| Author | Message | ||
     Gbackus |
Any suggestions? I'm getting about 16 mpg in the jeep and commute 60 miles a day round trip, not including any errands/weekend driving. Spending 4-700/month in gas hurts, but its gonna hurt a whole lot more once I install goodies in the jeep. Maybe $1000 is too little, but the cheaper the better, and if I can stay american thats a plus(mainly because i live in the detroit metro area and it seems parts for foreign cars are more expensive compared to when i live in Los Angeles) Any suggestions? | ||
| Hughlysses |
1982 Chevette? I think they had one for sale in that old Chevy dealer's collection out in the midwest people have been posting about.  A better option might be to drop a Cummins 4BT diesel in your Jeep; 25-30 MPG. The swap may not cost you much more than $1k. More info here: http://www.4btswaps.com/forum/forum.php | ||
| Hootowl |
Having just, over the past three or four weeks, searched for a car for my daughter, I can tell you that a grand is a little too low. There are lots of beaters out there for around 3. Fairly nice cars for 5, and some really nice ones for 10. My criteria were safety and fuel economy. But as I looked around, I found that 7-10 year old cars, even the 4 cylinder models, only get about 25 on the highway. This led me to start looking at 6 and 8 cylinder cars, which get about the same highway mileage. That's when I found a beautifully kept 2001 Jaguar S Type with a 4 liter V8, leather seats, 89K miles, a 5 star safety rating and all the options for 6500 bucks. I couldn't be happier. My only regret is that I bought it for someone else. Good luck in your search. They're out there, it just takes some digging. | ||
| Gbackus |
4bt wont fit in an xj, but itll eventually get an ls1 4l60e combo, but i need a second vehicle before i can take on that project | ||
| Patches |
Cars with the 3.8 buick v6 or 4cylinder s10, Ford Ranger trucks seem to be bought cheep and get good mileage in good running condition. Just remember "bought cheep" means it probably needs work. Might try local Auto Auctions or craigslist. | ||
| Reepicheep |
Ditto. I look at all sorts of ranges of prices, and ended up at the $9k to $11k range. For that price, you can get a *seriously* nice car. The ones I recently found were a 2006 Saab 9-3 V6 Turbo with 47k miles for $9k. And a 2005 Mini Cooper S with 97k miles, but also Dinan suspension and engine goodies, for $11k. The Saab will get 24 mpg city, going up to 35 on the interstate. The mini gets 25 mpg city, more highway, even when you are wringing the poor things neck sliding through corners and shrieking down alleys. If you could actually drive the thing like a rational human being, it would probably get 30 mpg city easy. But no human being could.  A friend of mine just got a 2004 90k miles mid level civic for $5k or something. Good practical choice, but given the cost difference between that and the saab / mini, I found, probably a net loss (though definitely cheaper). | ||
| Reepicheep |
(Oh, and I got 2% financing on a 2 year loan on the Saab... didn't really need to finance it, but at that rate, why not?). | ||
| Gbackus |
woah now, im looking for a shit beater to drive to and from downtown detroit. I already have a 2005 Audi S4 for my nice car, but I will not be leaving it downtown anymore after 2 break ins. I thought the jeep would work but i've been hit by the mod bug HARD | ||
| Sleez |
never mind, i see you aren't in LA anymore! update your profile? (Message edited by sleez on July 12, 2013) | ||
| Sleez |
http://detroit.craigslist.org/wyn/cto/3930888333.h tml http://detroit.craigslist.org/wyn/cto/3930887171.h tml http://detroit.craigslist.org/mcb/cto/3924165645.h tml http://detroit.craigslist.org/okl/cto/3930868316.h tml | ||
| Gbackus |
I still have a home in LA and get out there 3-4 times a year | ||
| Sleez |
gotcha! | ||
| Patches |
Economical, reliable vehicle under $1000? Really who do you think you are, Gas Monkey Garage?  | ||
| Xbduck |
Patches, You aren't far off with your earlier post. My daily driver now that Virginia has dropped into some tropical rainforest zone is a '88 Buick Regal Limited. It has the 2.8 V-6 and does very good, for its age, on gas. I think the last time I checked it got around 22-25 mpg. It cost me $800 six years ago to purchase and the biggest investment since has been the new Hankook tires I put on last year. | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
If you're going for a small cheaper car with a four pot in it, get one with a manual box. Fuel economy will be way better & purchase price will likely be less than the auto, simply because so many folk over there just don't know how to drive a stick. this for example. http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledet ails.xhtml?endYear=2014&zip=48201&photosOnly=true& listingType=used&listingTypes=used&sellerTypes=b&t ransmissionCode=MAN&maxPrice=2500&transmissionCode s=MAN&pricesOnly=true&sortBy=derivedpriceASC&showc aseOwnerId=72508&startYear=1981&searchRadius=200&l istingId=347287985&listingIndex=8&Log=0 If you're prepared to spend a little more, I'd say go find a Focus hatchback with a manual box, they're reliable, handle well, parts are cheap & very low key styling doesn't attract attention. | ||
| Maxbuell |
They are out there ! I scored a 94 ford escort wagon EX (at that) for $600. needed tires front axles stereo etc. You will have to do work on what ever it is but I got less than $1300 in this wagon get 32 mpg and it paid for it self in about 10 months from driving my 1 ton Ford E-350 ( 12 mpg ). I looked for 6 months but they are out there ! | ||
| Pwnzor |
I had a great little car for the last few years... paid $500 for it, put another $500 into it. Tires, brakes, belts, fluids, little things here and there. 43 MPG consistently. Last weekend, God took it away from me.  It's for sale, cheap! Engine is still fine, good rims and tires, a lot of good interior parts. 1988 Honda CRX Si. | ||
| 86129squids |
The only car I ever purchased new was an '89 Civic SI, great little car! I was liking the CRX, but the Civic SI had so much more good room. Do a daily CL search using keywords and price point, at the least it'll be pretty entertaining. Post up the good stuff! | ||
| Fahren |
Oh, man, those CRx's were a blast! Fun little cars. | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
I had a 1985 CRXsi. Sweet little car. Measured the gas economy on a long highway trip once = 46 MPG! The trick? It weighed 1800 pounds. Would hydroplane so bad in the rain. I would think an old beater civic or corolla would be your best bet. My friend bought an old beater corolla for $2000 I think. It had 250,000 miles on it and it still worked fine. no burning oil, tranny still shifted great. Looked like a classroom of kindergadeners went after it with hammers though! | ||
| Alfau |
have you investigated free wheeling hubs for your jeep to improve fuel economy. Discussion about it here. http://www.cherokeeforum.com/f2/free-wheel-hubs-58 152/ | ||
| Fast1075 |
Nothing will improve the fuel mileage for an XJ. I have owned 5 of them. The best one for fuel economy had a 2.5/stick and got 20 mpg highway. The lifted stroker on 36's with 4.88 gears and auto trans got 11 MPG. 9 if I ran the a/c. 16 mpg is a good average for the aerodynamic brick an XJ is. I loved those trucks except for the poor fuel economy. You could pick up a spare one whole for parts for peanuts. | ||
| Luftkoph |
gbackus since you live in De -toilet, Rust,yes I said that four letter word,my solution so far to this scourge for my work car has been an older saturn sl1 or sl2,most of the body is polymer,we have a lot more winter here than you do down south in the murder city,and the salt and mag chloride are rough on cars,my 2000 sl2 has no rust,I get a steady 33 mpg,they are easy to work on,and you can find them at a pretty good price | ||
| Preybird1 |
I got a 06 Nissan sentra 1.8l special edition for under $1000.00 and it had a bad head-gasket and was leaking coolant into the number4 cylinder. and miss-firing. I used some of that blue devil engine gasket sealer and it worked just fine. I have been driving it for thousands of miles now and it gets like 35 mph on the highway and 25 in town! I have used blue devil on 5 cars now and and they are all still running and on the road. GREAT STUFF! | ||
| Gbackus |
I was thinking saturn and old civics, but old civics that actually still have floorpans(rust,) seem to command a premium | ||
| Pkforbes87 |
My brother-in-law just bought a 2000 Saturn SL1 for $900 - 1.9L SOHC, 5spd manual. 250k miles - AC compressor clutch doesn't work, not all the interior matches (not sure why) and the only way to open the trunk is by manually twisting the latch from the inside. But that car is solid when it comes to getting from A to B without burning much gas. I've been driving an identical 2000 SL1 for about the last year. Picked it up for $1800. Mine has almost 100k fewer miles, and ABS. Worst tank I've ever run through it was 36mpg. I've averaged just over 40 since buying the car. It needed an idle air control valve and a motor mount when I got it, and I just replaced a front wheel bearing last month. Want to drive American while sipping gas? Saturn is awesome. Driving one will make you hate Government Motors that much more for killing the brand though. | ||
| Reepicheep |
I had a couple of Saturns, both great little practical and durable cars. | ||
| Slaughter |
We have an SC1 Saturn with 341,000 original miles. Still gets almost 40MPG on the LA/Phoenix run. Burning about 1 quart oil every 1500 miles. Wish they made something similar. We're looking. IF there was a hope for something similar, we'd snap one up in a heartbeat. | ||
| Gbackus |
so i've been looking for saturns, and the pickings are slim on craigslist, but i dont know where else to shop? any suggestions? I've found a couple under $1k. | ||
| Hootowl |
autotrader.com and ebay. |
