanted to go.

---

YES!!!! the best ones are the versions of that made by MB, BMW, etc. You should see the crazy amounts of $$$ that folks pay for an old MB 240D decked out like that if it has
JMH

 

[lindermant]

Triple_Se7en

quote:

---

Does anyone still make a vehicle with an automatic tranny that's stripped of power options?

---

yes, the Honda Civic DX Value Package: has A/C, auto tranny, CD player, rear defrost; everything else is bare bones/non-power. I love mine...

 

[LarryL]

lindermant, I wonder how many stripper DX's and on a dealer's lot?

 

[peterr]

A colleague was recently sharing with me his experience of owning a BMW M5. I think it is a 2003. I assumed that he would love the car, but the electrical issues caused by all of the automated crap has driven him nuts.

Is there a market, other than me, for a car minus all of the nonsense that we are listing but WITH performance features. I mean there probablya re some convincing econobox entries, but what about a car for DRIVERS that delivers excellence in areas where it counts (Engine, Trans, Suspension, Brakes etc).

In marketing terms i guess the question I would ask is not "Can someone make and sell enough stripped down $10K econoboxes at a big enough profit to make it worthwhile?", but rather "Can someone make and sell enough lean performance oriented no frills $20K cars at a big enough profit to make it worthwhile?"

I mean I drove a 1996 Corolla for four years that was not far off what people are talking about, but the engine was built for my Grandmother, the body roll going around even gentle conrners was outta control, the brakes were mediocre, the (auto) transmission sucked. I would never drive a car like that again.

One of the reasons I like cars like the Nissan Altima is that you can buy it with the 3.5 v6 without having to add too much nonsense.

Things that are essential to me:
Decent engine
Good manual transmission
4 wheel Disc brakes
Adjustable seats with real bolsters (I don't care if they are power, but they have to be adjustable)
Rear Window Defroster (I am in Canada -its not an option)
Upholstry that is not Vinyl. Cloth is fine.
Decent alloy wheels (preferably at least 16" just for performance tire availability)
A suspension that is optimized for handling niot cushy ride.
Not bloated

Things that I would really like, but not essential:
A hatch
AWD

Things that are OK but I would not pay much extra for:
ABS
Leather seats
remote locks
enormous wheels
HID lights
Any fancy stereo (I like music but a car is a compromised listening environment)
Side curtain airbags
Heated Seats

Things that are of no value to me:
Power Windows (I don't really care about windows, but its just another thing to break)

Things that I would pay NOT to have:
Front Airbags
Sunroof!!!!! (kills headroom and I hate having the great outdoors in my space)
Cruise Control (Never used it. Just realized one of my cars has it. Ought to be illegal)
Power antenna (something to break that adds zero)
Alarm (Adding electrical components just to generate the potential for the most ignored sound on the planet)
Digital instruments


Anyone want to build me my car:
roughly 100 inch wheelbase
4 or 5 passenger (optimized for 2 front seats)
around 2800 pounds
small v6 engine producing at least 200 HP
5 or 6 speed manual
no compromises on suspension
simple AC
no ** extras