Hey guys, I am looking for a 2nd car and not wanting to spend any more than 1500-2000. So far I have come up with the following cars in my price and year range: Ford Taurus, Chevy Impala, Grand Prix, multiple Buicks, Etc. The engines would have to be for the Taurus the 3.0L Vulcan or Duratec, the GM 3800 in the others. Are these good engines? Also, how many miles should I look for? All the really good deals Ive been finding are for 150K-200K miles, Mostly the Tauruses. Is that too high for these cars and engines? Thanks!
What vehicle under 2000? (Specifically the motors)
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Are you looking for a daily driver? Does it have to be a V6? I would look for a Saturn like mine if you want something cheap and reliable.
Saturn comes to mind. What abou an old Corolla?
There'll be lots of older Grand Prixes in that price range. I'd stay away from an older GP, though. They've likely been through the wringer.
An older Buick with a 3800 would be my bet. If you're lucky you can find a garage-kept one the kids don't want anymore.
I agree, a Saturn or older Corolla/Chevy Prizm are also good bets.
An older Buick with a 3800 would be my bet. If you're lucky you can find a garage-kept one the kids don't want anymore.
I agree, a Saturn or older Corolla/Chevy Prizm are also good bets.
Civic for $2500
Originally Posted By: renegade_987
Hey guys, I am looking for a 2nd car and not wanting to spend any more than 1500-2000. So far I have come up with the following cars in my price and year range: Ford Taurus, Chevy Impala, Grand Prix, multiple Buicks, Etc. The engines would have to be for the Taurus the 3.0L Vulcan or Duratec, the GM 3800 in the others. Are these good engines? Also, how many miles should I look for? All the really good deals Ive been finding are for 150K-200K miles, Mostly the Tauruses. Is that too high for these cars and engines? Thanks!
where were you in Late January...
http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubb...121#Post2520121
Hey guys, I am looking for a 2nd car and not wanting to spend any more than 1500-2000. So far I have come up with the following cars in my price and year range: Ford Taurus, Chevy Impala, Grand Prix, multiple Buicks, Etc. The engines would have to be for the Taurus the 3.0L Vulcan or Duratec, the GM 3800 in the others. Are these good engines? Also, how many miles should I look for? All the really good deals Ive been finding are for 150K-200K miles, Mostly the Tauruses. Is that too high for these cars and engines? Thanks!
where were you in Late January...
http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubb...121#Post2520121
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I picked up a 97 nissan altima 2 years ago for $1000. I have 194,000 on the clock. The 2.4 dohc ka24de is bullet proof. Last 700 mile round trip, I got almost 35 mpg highway. Have only spent about $300 on repairs in that timeframe. None were drivetrain related.
Originally Posted By: salv
I picked up a 97 nissan altima 2 years ago for $1000. I have 194,000 on the clock. The 2.4 dohc ka24de is bullet proof. Last 700 mile round trip, I got almost 35 mpg highway. Have only spent about $300 on repairs in that timeframe. None were drivetrain related.
That is indeed an excellent car. Nice interiors too, very comfortable.
I picked up a 97 nissan altima 2 years ago for $1000. I have 194,000 on the clock. The 2.4 dohc ka24de is bullet proof. Last 700 mile round trip, I got almost 35 mpg highway. Have only spent about $300 on repairs in that timeframe. None were drivetrain related.
That is indeed an excellent car. Nice interiors too, very comfortable.
Chevy Prizm. It's a Corolla clone that tends to be cheaper. Just make sure you get one with a 5-speed manual or 4-speed auto. The 3-speed auto is not good for highway speeds. Buzzy.
The Vulcan V6 itself is reliable, with one glaring exception related to a single part...the cam syncronizer. This part replaces the distributor on all Vulcans with distributorless ignition. It isn't expensive or difficult to replace ($90 for new OEM part) and it gives plenty of audible warning before failing (loud chirping noise), but if left to fail completely you will lose oil pressure because the cam syncro runs the oil pump. Failure of the OEM part can occur anywhere between about 60K miles to never in some cases. If you replace with aftermarket, always use an A1 Cardone reman syncro because those are rebuilt Motorcrafts. Dorman sells new replacements, but they have been known to fail in 10K-15K miles. It's not a big deal if you know about the problem and deal with it if it occurs. Complete failure usually takes months and many thousands of miles to occur once the chirping starts.
There are also some Taurus-specific issues with the Vulcan, namely the cooling system. Water pump failures and pressurized overflow tank failures are somewhat common on the Taurus. RWD Vulcan equipped vehicles (Ranger, Aerostar) use a different cooling system and do not have the issues present in the Taurus.
If you stay on top of the cam syncro and cooling system, a Vulcan is good for 300K+ miles easy.
There are also some Taurus-specific issues with the Vulcan, namely the cooling system. Water pump failures and pressurized overflow tank failures are somewhat common on the Taurus. RWD Vulcan equipped vehicles (Ranger, Aerostar) use a different cooling system and do not have the issues present in the Taurus.
If you stay on top of the cam syncro and cooling system, a Vulcan is good for 300K+ miles easy.
The 3800 is a good motor. Mine has 200k on it and sounds the same as it did when I bought it with 200k. if you get a car with the 3800 just make sure you change the upper intake manifold and lower manifold gaskets. Only down side to mine is that the rear main seal leaks so I have to add oil every 1800-2000 miles. Engine wise I never had to do anything to mine besides the upper intake/manifold gaskets, cam sensor,crank sensor(precaution), and a harmonic balancer at about 197k. People would be surprised when I told them how many miles my car had on it and sometimes you could barely hear the engine running. The don't rattle or knock if in good condition. Depending on what mileage range you buy its the other things with cars with 3800 engines that you have worry about.
Mileage wise if you do rural/highway driving you get 28-31 mpg. Short highway drive around 25mpg, city/mixed 18-22mpg.
I still think used cars are overpriced now. I paid 2800 for my Buick back in 2006 with 108k miles on it. That's a 150k and above price level now. I overpaid for my current car to but its not gonna get any better.
Mileage wise if you do rural/highway driving you get 28-31 mpg. Short highway drive around 25mpg, city/mixed 18-22mpg.
I still think used cars are overpriced now. I paid 2800 for my Buick back in 2006 with 108k miles on it. That's a 150k and above price level now. I overpaid for my current car to but its not gonna get any better.
This is crazy but look at volvos. The 2.3 "red block" is legendary and the transmissions are pretty good too. You can get a mid-to-full size car with a stick shift or decently built automatic. Only real trouble spots are ABS gizmos on FWD ones. For some reason resale really drops off on these cars when they get older. I have a pair of 940s now but would get a FWD one if I found the right one. Parts are cheap, repairs easy. Big inside, reasonable outside, safe, but with good visibility.
Take your choice between slow and tolerable with a turbo or lack thereof. My 940 wagon has a locking diff (came with turbo package) and it does okay in the snow with appropriate tires.
Take your choice between slow and tolerable with a turbo or lack thereof. My 940 wagon has a locking diff (came with turbo package) and it does okay in the snow with appropriate tires.
I'd skip a Vulcan Taurus. They're cheap, but they're cheap for a reason. We used to have three 2005 Vulcan Taurii in our fleet at work, but are thankfully down to only one. All three leaked oil so bad you could smell it on the exhaust manifolds. They all pinged like crazy and are generally unrefined engines, at least in this platform.
I love the idea of an older KA24DE Altima. Super cars. I'd also not think twice about anything with an Ecotec if you can find one in this price range. Older Saturns are also good choices, if you can keep an eye on the oil consumption. Another car I like is an older Sebring or Stratus. Use caution with the 2.7L V-6, but you might be able to pick one up for a song.
I love the idea of an older KA24DE Altima. Super cars. I'd also not think twice about anything with an Ecotec if you can find one in this price range. Older Saturns are also good choices, if you can keep an eye on the oil consumption. Another car I like is an older Sebring or Stratus. Use caution with the 2.7L V-6, but you might be able to pick one up for a song.
those are all good engines, but be prepared to have baggage in that price range and wrench it yourself if you want to keep your costs low. almost all of those have universally trashed interiors. at that price range i would also reccomend any crown victoria / police interceptors out there.
Originally Posted By: dwcopple
Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
an older Sebring or Stratus. Use caution with the 2.7L V-6, but you might be able to pick one up for a song.
Even so, I'd avoid it altogether. Too many other good options out there. Why roll the dice?
Normally I'd agree, but at this price, past history of vehicle is likely to play a greater role in future reliability than the actual vehicle does. And as Chryslers typically have a poor resale value, you may find a gem out there somewhere.
Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
an older Sebring or Stratus. Use caution with the 2.7L V-6, but you might be able to pick one up for a song.
Even so, I'd avoid it altogether. Too many other good options out there. Why roll the dice?
Normally I'd agree, but at this price, past history of vehicle is likely to play a greater role in future reliability than the actual vehicle does. And as Chryslers typically have a poor resale value, you may find a gem out there somewhere.
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