Cheap car buying/mechanical advice

[Bytor]

OK, got a new job where riding the gixxer everyday is not an option so going to look at getting a cheap cage. Looking for inside info on what to get and what to look for.
Budget $5k max, needs to be cheap on gas and servicing. Don't need power or fully loaded electrical goodies - have all that with the VR4 and Gixxer.

A 1.3 would be good so thinking Toyota Corolla, Cynos, Starlet: Ford Ka, Mazda Familia etc. Have seen a 'cheap' Peugot 306 1.8 auto on Tardme - would have been a good choice in UK but not sure of European cars for parts/servicing over here.

Anyone work in the Car biz want to point me in the right direction?
Cheers

[peasea]

OK, got a new job where riding the gixxer everyday is not an option so going to look at getting a cheap cage. Looking for inside info on what to get and what to look for.
Budget $5k max, needs to be cheap on gas and servicing. Don't need power or fully loaded electrical goodies - have all that with the VR4 and Gixxer.

A 1.3 would be good so thinking Toyota Corolla, Cynos, Starlet: Ford Ka, Mazda Familia etc. Have seen a 'cheap' Peugot 306 1.8 auto on Tardme - would have been a good choice in UK but not sure of European cars for parts/servicing over here.

Anyone work in the Car biz want to point me in the right direction?
Cheers

I did many years in the car game. Having worked for Datsun/Daimler (before Nissan got their nose out of joint), Holden, Ford and Toyota. As an automotive machinist by trade I've seen most engines in bits and I'd say a Toyota is hard to beat. My lady drives a very nice Corona that only cost 3g's, 2.0l, auto, ideal for Ak commuter traffic. My daughter has just bought a Corolla for 5hundy, brilliant wee car, 1.6, 5spd, air con etc. yes, five hundred! WOF, rego, new windscreen and all! I'll whack a cam belt on it for her. It's got 300k's on it but doesn't blow smoke, so who cares? On the other end of the scale we also have a 5.7 V8 Berlina to tour in, nice car, different budget. 1.3 Corollas are cheap to run but they do get tired easily coz you have to rev them hard to get anywhere, go more for a 1.6. Starlets are cheap and they feel like it. Watch for rust in any of the pillars on any car, around the firewall and where the shock towers meet the inner fenders.

Whatever the seller says, get the cambelt checked; any doubt, biff it out.

Euro? Your funeral. Some people swear by them; mechanics swear at them. Don't buy a Honda (car), they tend to be more difficult to fix resulting in higher labour costs. If you come across something you like but you're not sure about repair costs just ring the agents and price a few parts like brake pads, wheel bearings, filters and so on.

I should be selling Toyotas......

[JimO]

i bought a 92 sprinter (corolla) 4 door new wof, 190 ks, 6 months rego, 4 new tyres, no rust body has a couple of small dings interior mint $1500....they are out there if you want a cheap runabout less is best if your budget is 5k you could get 4.....beware the cars that "should get a wof but i havnt got the time" if the current owner is to scared to run it through for a wof there has to be something wrong

[peasea]

i bought a 92 sprinter (corolla) 4 door new wof, 190 ks, 6 months rego, 4 new tyres, no rust body has a couple of small dings interior mint $1500....they are out there if you want a cheap runabout less is best if your budget is 5k you could get 4.....beware the cars that "should get a wof but i havnt got the time" if the current owner is to scared to run it through for a wof there has to be something wrong

Quite right, and the WOF testing is pretty basic really. If it hasn't got a WOF just pass it by. As for your budget.....I'd cut it in half, shopping trolleys needn't cost five grand.

[McJim]

I just bought a Nissan Bluebird 1994 with 145,000km on it for $1,500 from a neighbour.

Needed to service it ($300) and buy a new battery ($100).

It's a 1.8L Auto but will do me once I've sold the VTR and before I've bought a proper bike. A good wee stopgap.

you can actually get a really nice car for $5,000 in NZ. And luxury cars (2 Litre) are called small cars in New Zealand. With petrol this cheap they don't need 1L and 1.3L cars like we do back home!

[Motu]

Sure Toyota's are pretty reliable - but I've made more money in the repair game out of Toyota's than all other brands put together.As Peasea says,stay away from Honda,everything on them costs more to repair.Euro cars don't do the mileage,they fall apart....crap compared to Jap cars,but they go stop and go and do corners better than the Jap stuff.

The most reliable and easy to repair from a mechanics perspective? - V6 Commodore.

[Quartermile]

Hahaha, buying a car thats a good one,oh your serious sory I'm not helping

[peasea]

Sure Toyota's are pretty reliable - but I've made more money in the repair game out of Toyota's than all other brands put together.As Peasea says,stay away from Honda,everything on them costs more to repair.Euro cars don't do the mileage,they fall apart....crap compared to Jap cars,but they go stop and go and do corners better than the Jap stuff.

The most reliable and easy to repair from a mechanics perspective? - V6 Commodore.

It's possible that more money can be made from Toyotas because of the numbers game. There's heaps out there. Quite right about the handling; they used to be better when they were NZ assembled, they had better shock rates, stiffer antiroll bars and springs etc. The Commodore is a good car, I've had a few, thirsty around town though and the V8 eats less on tour than my last V6.

You can get Corolla and Commodore parts pretty much anywhere......

[Disco Dan]

Anyone work in the Car biz want to point me in the right direction?
Cheers

PM Frosty, he should be able to sort you out with a great deal.

[Motu]

It's possible that more money can be made from Toyotas because of the numbers game. There's heaps out there.
You can get Corolla and Commodore parts pretty much anywhere......

Partly a numbers game,but also because people seem to be prepard to repair their Toyota.....they just walk away from other brands as not worth the effort.

[Blackbird]

Yep, we bought our Chch-based daughter a 1997 Corolla with manual gearbox for her first car last year and it's an absolute honey. Good purchase, $5500 private sale and it came with mags and a Pioneer CD + stacker. No air conditioning, but it's a beaut of a car.

[Dooly]

Yep, cant go too wrong with a Toyota.

Relaible, basic, but good for what they are.

[Bytor]

Thanks for the advice guys

OK have revised my budget to $2.5k - the less spent the better. Just need to find something decent, having had my fingers burnt by going down the cheap as chips, 'it's a lovely runner' route b4. Interestingly from the above comments, the two big engine cheap cars I've had have cost me more then the car's value just to keep going, whilst a old shape 1.1 litre Fiat Uno kept me going for 3 years with no work other than oil/filter change.

[-df-]

I sold me project GT4 to purchase a Nissan Wingroad...best thing I've ever done.

Cheap to run, clocked up 25,xxx kms on it so far and it hasn't missed a beat, and room to throw something in the back if needed.

Damn good car for someone not caring about performance.

[Timber020]

My general rule of thumb having brought cars in alot of countries when you dont know the difference between a buick electra and a ford tempo-

Buy Ugly

Ugly cars arent liked by boy racers, thieves or 16 year dipsticks who dont know what a dipstick is.

I follow the other general car buying rules to, but the uglier the more family orientated, non thrashed, probably kept to live a long time, cheap to buy and generally cheap to insure and get parts for.

Oh the difference between the electra and the Tempo is that the electra comfortably slept 3 for 5 months.