I would stay away from any DSM unless you could get it for near free. I had one and a buddy had one both had major problems appear out of nowhere. I ended up selling mine for cheap and I think he crushed his all wheel drive turbo and scrapped it. Mechanics worst nightmare.
What would you buy as a pizza delivery car?
- Thread starter 85 Cutlass Brougham
- Start date
- Status
Ummm.... there is a reason no Mitsubishi made the list. I know them all too well and would not trust one to go 12k mi a year let alone 50k. Free is too much money to pay for a DSM unless it is actually working properly, and very few of them ever do.
I have ran across way too many early 1990's Mitsubishi Galants and early 1990's Hyundais that had those Mitsu DOHC 4 cylinders in them that broke their timing belts and bent all their exhaust valves. These engines would not only bend the valves, the valves would often snap off and lodge in to the pistons. They never had any appreciable power either and got crappy MPG. Junk. Despite decades of trying, Mitsu has never been able to establish the quality or performance reputation of Honda or Toyota. Even if Nissan is associated with Renault, none of the people I know who have owned Nissans have had any serious complaints or problems with them. If I were in the car market I'd probably buy a new Altima. Honda, Toyota, and Nissan compete so heavily against one another that none of them can really afford to do anything to ruin their reputations.
My vote was to replace the engine in your Nissan truck.
-UT-
My vote was to replace the engine in your Nissan truck.
-UT-
Yeah, I have considered replacing the KA too, which is why it is on the list. If it only needed bearings, it would be easy to fix. However, it is more than that. It needs a valve adjustment and should get new timing chains, tensioner, guide and pulley if I take it apart. Alone, the parts to do those things cost about the same as a low mileage used engine. The used engine is a day to install ( about 3-4 hours since I really know these things) but to build an engine can take weeks if things go wrong or the machine shop takes too long. Sadly, it will only get 22-24mpg in the city in perfect condition (I get a shitty 18-20 now). I want the Sentra (still looking for one with no luck) because it will get 32 in the city while delivering pizza in my experience. I dunno what to do at this point. I wanted the VW because I really just want a newer car, but it is expensive to fix and I have read too many bad things about them from Edmunds and other consumer sites. If you get a good one, it's really good. If you get a bad one, it's really bad. And a bad one will require a second mortgage just to keep it on the road. I don't think I could afford a car payment let alone something that is unreliable. If the cost savings on fuel do not pay for the car and the insurance on a 3rd car, I can not afford it. I carry delivery insurance and, without comp or collision, it is $200 a month for the truck and Cutlass. So, insurance is pricey to say the least. All I can say is I dunno what I am going to do right now. I don't have a lot of money, and am going to college and working a full time job so I haven't got a lot of time either. A break down with the truck while I have no backup car means I am really screwed. Can't work, can't go to school. If I can stretch it a few more months, finish the Olds and swap the engine in my AMC, paint it and sell it, I will be in good shape. Optimally, that is what will happen. I just am not someone who typically has good luck. I am looking around the U pull its for a 240SX with a good KA24DE right now as a backup, but so far-no luck.
Well, I have found 2 options for a very cheap back up delivery car and want an opinion or several. One is a 1985 VW Golf Diesel. It is in my subdivision and $500 (They finally responded to my E-Mail tonight or I would have seen it today). The car has no A/C (can't get an answer as to weather or not it is just broken or non-existent) and I may try to see it tomorrow afternoon. They are firm on the price but say it has no radio, a shitty interior and needs an exhaust system. Who knows how bad it is. The other is a 1985 Mercedes Benz 300D turbo diesel that needs a starter for $600. The ad says it has a nice interior and nice wood work (I like the wood dash!) but needs a starter and "Minor Work". It is about an hour and a half from where I live, but definitely has A/C and it is a GM A/C system (Delco R-4 Compressor) from the factory so parts are cheap and plentiful should it not work. It also has a nice body and tinted windows but needs paint. Neither car would be used right away for delivery and would just be put in the back yard running and driving ( I would fix the starter, etc. before I put it aside to finish the Cutlass so it would be ready to go at a moments notice) as an emergency backup should my truck die. I am leaning towards the Mercedes because of better resale and because it's easier to find parts for. It is also better built and likely has all the options. The VW, however, gets better fuel economy and is local. I had found a 1982 240D 4 speed for $400, but it was sold before I could go see it (It would have gotten a 3 liter turbo diesel 5 cylinder swap). The Mercedes is also the very best year of an excellent car (some consider these to be the best car ever built for reliability), so it is the best of the best so to speak. I want to get a car to learn about diesel that is inexpensive in case I kill it, and I figure mechanical injection engines are simpler than electronic ones to cut my teeth on. Remember also: I live in Florida and A/C is not a luxury but a necessity! Given this information what would you buy?
85 Cutlass Brougham said:
I would go with the Mercedes, just from personal experience. I've known a few diesel Mercedes that are unkillable. My friend got one of them as a hand-me-down from his dad. He has now handed the car down to his own son. I mean... that is a long-lived car.
Yeah, from what I have heard there are more of those cars that have passed the one million mile mark on their original engines than any other car ever made. A neighbor of mine had a 300SD (same engine, different body style) that had 200k miles on it when the odometer broke--in 1992. He drove it until 2005 and estimates it easily had over 400k miles before his wife wrecked it. It still looked like new inside and out. To me, that's just an incredible car! He replaced it with another 300SD that has a broken odometer that shows almost 200k on it. It seems the odometer is one of the most failure-prone items on these cars. Rust is the number one killer, but mainly the older ones as they had no rust proofing. After 1981, Mercedes started rustproofing them and the newer ones have survived in much larger numbers because of this. At any rate, I am going to try and get my neighbor to go with me to look at the car if I go since he has lots of experience with them.
go with the me/be. a $500 vw with no turbo, no a/c, a crappy interior and a busted exhaust doesn't make sense. granted you can probably find an interior at the junkyard.
I figure the Golf would be better on gas...err....fuel than the Benz, but the Benz has more cool factor going for it. I just gotta see if I can come up with the money to buy it and a friend to go with me to go see it if it is not already sold. If I buy it, I gotta be able to get it home.
- Status
Similar threads
