Thinking about buying a beater car

Makes zero sense in my opinion. Beaters have been beat. And what about safety. I want to drive in the safest vehicle there is.

Beaters have a place and I don't mind them, I've driven more than my fair share over the years....it just depends on the reason and rational.
 
Makes zero sense in my opinion. Beaters have been beat. And what about safety. I want to drive in the safest vehicle there is.
I would assume they won't let it become a death trap anymore than their daily. Not everybody's priority is safety as long as it's safe enough.
 
Actually, cars will break even if you are not driving it.
So, in your effort not driving the Camry may cause it to break down due to lack of running.

I had a 93 Lexus ES300, in my wisdom, we drove it sparingly since it was a second car.
When I tried to sell it after owning it for about 6 years, a lot of leaks (oil and leaky radiator) and the car run but smoking.
I had to drive hard for a good 6 months and approx. 2000 miles to get it not to smoke.

Trying to find sub $2000 cars is not impossible if you know somebody who happens to want to sell it in good condition.
Most of them, nowadays, have something that cause it not driveable.
worse thing to do is let any vehicle just sit up too long. You are asking for ruined - flat spotted tires, bad gasoline in tank, brake fluid with moisture in it, etc.... its just not a good idea to let them sit too long. Not saying people do not get extremely lucky doing it sometimes. Costs too much to take the chance though. I am ashamed to tell the time I lucked out and exactly how long I let one of the Chevelles sit up.
 
And what about safety. I want to drive in the safest vehicle there is.
But what is safe enough? Everyone has a different opinion, or risk tolerance. What is good enough?

Just got back from taking the daughter out night-time driving (working on getting in hours ahead of the driving test). We took my beater, which is my daily. Poor headlights, no side curtain airbags, and everything else lacking from 1999. I have every hope of buying her something "better" for a first car--but it's good enough for driving lessons, IMO.

Speaking of, does anyone know what bad occurs when you try to engage the starter while the engine is running? Asking for a daughter who was told in no uncertain terms to not do that again... Tonight's lesson: pay attention!

[Arguably my fault, she is new and does things in an order. I had reached over and started it, as it's like 0F and I want heat. I don't think of a Camry as being quiet but apparently it escaped her attention that when the dashboard is lit up, the tachometer is not at zero, and the car is shaking due to ancient motor mounts... the key does not need to be turned. Incidentally the starter engaged and I think the starter may actually turn faster than the engine idles, as it quickly caught, no grinding involved! :oops:]
 
The term beater is subjective like most things. Back in '06 my daily at the time got broken into, ignition screwdriver'd, vandalized and left in rough shape. I needed a car in a hurry and a workmate happened to be selling a car that he'd bought for his daughter to use in university in Montreal. Long story short, her educational plans changed and she stayed here for school and used the car sparingly.

That car was a 1993 Nissan Sentra XE 4AT sedan that had 84,000kms (~52,000 miles) on it when I got it in 2006 for $3000. Garage kept and essentially perfect with the exception of some bumper scrapes and a small crease in the rear passenger door. All damage done by other drivers that he never had touched up. This car without question has been the most reliable car I've ever owned...I still have it today with 171,000kms (106,000 miles) as of today.

I've used it as my daily with a rotation of hobby cars to accompany it over the years. Over the course of the 16 years I've had it, besides the customary gas, oil, brakes, and tune-up's it's needed;
-1 water pump
-2 alternators (B13 Sentra's seem to have a propensity for going through them)
-1 injector (just this month)
-d/s CV shaft
-2 headlight bulbs
-1 set of tires

That's it...every oil change has been once a year with Mobil 1 5W-30 full synthetic and Mobil 1 EP filters, nothing else for 16 years. At it's peak the OCI's were 8000kms, now more like 5000. Did one drain and fill for the transmision in that span as well. Oil has never needed topping up ever. The GA16DE engine isn't much of a performer but it will run at 80mph for hours at a stretch even now and not bat an eye. Never changed a single bulb in the car aside from the two headlights.

Now I'm well aware it was a beater then and more of one now, but it was so well built for a cheap econobox back then that in the hands of a fastidious person like me, it'll just keep going. At some point the 30 year old seals and gaskets will start to let go, and when it hits the point of diminishing returns I'll pull the pin and move on. But I'll be sad because I've got more friends with expensive modern rides that I can count that are pulling their hair out with problems with their new cars.

I'm probably into the thing for less than $6K including the purchase price, the paint still looks great, no rust, no leaks, everything works, looks and drives the same as it did when I bought it. The car owes me nothing, I just wish thery were built the same today.
 
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Makes zero sense in my opinion. Beaters have been beat. And what about safety. I want to drive in the safest vehicle there is.
My daily driver is a beater. 2005 s class, with 235k miles. Super safe, super reliable. I just quite doing repairs or maintenance other than oi changes on it. A suspect a Honda or Toyota beater may be more safe and/or reliable than many non beaters that people are making monthly payments on.
 
Speaking of, does anyone know what bad occurs when you try to engage the starter while the engine is running? Asking for a daughter who was told in no uncertain terms to not do that again... Tonight's lesson: pay attention!

[Arguably my fault, she is new and does things in an order. I had reached over and started it, as it's like 0F and I want heat. I don't think of a Camry as being quiet but apparently it escaped her attention that when the dashboard is lit up, the tachometer is not at zero, and the car is shaking due to ancient motor mounts... the key does not need to be turned. Incidentally the starter engaged and I think the starter may actually turn faster than the engine idles, as it quickly caught, no grinding involved! :oops:]
I’m teaching my little sister how to drive, and I told her to turn the car off and she just did this in the Sonata. It wasn’t so forgiving and made a horrible sound. She held the key for a couple seconds too.
 
I’m teaching my little sister how to drive, and I told her to turn the car off and she just did this in the Sonata. It wasn’t so forgiving and made a horrible sound. She held the key for a couple seconds too.
ouch!
 
I think this is a case of the sound being worse than the damage. As long as a tooth didn't break off the flywheel or bendix I wouldn't give it another thought.
Oh I don't doubt it. Probably will work fine for years go come.

Still makes you go "ouch" just to think about it...
 
It just happened AGAIN I’m gonna lose my mind :cry:
Maybe pop the hood, take her by the hand, and point to where the starter is--and ask her what the plan is, if she manages to break it. I'd ask her point-blank if she plans to be the one to do that job. If not--learn to pay attention, look at the dashboard ("see the tachometer?!"), feel the car ("does it feel like it's idling?!").

Dunno. New drivers. Everyone has to start from somewhere. I'm a bit spoilt, my first car I pulled the engine, later the transmission, and had a decent idea on how all of it worked. These kids these days, I'm sure they can explain how to use tick-tock to me, but cars seem low on their list.
 
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This guy found his beater car. :D
 
You need to know what you are getting into and what you are doing.

I bought an abandoned 94 Explorer for $250 from a tow yard. I spent I guess a couple thousand fixing it. It was a fantastic truck, and I would still have it if it wasn't wrecked. Copart sold it run and drive for more than I initially paid, but the frame was trashed so it wasn't going to be on the road again.

My 1997 Explorer was bought at a steel building future EPA super fund site for $1500 out the door. I knew what I was getting into with a SOHC Explorer from that kind of place. It has also been a great truck, but a lot of that is because I know how to deal with old Explorers.
 
This thread sort of touches on the "is a beater worth it? topic.

I've done this, a number of times. In my case, it was never worth it. By the time you add up the cost of the vehicle, and then everything that goes into it over the years like insurance, registration, battery, tires, misc maintenance (all of which you also need to keep up on the primary you aren't driving as much), you could have either treated your primary vehicle to overkill maintenance and then some, or you could have had a decent amount saved up for a replacement for your primary over time.

It's ok to like your car and try to keep it around, but it's made to be used, driven, replaced. Seems like, generally speaking, saving them is a futile effort.
 
This thread sort of touches on the "is a beater worth it? topic.

I've done this, a number of times. In my case, it was never worth it. By the time you add up the cost of the vehicle, and then everything that goes into it over the years like insurance, registration, battery, tires, misc maintenance (all of which you also need to keep up on the primary you aren't driving as much), you could have either treated your primary vehicle to overkill maintenance and then some, or you could have had a decent amount saved up for a replacement for your primary over time.

It's ok to like your car and try to keep it around, but it's made to be used, driven, replaced. Seems like, generally speaking, saving them is a futile effort.
Agreed, but only if it’s an addition to vehicle. If it’s a single beater only and not in addition to, it’s probably worth it though.
 
It's ok to like your car and try to keep it around, but it's made to be used, driven, replaced. Seems like, generally speaking, saving them is a futile effort.
We've all seen, though, how people here on the forum go head over heels in love when someone posts pictures of some pristine, low-miles showroom-condition old car they just happened to come across and buy, or that they kept clean and dry all these years. Those cars didn't get that way by being daily drivers through 25 salty winters. In other words, I guess we just can't please all the people all the time.
 
We've all seen, though, how people here on the forum go head over heels in love when someone posts pictures of some pristine, low-miles showroom-condition old car they just happened to come across and buy, or that they kept clean and dry all these years. Those cars didn't get that way by being daily drivers through 25 salty winters. In other words, I guess we just can't please all the people all the time.
But then all you are doing is the work of saving enjoyment of the car for the next guy, punishing yourself with a beater.

That doesn't seem right.
 
My daily driver is a beater. 2005 s class, with 235k miles. Super safe, super reliable. I just quite doing repairs or maintenance other than oi changes on it. A suspect a Honda or Toyota beater may be more safe and/or reliable than many non beaters that people are making monthly payments on.
I suppose it depends what you call super safe. Compared to models that have passed the small overlap test no 2005 is super safe. But that's not for me to judge.
 
But then all you are doing is the work of saving enjoyment of the car for the next guy, punishing yourself with a beater.
Not if you're using your vehicles for the correct tasks. You're simple spreading out use among several and keeping the nicer ones alive for another decade.

Example: I have a valuable old truck. I want it to be the last truck I ever have to buy. They are expensive dedicated vehicles. I only drive it when I must tow or haul something in the bed. Makes zero sense to use it as a daily driver for errands. It's inefficient and wasteful. For instance, I am always puzzled when I see people driving $70,000 lifted 4x4 monster trucks to the grocery store to try to squeeze it into a compact car spot.

The gym I used to go to, this guy would insist on making a 10 point turn to try to squeeze his gargantuian lifted truck into a normal car spot right up front. Rather than just parking 50 yards out and WALKING 100 extra steps into the GYM! I would watch and laugh as he'd make these absurd parking maneuvers to get into a spot, then shimmy out of his truck thru the 8" opening his door allowed.

Let's see, short trips, door dings, climbing in and out of a lifted truck that needs a step stool, the aggravation of driving an entirely inappropriate vehicle for the task, and even irritated others who might be boxed in and vandalize the monster truck. I would encourage such people, buy a $3000 basic car to run your errands - post office, grocery store, gym, etc. Keep the extra 5k miles off it annually, so it lives longer and you replace it at year 30, not year 10. And, every mile you drive is a chance for an accident. Safety aside, wrecking a beater is much better than wrecking something you care about.

In this instance, that basic $3000 will pay for itself in fuel savings and maintenance and extending the truck longevity, probably 5-10x over.
 
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