After Mr. Shafer so rudely pillaged my town’s crop of used cars the other day, I got to thinking…Imagine, if you will, that you had a spare $2000 and needed (or in true CC baller style, just wanted) another vehicle. Further, you had a week of spare time and wanted to see some of this wonderful country. Perhaps you’d like to breathe some fresh mountain air and enjoy a nice drive home?
The question is easy: Which of the below eight choices, all to be had for under $2000, would you choose to purchase and drive all the way home and why? (for those from distant lands, assume you would drive to a deepwater port on one of our coasts and ship it home for all of your friends and family to admire.) If you can or want, let us know how far of a trip that would be too; you’d be starting near Denver.
I have virtually previewed all of them for you by closely reading the ad copy and studying the pictures and have every confidence that each one will at least drive far enough for the seller to get back in his or her house and lock the door before anything noticeable needs repairing.. All cars sold for cash only “As Is, Where Is” with no warranty either expressed or implied. You’ll be fine.
Consider what you like in a vehicle, the likelihood of your journey actually being successful without major maladies, as well as the potential future usefulness and your enjoyment of the vehicle once in your own driveway. All vehicles are located within an hour of Denver International Airport and conform to the unofficial CC guideline of being at least twenty years of age. Just remember: They don’t build ’em like they used to, so here you go!
Our opening contender is the above 1991 Chrysler New Yorker. Is any K-Car worth $2000? Well, this one might be, it seems like the creampuffiest of all Chrysler creampuffs. Garage kept with only about 76,000 miles, this 1991 Chrysler New Yorker could be yours for $2000 before you try to haggle. Judging by its appearance, someone’s grandparents really took care of this car.
While we were planning the Detroit Meetup earlier this year, Mr. Shafer and I did discuss the possibility of me potentially buying something to arrive in true Detroit style with. While due to various reasons (mainly time) that plan never came to fruition, had something like this been available, it certainly would have been a contender.
Here’s the ad: “This car is in great shape!!.. Older but runs good, has been kept in the garage for a long time, low original miles!!!… Please call or text with any questions!!.. ”
Those seats look VERY comfortable to me. And while the dash looks very similar (OK, too similar) to what you’d get in a Dodge Spirit, the little touches of plastic timber do perk things up a lot. I love the interior color although it’s completely impractical for our local climate and sometimes sloppy conditions, what’s it called?
It even has the Gold Package. Or maybe they all did, I’m not sure. Being a 1991, it’s a “Salon”model as the “Landau” version was dropped. Still, the Salon got more equipment that year as well as the hidden headlights. And wire wheel hubcaps I guess. My biggest gripe with these is they look too narrow, just like everyone complains about a lot of Japanese cars. Still, those seats, the back bench looks just as good if not even better.
In case the New Yorker doesn’t float your boat, here’s a beautiful example of Buick’s midsize LeSabre. Dating to 1996, this one has apparently just successfully driven to California and back, so it is likely to not present too much difficulty on another journey. Sporting Buick’s excellent 3800 V-6, this will likely be such a smooth and quiet ride, you’ll fall asleep while driving.
Here’s the ad itself with all the details:
“1996 Buick LeSabre Limited, Runs excellent. 141k miles. Brand new tires and brakes. Power everything. Family owned since new. The car was parked for almost 5 years. Clean title. Passed inspection.
Drove it to California and back for Thanksgiving holiday with no problems. Very reliable car. $1750 or best reasonable offer.”
This Buick actually looks to be in very good condition and while the paint might be looking a little faded, could easily provide years more of faithful service.
Here’s Colorado’s favorite car and top seller, a Subaru Outback. With standard AWD this might be a good option for anyone heading straight north from here. Sure, the miles are up there at 266,000 but if the head gaskets were going to leak, they have either done so by now or they never will. The interior looks like new (almost), but at any rate better than most with this kind of mileage. For $1250 how can you go wrong?
Here’s the details on this one, I’ll bet you could haggle the price down even further:
“1996 Subaru outback. Automatic. Power windows and doors. CD player. Good tires. Reliable AWD that is great in the snow.
266,000 miles.
* New starter installed just a couple of weeks ago. New fuel filter.
* 1 year ago : New battery, CV axle and rear brakes.
* 2 years ago: New ball joints.
* 3 yrs ago: New alternator and battery cables. New front brakes and rotors.
* 4 yrs ago: New catalytic converter. New tie-rods. New struts.
I have most all of the maintenance records.
A few things to note. The paint on the hood is faded very badly, otherwise the outside is in good shape with no rust. Has never been in an accident. Like all of the older Subarus, this one burns some oil. I always topped it off every other tank of gas. If you keep a check on the oil, this car should keep going for a long time. The check engine light has intermittently come on and off but has always passed emissions.”
It’s an automatic so that’s Subaru’s venerable 2.5liter H-4 right there, producing the power of 155 thrumming little ponies. At least you know if it breaks down, anybody within at least 500 miles of here in any direction (except maybe east) can fix it.
Yeah, baby, here we go! For only $1550, you can cruise along the interstate in true comfort and style. This one’s down near Denver, but just look at it. A 1993 Lincoln Town Car Cartier. This is my own personal favorite generation of Town Car and this color combination is fairly rare but works. It does have 229,000 miles on it but that just means that unlike your average older Audi, the odometer apparently seems to actually work.
Check out those seats! All-day comfort right there. Here’s the ad copy:
“1993 Lincoln Town Car Cartier Designer Sedan 4 Door.
What a pampered car! Words cannot describe how comfortable this car is.
This wonderful car has been very well maintained. Replacement Jasper engine V8, 4.6 Liter, Re manufactured four speed overdrive automatic transmission, Replacement Air Conditioning Compressor. Working Climate Control, it has Great Heat. Working Air Suspension. Very reliable, and a pleasure to drive.
It is so much more comfortable than most other cars on the road.” It is so quiet, you have a hard time believing that the engine is running. Grandma was too old to drive this car and gave it up. Rust Free! Wonderful Leather Seats! True Factory Dual Exhaust. 25 + MPG on the road.”
Did these really get 25mpg on the highway? Impressive if so. Looks like all the breakable stuff has been replaces, but no details on exactly when…
Still, the engine looks good in this picture, and I can think of worse ways to spend $1550…You’d better get it quick, otherwise Tom Klockau might beat you to the punch!
If you want to be the Mopar version of Jason Shafer then this Plymouth Belvedere is for you. You can meet up somewhere in America on the way to the next CC Meetup in your dueling ’63’s. This is so far before my time I have no idea if this was a competitor to his Galaxie in the showroom or not. I’m sure you all know though.
The chrome all looks pretty good and the hubcaps are in place too. Apparently this guy rarely sells stuff on Craigslist as he actually says he welcomes any and all questions (well, as long as they are in writing)! Here’s the ad:
“I’m selling my beloved Belvedere. 1963 with a V8 318 and push-button automatic torqueflite transmission. The transmission was rebuilt 3 years ago. Mechanically the car is very strong, but it is a project. It needs body and interior to be complete. It’s a pure joy to drive and a wonderful car overall. I’m asking $1800 OR BEST OFFER. Ask me questions, I have the answers. Text or email only please.”
The keys are in it, and that pushbutton transmission on the left is cool. That speedometer looks as big as one you’d find on a new MINI, and overall this seems like a comfy place to spend hours and hours and hours…The front seats are little torn up, but nothing a blanket won’t fix while the back seat looked to be in very good condition. All the car really needs is a wash and a wax (while avoiding the patinated areas) and you can rock your skinny jeans and black framed glasses all the way to the martini bar.
Ooh, how about a Mustang with the 5.0 for only $1,800? Well ok, it’s really only a 4.9 but 5.0 sounds better, right? Holy crap, only 84k miles, a V8, AND a convertible, and it’s the special anniversary year GT350 edition? What’s the catch? Well, there is one but it won’t stop you from jumping in to that almost immaculate interior and driving home so read on.
White on red just works for convertibles, and especially this one. Back in ’84 this was the epitome of cool, and sounded great. So what’s the catch you say? Well, scroll down but it’s not that bad, really.
You have a cousin that works at a body shop, right? Yeah, that won’t just buff out but doesn’t look THAT bad. The seller is even including a new quarter panel. Here’s the somewhat skimpy ad:
“1984 GT350 convertable, 5.0,Auto,aprox 84k. This is a nice driver that needs some restoration work. Nice interior, newer top, original Wheels, damaged right rear 1/4 panel. Have replacement included. $1,800”
But maybe you want something a little more, shall we say, “continental”. Well, for just $1500 or best offer you can have this gorgeous 1992 Alfa Romeo 164L. Sporting Alfa’s lovely V6 with a manual transmission, this’d certainly be a car you wouldn’t be seeing another one of at every interstate rest stop.
And guess what? No touch screen, just more buttons than the Space Shuttle as God and his main man down here, the Pope, intended. I think the engine is on in this picture and there are only three warning lights on, one of which is probably the parking brake, so that’s not bad at all, right?
But even if it does all go wrong and you find yourself at the side of the road, it’d be worth it to be able to just look at that absolutely gorgeous V-6. Could this be the most beautiful transversely installed engine of all time? Yes, yes it could. Those runners are pure porn (the good kind, nothing kinky.). It even tells you it takes the special “0170” formula of oil right there on the filler cap! (smiley face emoji would go here, heh, heh).
Here’s the ad:
“Selling my Alfa Romeo. I got it for myself but have acquired a e30 iv set my sights on and the Alfa been sitting awhile. The Romeo starts right up the first time, every time. Runs & drives very good. Excellent condition minus the clear coat which is fading. Everything original. Nothing is missing. Needs front brake pads to be daily driven. I have ordered them and they will be here by Friday. Manual transmission. Firm clutch. 190k miles. Clean Co title. 1500obo maybe trade”
See? He says it all works. You could change the pads yourself since it’s already after Friday, so they should be there by now. It’s ready. It made it 190k miles, it’ll make it back to your house. Alfas just need to be driven.
Alright, maybe you’re a little nervous about an Alfa, I hear you. Or you’re Mdlaughlin, our current COALer with all the Toyotas. In which case, how about America’s favorite car in every auto enthusiast’s favorite body style? This quite attractive second generation 1991 Camry wagon with only 119,000 miles from way back when Toyota still styled cars sensibly can be yours for $1800.
Those seats look brand new and I know they do not make cloth seats that feel like this cloth anymore. The dash has a little cracking going on but otherwise the interior looks mint. Slap that auto into Drive and you should be good to go for as long as you need, everyone knows these cars are pretty much unburstable and with those miles the 2.0 liter 4cylinder is just starting to get broken in. As a bonus you can even sleep in the back on your trip!
Here’s the ad which unfortunately is a little on the skimpy side but hey, it’s a Camry, what could possibly be a problem?
“For sale is 1991Toyota Camry station wagon. 4 cylinder automatic in good running condition. The interior is clean. Please call or text Kerry. I do not respond to email.”
OK, so the back bumper needs a little paint but at least there’s no dent, right?
So, that was the last of our eight contenders. The question was which one would you spend your money on and drive home and why (and how far)?
Oh, hang on a minute, let’s channel Billy Mays and say “BUT WAIT! THERE’S MORE!” (All caps since that’s how he talked, may he rest in peace.) While searching for these I came across our first CC For Sale again, the 1993 Pontiac Sunbird from a month ago. It is still available which surprised me as a lot of you guys seemed to like it, I thought someone would have jumped on it! The price has been reduced to $700 (was $750) and it still needs the clutch repaired. Budget a couple of days for that and you’ll still be way under budget. So that one’s still an option too as our bonus 9th contender. Happy deciding!
(Author’s note: All vehicles above were still active on Colorado’s Craigslists as of midnight prior to posting.)
I’m in Charleston SC. I would take the Camry wagon. Why? Cause I like wagons and my friend had this generation Camry. It was a great car.
Now if I could just find one near by because I don’t have the time to actually fly out and drive back
Jim, seeing that I’ve been able to inspire you makes me happier than sheer words can describe. Being a positive influence in the life of others is quite rewarding.
Oh, which to pick? Let’s think about it….
The 1991 New Yorker: My parents had a 1991 Dynasty with the 3.3 and Ultradrive. Other than some weird sensor that went wacko at 95,000 miles, the car was utterly flawless. So I’m tempted.
The 1996 LeSabre: Meh. These are still uncommonly common around here. I like it a lot and it would make a great daily driver, which is why I still see them. It would depend upon if my use is daily or recreational.
The 1996 Subaru: That would be a true novelty piece around here, doubling the number of Subarus I’ve seen in the past three years. I’m not wild about the mileage.
The Town Car: With the original 4.6 having crapped out, I’m concerned how the car was treated. That engine only dies if grossly mistreated or the valve guide seals in these early went south and nobody checked the oil. But the engine is new, so maybe the bigger sins have been forgiven.
The 1963 Plymouth: Yes, a direct competitor to the Galaxie. They would make for good garage mates, but this thing makes my Galaxie look showroom fresh which is no small accomplishment. The exterior doesn’t bother me but the interior does. But I’m not ruling it out.
The Mustang: He’s still got the TRX wheels on it which mean a) really expensive tires, or b) the tires on it are older than any iPhone. This generation of Mustang does appeal to me some and the body damage is fixable.
The Alfa: Oh hell no. The thought of an extended siesta in the middle of a rural Nebraska interstate does not excite me. Notice also how I had no such compunctions with the Plymouth. However, the engine would be a nifty stand for a glass top coffee table. So it has some usefulness.
The Camry: I’m strangely attracted to it but also more curious about the Gremlin photobombing the second picture of it.
It all boils down to ultimate use. As a daily, either the Buick or the Camry. For long distance runs, the Lincoln. For recreational use (it is coming from Colorado, after all) it would be the Plymouth or Chrysler.
Not only were they market rivals at the time but it appears that, according to an “unbiased” Consumer entity, car P gave car F and car C a good shellacking in various tests. However I do recall reading in a more comprehensive version of this ad that the Ford had a 260, so I guess it’s excused somewhat.
What the heck a “kilometer run”? In 1963, in the US, listed right after the 1/4 mile? Also what is a Go-Stop-Park.
The Mustang: He’s still got the TRX wheels on it which mean a) really expensive tires, or b) the tires on it are older than any iPhone.
Thought I recognized those wheels. Michelin quit making TRX tires long ago. I don’t recall the exact size a Mustang takes, but Coker charges $285 for a 200/60VR390, $331 for a 220/55VR390.
Due to my previous traumatic experience with a Fox body, I don’t think I would be interested in the Mustang anyway.
For the money you’d be better off getting these, and being able to buy regular tires for it at reasonable prices forever
https://lmr.com/item/WK-39067452/mustang-trx-wheel-kit-r390-style-16×7-7993-machined?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI3pLW9abu1wIVVFgNCh2ZxAcaEAQYAyABEgJP-vD_BwE
I wondered what people do these days for TRX wheels. I mean, $650 for a set of wheels? That’s not bad. You’d pay similar money for cheap-o Chinese wheels.
This almost makes my daydream of getting back my 1980 Capri RS a reality!
No, not really. LOL!
Especially when you consider the cost of just two Coker TRX tire’s costs nearly the same as the whole set. You could very likely get these wheels + a set of 16″ tire’s for them installed and balanced for less than the full set of Coker’s.
When I became aware of these I immediately started rationalizing a 4 eye Mustang project built around the . That likely won’t be happening either lol
Michelin did not stop making TRX tires long ago, where do you think Coker gets them from? http://classic.michelin.com/en/Classic-Tyre-range/TRX That said if I did pick up that car for the immediate drive home the age of those tires and general condition would be a big concern. Long term I think I’d be putting the inch size replica wheels on it.
I recall Coker bought the molds for the TRX tires.
Of those listed: Town Car. It’s RWD, it has air conditioning…and unlike the Subaru, I won’t have to listen to the engine howling at 3500RPM on the highway.
And yes: with the typical 2.73 gears, they really WOULD top 25MPG on the highway.
The early 4.6s are notorious for their bad valve seals (actually the guides are the root of the problem) but the oil control rings are equally bad. I had freshened up late model PI heads on my 94 4.6 Cougar, which should have *in theory* solved the puffs of blue smoke out the exhaust, but nope, never went away. It still consumed a full quart of oil every thousand miles, and after a long roadtrip in 2015, I forgot to check the dipstick and ended up spinning a rod bearing, ironically on the way to NAPA to get oil and change it. The block had just a hair over 100,000 miles
My concern with the replaced 4.6 is where the core parts came from for the remanufacture. Ideally 96 or newer for the longblock (block, heads and rotating assembly) would ensure the long lasting service most later 4.6s are known for.
I’m sure almost everyone here knows the story, but the Plymouth was not exactly a direct competitor to a Galaxie or full sized Chevy. In 1962 Plymouth and Dodge downsized a notch. Halfway through 1962 Dodge brought back a version of the previous big Dodge, the 880, only with Chrysler rear end in order to have something really big to sell. The 1963 standard Plymouth and Dodges were emergency restyles of the 1962 version, so they were still smaller than the competition. The Dodge had a longer wheelbase and rear end, but it was still really the same narrower car. In 1965 Chrysler brought out new big Plymouths and Dodges and the previous standard types were shortened a little and sold as intermediates with new names.
And that 1963 Plymouth is way too far gone and too ordinary to bother with.
The Buick or the Lincoln for me. The Chrysler could be a contender but I don’t trust that Ultradrive.
I remember some rube touting the future collectibility of these 20th Anniv. Mustang “GT-350s” back in the day. I laughed then and I’m laughing even harder now.
Longtime cc lurker here but first time posting. This is a great topic idea, especially appealing to those of us who constantly browse Craigslist in our spare time. I’ll take the New Yorker here. Those leather seats do it for me! -RICH
I was going to go with the TC until I saw the Camry Wagon.
Without doubt, the Alfa Romeo is my choice for this QOTD. I live in Oakville, Ontario, quite a ways away from this little Alfa, it would be unealistic for me to fly out there and drive it back, I just don’t have the time for it.
I’d go with the Alfa because I sold my own black 1991 Alfa Romeo 164L with an automatic and beige interior a week ago, I really loved that car but I needed to make space for the arrival of a new (to me) Maserati.
I’m pretty sure we are going to need you to sign up to become a Cars Of A Lifetime contributor. From an Alfa to a Maserati? There’s bound to be content there!
Hey, neighbour, I’m Mississauga 🙂
+1 to hear from you on your COAL.
As for cars, I’ll take the Lincoln. Since in the one I own, I can’t fit any bodies in the trunk, due to the hybrid batteries.
Tom, you may stay home. I’ll take the Town Car. And while it’s only 700 miles for me to go home I’ll add some sampling a number of National Parks. That would come close to the ultimate CC experience for me.
I was gonna say either the Lincoln or the Buick, both being dead reliable powertrains and in good shape.
Then you showed me the Alfa. Check, mate, and game. I mean, shoddily built, unreliable as all heck (although I’ve heard it’s the Mercedes 123 of post Alfasud Alfa’s- not saying much) and forget about finding a bolt for it, let alone a more complicated part. But turn it on, and lane it down the road- all is forgiven, even the last 4-month vacation and consulate repair bill.
I’m not crazy, I’m just a little unwell…
That is the best descriptor I have heard yet of the Alfa 164: “The Mercedes W123 of post Alfasud Alfa’s”. I’m going to have to use that sometime, thanks!
“shoddily built, unreliable as all heck”
Yes, but this example has clocked 190,000 miles. I’m not sure if that’s a plus (the only well-built 164!) or a minus (is that the world record mileage for a 164?), but regardless it is rather surprising.
The guy that bought my Audi Coupe had a Milano with about a quarter million miles on it. The conventional wisdom is that Alfas need to be driven a lot and not babied at all and then they will do well. Not Corolla well, but European car norm well. Ok maybe not Volvo 240 well either but still better than one might expect…
Either way, you’d end up with either the world record 164 or the best built 164 ever so how can you lose? ?
There’s a curbside-parked 164 I’ve seen used semi-regularly. Lives with a 75 and GTV6.
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/cc-capsule/cc-capsule-alfistissimma/
I’ll take the Alfa. For 2 grand, I’d get value if it was still going after 12 months.
Jim, I would take the Camry wagon for the 110 mile drive up to Cheyenne.
It would be the Camry wagon for me, if I were still into sub-$2000 beaters. But I had enough of those types of cars in the ’90s, and I think that phase of my life (and crawling under them to fix them) is well and truly over.
I think I’ll finally be ready to leave the beaterdom space once we pay off my wife’s medical school loans and have our first kid. I gotta say I’ve had some fun with it and saved a bunch of money (but spent many-a-weekend wrenching).
The New Yorker or the LeSabre for me. Either would make for nice drives with the Mrs. to the Forks of the Credit, or Niagara on the Lake in the summertime. As for the Alfa, I did not think it was possible to cram that many buttons on a centre stack. Compare that to the pic below it of the Camry – the sheer elegant simplicity of that control section is exquisite.
Living in Florida it would seem that the Mustang would be a great choice. But now that others have clued me in to the tire situation, having to invest in some wheels and tires before I get all the way home doesn’t make it seem like all that much of a bargain.
The Chrysler? That exterior color doesn’t really excite me, nearly any other color would be an improvement.
The Buick and/or Subaru? Both too common in my area.
The Lincoln? I already have a 09 Crown Victoria, not sure why I would like to have what is nearly the same thing…but older.
The Camry? No thanks, way too practical.
If not the Mustang, that sweet Sunbird.
Alfa for the win!
The Alfa is a work of art, but well, I live in the mountains of NC (where I think we have the second highest ratio of old Subarus per capita in America), and I have no confidence it would have made the trip from Colorado to NC when new.
So for me, it would be the New Yorker. After all, when push comes to shove, I seem to always buy a Chrysler.
IMO the Town Car, with the replaced engine, is clearly the most reliable and enjoyable bargain on this list.
The Mustang for me. Plenty of cheap go-fast goodies (and wheels) out there in the junkyards and it can’t depreciate any more. I know the top will leak. I can drive this car for 15 years and then ride the next Mustang wave, which will skip the Rodney Dangerfield Mustang 2 and begin to rise under the Fox bodies.
Second choice would be the K-Car or Buick. Highway cruiser and comfy…but not so large as the Lincoln. I like the low miles on the K-car.
If I were concerned about practicality, the Subaru. If not, the Alfa-Romeo. The others just aren’t my cup of tea.
LeSabre for me, with the Town Car in second and the K-Car in third (despite the sad three speed auto).
The old Plymouth gets a 4th for being a good project car. It being an old sedan means collector’s won’t touch it.
Alfa Romeo 5th for being a fun novelty, dunno if I’d actually want to own it long term.
The Camry gets 6th for automatic seat belts. Too sterile, and I don’t need a wagon.
I’d stick the Subaru in last just due to how sketchy Subarus can be. Yes it got to 200k+, but it took a lot in parts to get there.
The K-car (actually, the ’91 New Yorker had fallen quite far from the K-car tree) used the 4-speed Ultradrive, not a 3 speed. Chrysler did revert to using the 3-speed in a few applications with a V6 due to the bad reputation the early 4-speed automatics got, but I don’t think it ever did in this car. Only the first year of this generation, 1988, had 3-speeds exclusively.
The Chrysler, for its comfort across half the continent, and its low milleage. The only quibble would be that it would not be the most fun over Berthoud Pass, which would be my choice out of Denver. But for the long, long stretches after that, it’d be fine…or if one went north, then west on I-80.
Picking the car up from a deep water port? That must’ve been the port of Rotterdam, which is only 40km (25 miles) away haha! But either way, I’d take the Lincoln, gotta love me a big ol’ cruiser.
No, you have to come over here and drive it to one of OUR ports and then it gets shipped to you…The closest one is over 1000 miles away.
Oh I see I’ve misread something, thank you!
The Lincoln would probably make the 1000 miles bearable.
New Yorker, Sunbird, Fury.
I think I’d even replace the ONION with the New Yorker !
The ’63 Plymouth speaks to me because I had one sort of like this back in the late sixties/early seventies. Mine had the 361 CID V8 and was in much better shape, being much newer. To be honest the car in the ad is likely not worth spending much (any) money on; if it is mechanically sound one could just drive it until it rots to death.
The Mustang intrigues me as well; I had an ’84 GT with the TRX wheels and it was replaced by an ’88 GT convertible in this same white with red interior. I foolishly traded the convertible away and have regretted it ever since. The Fox body ‘stang with the 5.0 and automatic is an outstanding combination for cruising.
I have a question for the group; for some reason I’m no longer getting notices in my email when new articles are posted. I believe that this is some sort of settings issue but don’t remember exactly what is needed to fix the problem. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
The Sunbird will need a clutch… Bummer, that doubles the cost of the car!
The Mustang would probably be my first choice, but it’s got a few things that turn me off beyond the dented quarter panel and the god knows how rotted TRX tire’s. 1. It’s a convertible, and Foxbody coupes already have a lot of body flex(and I think they look like K cars with the roofs lopped off), and 2. It’s an automatic, boo.
If it were a coupe anniversary with a 5-speed it would be no contest, but as is the Camry is almost neck and neck with it, which is really saying something if you know me! What can I say, this generation made for an attractive wagon.
The Alfa, like all Alfas, is the most tantalizing on the outset, but then you start to think about it and the answer becomes NO. It indeed is a exceedingly pretty looking V6 engine, but so was the contemporary gen 1 and 2 Taurus SHO V6, and while they aren’t exactly the paragons of reliability themselves, they’re still cheaper to own than the Alfa, and my opinion is the styling is better too, sorry Pininfarina.
Excellent QOTD!!!
From a reliability standpoint, the Camry or LeSabre are probably the safest bets. The Alfa obviously would be my pick, but I’m unsure if it could even make the journey! In that case, my pick would be the New Yorker.
Going to commit personal blasphemy and take that Mustang.
I’m normally a “Mopar or no car” guy, but topless and a 5 0 are a hard combination to beat, especially in this company. You can’t see the dent from the driver’s seat.
The Subaru and Alfa are compelling, however.
The Mustang is the safest buy, even with the banged up rear quarter and I could see some problems up by the left front end. It has a good interior and these things are climbing in price around here. The ragtop and special model label are added pluses. There are tons of subframe connectors, five lug conversions and such available to update the car. I was looking for one but the good ones were all pricey and i ended up with my ’96 GT convertible, which I love. The Lincoln would be good too, in livery service those things rack up over 300k on the clock.
Realistically for me, at where my head is at now, I would go for the Alfa. Just looking at that motor would be worth the price of admission. (Yeah, i know that you’ll probably be under the hood a lot!) Not in the Winter, Spring or early Summer, I would do a good pre trip check out, arm myself with some tools and the shop manual, extended range AAA tow, and hit the road. Start out early morning end before dark. Home to California.
The body damage is mostly confined to one panel. Shouldn’t cost too much to fix.
Can you just swap out standard wheels and tires for the TRXs?
I always preferred the original Fox Mustang interior to the revamped version in late-’80s/early-’90s cars, which tried but failed to look like a Japanese car interior from that era. I prefer the standard seats to the multi-adjustable version on this car though.
Hard to say between the Ford Mustang convertible or the Buick LeSabre, the 1992-96 Buick LeSabre is one of my all time favorite cars of the 1990’s, while I was never a big fan of the 1988-93 Chrysler New Yorker’s exterior styling but I absolutely love the leather interior inside of that car!
For a reliable, low fuss daily driver, I’d take the Buick. Those are still common vehicles on the road around here, and everything on them seems pretty solid. The Lincoln is another strong contender – I’ve always like that generation of Town Car and it should also be solid mechanically. The Camry wagon would also be reliable, has the benefit of not being commonly seen, and has a bit of the quirky-cool factor. Same with the Alfa, though that’s a car I would just like to drive, not own.
Well, now: not to look a gift horse (or horses) in the mouth — but is that damage I spy with my little eye to the right front corner of the K-car ? Could the Belvedere be missing a front right wheel cover ? It isn’t shown in the photo.
Still, quite a nice selection. Santa’s eight reindeer, in steel? The Buick looks good (it, too, is missing something at front right), but the Alfa is the prize, for me.
I like the 63 Mopar and for a weeks pay its a bargain only the postage could be a problem, feeding it could turn into an issue @$2,20 a litre around here but still they were a good car in their day, in my situtation maybe the Camry would be a better bet those were a good model though the new wide body version was here in 91 to replace that version pity its automatic but ok they were still a reliable choice, I did have a 93 Toyota Corona with the same powertrain and it was ok and a 90 Corona diesel with that transmission and it too was trouble free, nice selection pity about the shipping costs.
If only the Gremlin seen through the window of the Camry was included in this $2,000-and-under assortment!
The knee-jerk reaction of course is Panther.
Big Plus, the most desirable trim level of its ear, however it is the least desirable era of aero TC. Massive Plus it still has the Cartier floor mats in good condition.
Big Plus, cosmetically it appears to have been extremely well taken care of. Big minus it appears that it suffered from someone who didn’t take care of it mechanically and/or were ripped off a lot by their mechanic.
You just don’t kill the 4.6 and AOD-E that soon with proper maintenance and reasonable care.
Of course the list of things that have been done could very well be simply because they got ripped off. Engine burns some oil, no don’t switch to 20-50, install a rebuilt engine. Transmission range sensor or a solenoid getting flaky, don’t replace them rebuild the transmission. AC clutch getting flaky, don’t replace just the $50 coil, replace the compressor, drier, and orifice tube.
The other one that catches my eye is that Foxy rag top. The big detractors, other than the obvious body damage is will it make it home on those tires, and the missing 3rd pedal. I have to wonder about the condition of the top as well.
In the end I think I might just toss a coin, though I think the time of year could influence it a bit. Middle of winter TC all the way after a quick stop for some winter tires, some chains and a couple bags of sand for the trunk. Spring or Fall when the weather is not too hot or too cold and no need to rush home that drop top is enticing.
And yes those early aero TCs (and GMs) could get 25mpg all day long back when you could get pure unadulterated gas all day long. They are one of the vehicles that suffer greatly on the E10 that is now what you commonly find in many states. The better aerodynamics of the 6 window body on the CV would actually pull down a consistent 26mpg.
That’s easy: the Belvedere. Use it as a canvass for a sleeper – the bits and the know-how are all out there and, with a sensible plan, it needs not cost an arm and a leg (even here in the EU).
Belvedere, followed by the Chrysler. If the former, would swap in a later collapsible steering column (is that possible?), upgrade the brakes to dual master w’ either a proportioning valve or discs, and slowly upgrade it, while driving it as-is. Perfect NorCal car. That year of Chrysler and that particular model has always appealed to me. Mmmmmm I don’t know why but it’s probably the rich Corinthian leather (iirc it still had that). Those late eighties/early nineties chryco pillow tufted seats are so damn choice!
I kinda also want a car with breaker points because my dystopian brain tells me it would be good to have a vehicle that could survive an EMP. Though Holley self-tuning EFI is so choice on something like this…
The ’91 New Yorker is not a Salon, nor is it a Landau. It is a New Yorker Fifth Avenue, which was the name applied to all New Yorkers of this generation with the stretched rear seat compartment and wheelbase, easily identifiable by the slim vertical opera windows in the doors. The Landau was trimmed like this car but had the short wheelbase shared with the Dynasty, and predated the stretched Fifth Avenue version. The Salon was the base version with the short wheelbase, no standard vinyl roof, non-pillowy seats, and cheaper-looking woodgrain. The last year of the K-based NY Salon – 1994 IIRC – got the fancier Fifth Avenue interior.
The dash is different and nicer than the Spirit/LeBaron/Acclaim dash even if similarly shaped, and later models (including this one) had a slightly reshaped dash what may be the thickest, softest padding to ever grace a dashboard. These New Yorkers had by far the best interiors of all of the K-based Mopars and feel more luxurious and were made with better materials than those in most new cars. Almost no hard plastic to be found, not even on the pillars surrounding the glass.
Either this or the LeSabre would be my pick here, depending on how well the LeSabre is equipped (the optional full set of gauges, warning lights running across the top of the dash, passenger-side temperature control, and armrest-mounted dual power seat controls were wonderfully executed in this car, but few LeSabres were so equipped, though many Park Avenues were). Neither has my favorite interior color (both cars offered burgundy velour, and the dark blue in the Chrysler was also very nice). The ’96 LeSabre was the first to get the awesome Series II 3800 V6, which inexplicably wasn’t used in the ’95 model even though the Olds and Pontiac H-bodies got it, as did the Park Avenue. This engine looked antiquated on paper, but in actuality was smooth, quiet, torquey, powerful, fuel-efficient, and durable, more so than many of the Japanese DOHC V6s of the day.
Both of these cars are terrific highway cruisers.
Fun question. Several interesting choices. But have to go with the Alfa. Owned many cars, but never an Alfa. For this price, and with reliable transportation already in the garage, it’s time to experience some Alfa fun and adventure. Just hopefully not too much adventure.
The Alfa, the Sunbird and the Lincoln are out of the running for me immediately. The Alfa is too fussy, the Sunbird too much of a beater and the Lincoln just doesn’t float my boat. I once owned a Continental, not again.
The Belvedere is cool, but my number one priority with older beaters is a nice interior. I’d rather deal with all kinds of mechanical or bodywork than a crappy interior. So that’s out.
The Mustang… might be fun for this one trip, but not a keeper. What’ll I do with it once I get there? And now that I know about the wheels…. Pass.
The Subaru has my name all over it, but I’ve owned three of them and just don’t relish that particular flashback. I know exactly how every single thing on it would be, I know every sound and feel and smell. And familiarity breeds contempt. Next!
The Chrysler scares me. I’m afraid of things starting to go once that low mileage garage queen starts to actually see some use. I am sure it still has all original belts and hoses, etc. Even scarier is the mental picture of myself owning a car like this. I’d have to color my hair gray and move to Florida. I’m too young for a car like this as a straight-up proposition and too old to drive one ironically. It’s nice, but…
The runner-up? The Toyota. I always liked these cars. I actually owned a ’91 Toyota too, though mine was a Corolla. So in a way this would even be a step up from that. Nice car. It really speaks to me. Too bad it says “remember those annoying motorized seatbelts? Wouldn’t you really rather have a Buick?”
Alright, gimme that LeSabre. Not the most interesting choice, but it’s a car I can live with.
On anything old it is a good idea and not hard or expensive to change the belts and hoses.
I know, I do that with EVERY used car I buy. The problem with cars such as the Chrysler is that there’s a lot of very old original components still on the car beyond what one would think to change during routine preventative maintenance. It’s quite doable, but it’s more than one would want to get involved in with just a beater. You have to really plan on keeping it for a long time, and remember, this is supposed to be a cheap beater, not a classic restoration. I’d rather have a well-maintained high mileage car for a beater than a garage queen with all sorts of deferred maintenance about to come due.
I’ve done the 12 hours from Chicago to Denver. For practicality’s sake I’d take the LeSabre- my mother owned one of that era and it was a solid, pleasant car to drive.
For fun, though, Fox body stang all the way. My wife owned a similar one before I met her and still misses it.
Well, let’s see. I’ve already owned a 1990s Buick LeSabre – nice car, but I’ve gotten it out of my system. The Chrysler is just too damn starchy-looking. The Alfa is beautiful but scary. The Plymouth is too plain and too old. Pass on the badly-dinged Mustang. I don’t feel like chasing down aging and failing electric gizmos on the Lincoln. Sunbird is redolent of bad GM, the Sube is too well-used. I guess it’s going to have the be the slightly gawky but also slightly rare Camry wagon.
Portland, Or here. That pretty much echo’s my thinking. I’m even a little leery of the Camry, mostly because we bought a ’91 Camry as our daughter’s first car. It was solid (actually nicer shape than that one, for $1250), and was totalled a year later. BUT… it ate up $1000 in repairs in the first six months. I replaced it with a ’03 Taurus, under 100K miles, straight and clean, for $2500… seven years ago. That car’s still in the family, and has been a reliable, comfy set of wheels.
My best buy in this price class was for our oldest- a ’95 Ford F150 Supercab 4X4. Had almost all options available at the time, everything worked, new tires, and a dent in the rear quarter panel (show me a 20 yr old pickup without a dent). 146K miles. $1500… in 2007. He still has it, but now pushing 280K miles. Shocks, tires, brakes, an alternator, and a Throttle position sensor… total repairs in a decade! A/C still blows cold, heater hot, all the power accessories work except for the Cruise Control. And he uses it like a truck… he’s not kind to his equipment. Best money I’ve ever spent.
Plymouth! Nothing else comes close. Ok, maybe the Town Car, but I have a fair amount of recent experience with these, so it’s not as novel.
The Buick or the Camry.
In my heart, I’m drawn to the Lincoln but I (1) don’t like the red on red color combination (2) am concerned about the rebuilt aspect. Jasper is supposedly a good rebuilt engine–it’s certainly the most expensive…but the “remanufactured” transmission? I had the THM 400 re-BUILT on my Olds and that’s one thing, but what on earth could have been done to the original on this Lincoln so that they couldn’t rebuild, had to get a “reman” job which who knows what was done. It does seem to me that this car must have been abused somehow.
Likewise, I like the Belevedere but the interior issues are problematic. The Olds cost me $2000 also, so I expect better condition for something that is not a [insert coveted 1960smuscle or sports car here]…in my view, a $2000 car is usually going to need some major repairs like a transmission rebuild or a brake job, but it should at least run, drive, not need major body work other than paint, and have a largely intact interior.
The Alfa or the ’63 Plymouth. Everything else offered is in the ‘meh’ category for me.
If it had to come down to one, the Plymouth wins, only because it would give me a chance to restore a ‘real’ car from back then (‘real’ is defined as what actually sold back then, not what was the high school senior fantasy).
Rationale for the Alfa? It’s an Alfa-Romeo! Period. No Alfa should ever be junked, no matter how much trouble they can be to keep running. Alfa’s are an anti-Toyota.
Given what’s on my brain right now, it has to be the Plymouth. Tune in tomorrow!
The Alfa 164 is far and away the most interesting car here and is beautiful outside and intriguing inside. Still, I’m a very cautious man and I’ve yet to own a European car, let alone an Alfa (although I’ve been tempted a few times!). I’m not sure the 164 is quite exciting enough for me to make such an out-of-character purchase.
The Mustang is also a bit of a “silly” purchase for me because it’s a convertible and I’m just not a convertible guy. Maybe an MX-5 as a weekend car would be fun, but pass on this ‘Stang… Give me a coupe with a stick instead.
The LeSabre is by far the most sensible choice here, perhaps even more sensible than the Camry! They’re still very common though and not really my style–I think I’d prefer a Bonneville.
The Sunbird is a V6/stick car and I’ve always wanted to drive a V6/stick J-Car. I get the feeling though my interest would dissipate after the test drive.
Camry wagon? Still pretty common here, doesn’t hold any interest for me.
Outback? Ehhh, I had a Liberty (Legacy) wagon quite recently. It was nice, but I don’t feel the overwhelming urge to buy another Subie unless it was a WR-X or something.
Belvedere? Impressive, but not my style.
New Yorker? Ugh, I don’t like these. And I’ve ready plenty of reviews that say the ride quality in these isn’t even that great, and if you can’t have a completely plush, isolated ride in a car like this, what’s the point? It sure doesn’t make up for it in handling! Also these just scream geezer-mobile, whereas at least a Town Car or Caprice will get some admiring looks from younger people.
Which brings me to the Town Car. It looks fantastic! I’m not a huge Brougham fan but this is a very attractive generation of Town Car and it’s just interesting enough without being too irresponsible of a purchase.
So, the tl;dr of my comment is I’d take the Town Car, but at the last minute I’d probably have pangs of responsibility and buy the LeSabre.
Most likely to make it home (and keep on makin’ it home) with absolutely zero drama: The LeSabre.
But, since there are no Vegii listed, I’d personally have to go with the Belvedere. I do have /6 experience, after all:
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/curbside-classics-american/fieldside-classic-dodge-slant-six-industrial-engines-making-hay-while-the-sun-shines/
Either the Camry or the LeSabre. I miss that 3800 V6 that was in my Buick….
I would take the Plymouth Belvedere. May I take a moment and reverse engineer the author’s proposition to help me figure out what to do when you only buy cars for $2000 or less and now have four of them in your driveway and have to get rid of three of them? The cars: ’92 Lesabre driven 330,000 miles (200,000 driven by me), blown head gasket; ’94 Toyota Corolla, vibrates when it drives, the stripper of all strippers; ’98 Nissan Altima 5 speed manual; all kinds of gremlins but drives smooth; and finally ’02 Dodge Stratus, 270,00 miles, was my daily driver, but is starting to need work where the cut off point “the car’s not worth it” is starting to be whispered. It’s in the shop for a $200 repair, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed. Any suggestions?
Well, don’t replace your fleet with the Belvedere 🙂
You didn’t say the mileage on the Corolla or on the Altima but given what you did say I assume they have over 200k on them. I’d say try to sell the Buick for $500 (someone out there is handy enough to fix it and keep it going), the Stratus for $800, drive the Altima since it runs well and figure out what is vibrating on the Corolla. Motor mount? Tire?
Then find something like the Camry Wagon or the Buick LeSabre on this list or just the best, newest Camry you can find on the budget and drive it for a while, once confident in it sell the Altima and the Corolla. Then just stay on top of the Camry or LeSabre, hopefully the proceeds from the others cover it for a while. If you insist on or really have need of a backup car, keep the Altima, the Corolla will likely sell faster.
I’m curious as to what the others will say…
Thanks, Jim, for your sensible, sage advice. The prices you proposed for the Lesabre and Stratus seem reasonable, and the Japanese cars seem reliable, even with over 200,000 on the clock. My problems is that I love old American cars, and want to have a car that’s “my car.” I’ve probably owned about 30 beaters in my time, including a ’70 ‘cuda I picked up in 1981 for $1600. It was the kind of car that people say, “Don’t you wish you still had it?”
The Lincoln is the car I’d most want to drive on a long trip from Denver to Sacramento… but I wouldn’t want to drive it once I got back here. Too inefficient, takes up too much space. If the car was going to be my daily driver I’d take the nice practical Camry, but you said “another” car. So that would make the Alfa Romeo my choice. Who cares how reliable it is; I have my current Toyota to drive when it breaks down. The Alfa would be the most fun on the twisty roads in the Sierra Nevada foothills, and it’s the only manual of the bunch.
Plymouth! Who cares about the interior?
Either that or the New Yorker. Everything about them seems not quite right and it’s somehow tantalising. Plus I imagine few people will bother to preserve them.
after a quick scroll, Lincoln Town Car (with the Camry not far behind). Sorry to you 5th Avenue 🙁
(yes I know it’s a New Yorker, but that didn’t rhyme, plus Google images confirms that shape as a 5th Ave.)
Belvedere and Alfa both look tasty. So much car for so little spend.
Of course ongoing expenses are expected, it’d be naive to hope otherwise. Now I really want to take a roadtrip.
Plymouth of course. I might want to wear one of those white disposable coverall suits for the trip though.
It’s a 2,400 km trip to my house from Denver though. I predict lengthy R&R (rest and repair) stops in Jefferson City and Indianapolis…
The distance is less in miles. 🙂 Makes it more palatable…
Come on by.
If I’m after a car for under two kilobucks, I probably also don’t have a lot of money to spend on repairs after the purchase. So:
The Chrysler (A604 ProbleMatic transaxle) and the Alfa (everything from bumper to bumper) are right out of the question; they’re both ticking time bombs set to destroy the owner’s wallet.
The Camry might be worth a pounce, if Canada/rest-of-world front seat belts could easily be retrofitted in place of the unsafe motorised front shoulder belts. It or the Buick are probably the two solid picks of the bunch for minimal chance of costly surprises.
The Plymouth would surely serve reliably, but it’s an unsafe car despite its many charms—pushbutton Torqueflite, an excellent instrument cluster, terrific outward visibility for the driver as long as it’s not cold or wet outside, etc. Too, it probably needs a great deal more mechanical work than the owner acknowledges or understands. The front end, the U-joints (including the costly-to-fix-or-convert front ball and trunnion item), the rear springs, the brakes, and a fair amount of other stuff probably is overdue.
The Subaru: Too much of a crapshoot: too many miles, too much likelihood of costly repairs.
The Stinkoln Clown Car: No, sir. Been bitten too hard by the mediocre, primitive engineering, the crap driving dynamics, and the unreliable, fire-prone electrical systems on Panther cars.
The Mustang: No, thanks; I’m a grownup.
The Stunbird: Eff no. Life is too short to voluntarily spend time in penalty boxes.
I’d have to agree. Sub-$2K used cars are not a smart place to shop for something interesting or exciting — you’ll just end up paying five times the price of entry or else dumping the neglected project car on some other sucker. The Camry and the LeSabre are dull, dull, dull, but you could probably get a reasonable amount of use out of it until something breaks that’s not worth fixing.
With all due respect, retrofitting a collapsible steering column, 3-point seat belts and front disk brakes on that Plymouth is not THAT difficult or expensive to do. I’ll stick my neck out and say that car would cost less to sort out here in _Europe_ than any of the others (yes, including the Alfa. I know the guys who are into them and that V6 really is a mini Ferrari (that is not a good thing, in case anyone asks)).
With all due respect (whatever you meant by that), one cannot make a ’63 car safe by any amount of bolting-on. One can make it somewhat less abjectly dangerous, but nowhere near as safe as even the least-safe ’80 or ’90 or ’00 car. The safety engineering that does the bulk of the job of protecting occupants has to be designed and built in from the start, and cannot be retrofitted.
All over the map here, but my picks:
1) Plymouth Belvedere
2) Camry Wagon
3) Mustang Convertible
The Toyota is no doubt the most practical cheapo car in this list. I would however take the Chrysler. Low mileage, and it’s a wacky mini-limo. The most gilded and gussied up K Car ever. Plus fake wire wheels and pointless covered headlights. It’s almost awesome.
Somewhere along the line Alpha redid the center stack wall of buttons.
OK, so I think any and all of them COULD be OK. Will agree that the Town car would have to be the most comfortable for what for me would be a 1300 mile trip back. But just not exactly what I want or need to drive once I’m back here. The Buick with the 3.8L would be another safe bet, but again not exactly right for me. The Toyota wagon would be another reasonably safe bet, and I really can’t recall the last time I saw a Toyota of this vintage. The wagon aspect has some appeal, and being so clean and well-kept there might be times someone in the rust belt would offer me more than I paid for it; but I think not. Now some aspects of the Mustang are cool, but maybe not so ideal for a road trip. Again, the Subaru would likely work OK, and it certainly looks decent for it’s age, but I’ll pass. Even the Sunbird isn’t bad for the money, but I think not. Have mentioned that I learned to drive on a 1963 Dodge, and my first car was a 1963 Chrysler Three Hundred (as in NOT a letter-car), so a 1963 Plymouth with the push-button automatic transmission would be cool to drive and own. Just a bit less than ideal for a road trip, though. The seemingly clean and well-kept appears as pretty awesome for the money. With the v6 and manual transmission it is sort of a temptress! Would really like to find out what it’s like. But, sadly, again might not be the most practical for a road trip. That clean, low miles Chrysler Fifth Avenue would be JUST RIGHT!! My father had a similar looking one 20 plus years ago and I know it makes a good road trip car as I went to a car swap meet and show to Charlotte and back in it years ago. Was very smooth and comfortable on the highway. My father’s car had the cloth interior, but I really have always liked the looks and feel of the leather, too.
Of all these cars, I’m longing most for the Sunbird. In fact, I’m feeling a little sorry for it, having been for sale for a month now. Even with a new clutch, it was still undercut the price of many of the other cars, and it would be reasonably enjoyable to drive, and less likely than many of these cars to leave me stranded.
Many have mentioned the Daily Driver vs Fun Car dilemma:
DD: Though I’m a Ford guy, the demonstrably reliable Buick sorta ties with the Toyota (though the latter being a wagon tips the balance for me).
Fun Car: Lincoln or Chrysler at my present age; a younger me would grab the Mustang.
Fun column, fun choices!
No one opts for the Subaru, eh? I had an Outback of that generation and it was my favorite car of all time. I’d guess that the intermittent check engine light followed by the comment about it passing smog means there are catalytic converter problems. Even if one had been replaced, there’s possibly two or even three cats on that car. That’s an expensive repair. I also had an ’05 Outback that had an aftermarket cat installed by the prior owner. When it came time for me to register it, every shop failed it visually on the smog test.
Gonna have to be the ‘Stang, then. But if the owner has the replacement panel, why hasn’t he installed it? What else would you find if you started disassembling it?
Failed cats on a Subie can also imply that both they and the oxygen sensors are being contaminated by an upstream issue: leaking head gaskets.
as a prior owner of both a 93 Grand Marquis and a 94 Town Car i can confirm that , YES! these do very easily get 25 MPG on the highway. my Town Car had the factory (stainless!) dual exhausts and it would get 21.7 – 22.2 MPG like clockwork in mixed driving… on road trips when i could keep her at a steady 70 MPH i saw 27-28 MPG with ease… on my normal 80 MPH blasts i saw 25 all the time… Not Bad for a $600 car that i put 50,000 miles on with the only expense being a blown heater hose and a set of replacement (used) tires… oh and i swapped the front seats for a set of 50,000 mile pillowtops out of an 80s grand marquis…. amazingly comfortable….
Love that 4.6 motor… i fed it used motor oil form my nicer cars exclusively… added a quart every 1000 miles and drained the whole pan every 5000, new oil filter every 10,000 miles…. i bought it with 180,000 and scrapped it with 234000, after the brake lines blew out and the cost of new lines was more than the car was worth! lol
As much as that Alfa probably cost when new, you would think that they might have come out with their own radio instead of raiding Chrysler’s radio bin. Other then the Alfa branding the radio is the same one that you could get in half a dozen Mopar cars of the same era.
I would take the 93 Sunbird. Those manual transmission V6 J cars are pretty quick and are fun to drive.
I like the color of the pain(whats left of it) also
Gotta make it back to Jacksonville, Florida you say? That pretty much narrows it down to the Lesabre, and I’ve got a soft spot for Buicks. Roomy, dependable, and unlikely to attract the attention of tourist-seeking highway patrolmen.
The Lincoln sounds tempting, but with such high mileage, if the air suspension blows, it’ll be a rough ride home.
The Camry gets high marks, too; if only for just being a wagon.
Mustang? The old man I bought my ’71 Impala hardtop from 36 years ago said, “Everyone should own a convertible. Once.” Based upon that sage advice, I’ll pass.
The ’63 Plymouth? I can’t grow a decent beard, so I won’t fit in at the hipster martini bar. Pass.
Subaru? Those miles might be acceptable on a Suburban, but not a Subaru. Besides, the “Subaru image” isn’t my cup of tea. Pass.
The “bonus” Sunbird? Define “bonus”. Pass.
Then there’s the initial offering of the New Yorker? No “New Yorker” I know of (and I grew up in western NY) would want to be caught dead driving that POS. Or rather pushing it. So…pass.
That leaves us with the Alfa. One notch below the Chysler on the dependability scale. My dream car is a late 70s Sprint Veloce, so it has some appeal. But I am a pragmatic, and as Jason said earlier in this thread, that motor would make a bitchin’ coffee table stand! Now, if I could fit the motor inside of the trunk of the LeSabre, then I’m all aces. If not, I know it’ll fit inside the Town Car’s trunk. I’m still golden!
Its 1200 miles back to Mid-Michigan, so the LeSabre is an easy pick. Since I assume it has seen plenty of road salt, going to want to check the subframe bushings though, those rusting out seems to be one of the common endings for C/H bodies around here.
If it was local, I’d definitely take a look at the ’63 Plymouth, but just from the pictures that dash looks really awful…
1,300 miles from Denver to North Alabama, huh?
For me, it’s a tie between the Camry and the LeSabre. Both have reliable drivetrains and both can last a very long time with the proper amount of care, but the Camry’s practical wagon body and its better fit and finish puts it over the LeSabre, despite it’s boulevard smooth ride and spacious interior.
The Town Car runs a very close third. It’s a proper American luxury car that eats up highway miles and asks for seconds, but that replacement engine has me concerned. On the other hand, at least it’s had its fair share of work done recently.
The Mustang’s tempting, but ultimately out. I dream of wedging a Coyote 5.0 motor into one of these boxy Fox bodies, but it’s still a dream at this point.
The Subaru’s out. AWD isn’t necessary for Deep South duty and I’m wary of that flat-4’s appetite for head gaskets.
The Alfa’s out. My bank account is nowhere near big enough to tend to that temptress.
The Sunbird’s definitely out. I just can’t stand J-cars, plus I know it’ll put me on the side of the road before I reach St. Louis.
The Belvedere’s sadly out. No space to store it while it gets the loving restoration it deserves.
The New Yorker? That’s out, too. That interior looks just as comfortable and inviting as your great-grandmother’s living room, but the mechanicals underneath aren’t known for being all that durable.
I’m right there with you. Camry and Lesabre for top candidates, based primarily on predicted reliability (both should have good parts availability as well should I need to get something in some small town). Maybe I’m playing this game wrong and thinking too seriously/literally. On a $2k car that needs to make it across the US, reliability is hands down my biggest priority. I’ve actually played in this space in Indianapolis no less, for my last 4 cars in the last several years (I fix them up drive them for a while, get bored and flip).
In order:
2000 Nissan Maxima SE 142k miles $1600: CEL on for leaky y-pipe and coil resistance fault (no misfires), totally blown out struts, and a scrape on the rear quarter panel and some rust starting on the body. But it had fairly new tires, and a strong and smooth running VQ30. This was a bit of an impulse buy to be honest, should have inspected it closer. Ended up having a pretty rotten core support. Did some quick body work, put new struts/shocks/brakes on it, ended up selling for $2350.
1996 Lexus ES300 203k miles $1600: this one was a winner. Long term owner since it came off lease in ’98, decently maintained with fluid changes. Also somewhat tired struts but still rode decent, and dry rotted and worn michelin tires. But all the suspension bushings were original and still tight, body was very clean as was the interior, engine and transmission were flawless. I threw some junkyard steelies and snow tires on this one, and spent the money on a t-belt job at my brother’s place. Sold in the spring for $2200 during tax-refund season
1997 Ford Ranger XLT 127k miles $1700: perfect truck for my landscaping projects this summer. Cleaned up great with no visible rust on the exterior, but it turned out to have an entirely rotted apart core support at the front body mounts. A lot of neglected maintenance but I drove it as-is all summer hauling gravel, pavers, lumber, rental equipment, commuting in it, etc. Finally decided to put some money into fixing a bunch of the issues, intended to weld in a new core support. Parts cost peanuts for these, but I quickly ran up a bill on labor that ultimately put me fairly deep in the red on this thing (Sold for $2500, total spent was near $3500).
Brings me to my current steed, this is “cheating” in that it wasn’t bought on CL but through a work friend:
2003 Honda Pilot EX 176k miles $500: clean single owner car with an immaculate interior, good Michelin tires, very nice accident and rust free body. BUT: some scary looking rust on the unibody where one of the rear subframe bushings bolted up. Had a local welder repair it very professionally for $500. Put new struts assemblies, rear shocks, rear rotors and pads, and a front lower control arm for another $500. So $1500 total invested in what is approximately a $5k car on the open market.
Hmmmm… decisions, decisions. For me it’s a three-way tie between the Town Car, the Belvedere, and the Mustang. What the hell, I’ll take all three of them 😀 !
Camry all the way, these are rare now in Chi-land, due to rust. So would be nice to have a ‘haven’t seen one in awhile’ car, but also not have to worry about break downs.
LeSabres were full size cars, not mid size, by the way.
I’d go with the Mustang – I always liked that red and white color scheme, and the Subaru wagon.
The ’91 New Yorker. I love those buttoned seats.
I’d definitely go with the Camry wagon. I think it’s even eligible for antique plates. I had a Buick LeSabre in college and they are fantastic long distance cruisers. Put good snow tires on it and it punches above it’s weight class in the white and fluffy. I can find Buicks all day long locally. Camry wagons are much more rare.
I’d pick the Lincoln, although the Camry is very tempting. My first car was a Park Avenue Ultra the same year and color as the Buick.
Here in the SF Bay Area People’s Republic, the New Yorker would be a rare bird indeed. There are probably more Ferraris than New Yorkers here. Just the thing for a cruise to Palo Alto.
Truth be told, I wouldn’t trust any of these old cars on a long road trip except for the Camry. They’d all make good seccond cars, though. I guess it just depends on your patience, taste and bank account. American cars aren’t at all my taste (despite inheriting a 2000 LeSabre), the Subaru doesn’t knock my my socks off, I like the Camry wagon, and the Alfa is a piece of art.
About the Alfa: What many people don’t know about the 164 is, they only suffer 3 common issues. One is the frequent timing belt service schedule (5 years or 30k miles), HVAC stepper motor (similar to a blend door actuator which is actually out in my 2000 LeSabre as we speak), and the suspension stuck in sport mode on S models. If those belts at maintained, they will give long, relatively reliable service (for its age). The mileage is no anomaly. I’d say the timing belt intervals are the BIGGEST Achilles heel for that car besides the cost of *some* and availability of indie mechanics.