Looking to get into automotive scene - First car?
 

Hey, I finally just got a fulltime job and this means I'll be able to afford my first /used/ car soon. I know it probably won't be the greatest car, so my expectations arent that high. I don't really want some crappy hatchback, but I don't really even have money to spend.

Do you guys have any recommendations for cheap, first cars that dont look like shit and maybe I'll be able to build upon them or resell them for close to what I paid later on? I know Integras are fairly cheap and they were on my radar because I sort of like the look, but I know very little about cars so I figured I'd just drop by to get a more customized look on vancouver's automotive variety

Miatas are really popular right now. They are cheap, super fun to drive, look good, and are just plain cool.

cant drive home drunk friends in a miata :(

+1 for miatas, very lightweight, a lot of fun to drive and a lot of options once you get down the avenue of modding. I might have probably went for one if I didn't pick a honda

Hmm, maybe I'll consider it a little more deeply, it does look like a cool car.

What year/model would you guys recommend? There's only a couple on CL for under 2G, I'm really not sure how much I should spend on this cause I don't have much. If I were to get a car like this, I'd probably keep it for a while and mod it later on

ilvtofu is selling his

http://www.revscene.net/forums/67104...zda-miata.html

Under 2 grand? I'm sorry, but you're not going to get much at all, and what you do find is the last thing on earth that's worth modding. Honestly if your budget is 2 grand, You most likely don't have much money to spend on Gas, Insurance, Repairs, Mods, Etc. I would suggest you get something along the lines of a 90-95 Civic 5MT, and upgrade that later when you have more cash.
EDIT: Actually, this would be perfect. Just ignore the incredibly childish Craigslist ad. http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/rd...177628898.html

What do you guys think about a bmw e34?

maintenance might be a little high. but great cars.

i'd suggest any rwd cars. if you honestly enjoy cars you'd quickly discover the limitations of fwd

NO, no, and no. You have a miniscule budget, and your looking at an 88-95 5 series? You'll pay more for repairs/maintenance in the first year than you spent on the car in the first place (if you're still talking about a 2k budget)

I was just interested in it's reliability and the fact that I won't need to mod it much, plus it's a really nice looking car (90s e34s), I figured it'd be an option since it goes for around 4-6k


Well don't take my 2k budget to heart, I can just hold off for a couple months and find something really nice and maybe have a 3-5k budget, but that's about it. I'm not familiar with insurance maintenance and repair charges at all and really have no concept of how much that's going to cost.


On the other hand, the miata is actually looking pretty nice right now. If it has modding potential like you said, how long do you think a 1990 would last? I'm only 19 now, and would at least like to have it til my mid 20s.

save up and buy something that really interests you... til then take the 50 passenger limo. and if Miata (or other cars) was out of the question in the beginning, don't let others sway you unless you are really sure about it yourself or else you will end up regretting it later.


im serious.

Depending if you're going to do your own maintainence or modify it down the road, getting an older rwd would definitely be a hell of a journey, although not cheap. With 2000$ an 88 - 95 civic sounds about right, cheap on gas, insurance, lots of aftermarket support and yes it's overdone and every other guy had one.. But I'd consider that more of a blessing than a curse when you're just starting out. Fwd can be fun too, there are limitations but rwd and awd have theirs too. At least civics can resell a little easier because of their low prices. If you get a more adventurous platform, just be willing to pay the expenses that come along with it.

Rwd: miatas, 240sx, corolla (rwd of course), rx7, mr2 all awesome money pits and all fun IMO

That being said, don't be one of those guys who asks for advice then completely ignores it and does the opposite. I think the general vibe is miatas are fun with lots of aftermarket support, and civics are cheap good starter cars for that 2000 budget

Edit: it'll last as long as you want it to last, my corolla is from 1984 and I plan on having it around for another 10 years

you cant go wrong with a 240sx especially the 95+ coupe models

thanks for the info guys

Where are generally the best places to find deals on these cars? I assume craigslist is one, but if it's like job hunting or even clothes, there has to be other places that have nice deals

RS has some occasional advertisements every now and then, and if you take a look at who's selling it, it may be a good buy. I found my last couple cars off craigslist haha :fuckthatshit:

If you find what you like, then buy it; it's your money and you decide how you wanna spend it! Good luck with your hunt :thumbsup:

i would start with an S13 240sx.. great cars.

deals pop up on craigslist every now and then, you just have to know which ones are good deals, and you have to be a little patient. After you've spent weeks/months refreshing the same CL search seeing the same cars at the same prices over and over, you'll know when a good deal pops up

What about one of those first gen STIs? AWD :)

^Too pricey compared to the other cars listed...

My cousin has two s13's and I believe he is selling one around that price point. Let me know if you are interested.

Sure, any pics?

I wouldnt look at s13's if you are looking for something that is reliable. Sure they may have been reliable once but that platform has been popular for a long time now as drifter cars and chances are it has been beaten to death by someone trying to drift it, hitting redline daily. That and they are probably beaten up body wise too by failed drifts. That said, if you do want to go for an s13, get an automatic as they are more likely to have been better taken care of.

I'd suggest 90-93 Integras for under 2k and reliablitly as well as great aftermarket support.

Hows the maintenance compared with miata and 240sx? how long will these cars last if i get them as a first car?

I don't think s13's are that reliable... Miatas have cheap parts, cheap insurance and cheap on GAS. Don't want to be a shamless plug but ilvtofus miata is a pretty good deal because he replaced a lot of the stuff and his miata has an (iirc) fairly new clutch.

I was thinking about it, but 315000 kms is a lot