thinking of getting vehicle

luvs · Feb 6, 2013

between getting cabs/busses, tipping cabbies twice a day, the cost of taking either, being squished into a cluster of people & thier groceries when the seats get full, or plain being passed by, as not 1 extra person could squeeze into that aisle-

i've decided a car may be the better mode of transportation. i was gonna get 1 fer Christmas & we decided to wait on that. i needn't drive fancy, new cars until i've a career established. preferred my cavaliers, so used is preferred. my dad owned a shop where he fixed cars. he could shop w/ me once i have the specifics in mind, & check the car over fer me. i wouldn't drive much- rather would use my shoes to get over bridges & like 50+ blocks when feasible. sometimes there is ice & snow & bitter cold, tho, on the sides of the roads when the road's clear. thoughts/pointers appreciated. hm.

RoadKing · Feb 6, 2013

Good Luck, My method for used cars was always,
1. simple as possible, the more options = more stuff to break down
2. I always bought something that the junkyards were full of, a lot on the road, parts are easily available and most garages can fix them.
3. this rule seems to apply more today the uglier or boxier the car on the outside the more comfortable on the inside.

Just my 2 cents
:drive2:

bczoom · Feb 6, 2013

RoadKing said:
2. I always bought something that the junkyards were full of, a lot on the road, parts are easily available and most garages can fix them.

I don't know if I agree with this one. If the junkyards are full of them, there's a reason and it's not because they were all in accidents.

A couple things I'd consider.
- A 4 season vehicle. You're in Pittsburgh. The only thing that may be flat is the floor in your living room. You'll want something that can take the hills. I'd probably skip rear-wheel drive.

- Size. With mainly city driving, I'd go with something relatively small.

- Parking? Are you parking on the street or in a garage or ??? If parking on the street or in an unsecured location, I'd pick something that's a dime-a-dozen vehicle and wouldn't get a second glance. If in a pay to park location, what does that cost and that needs added to the cost of ownership.

Something like a Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla keeps popping to mind.

luvs · Feb 6, 2013

i'm not considering a junkyard car,

. used isn't junk. often is a trade-in.

a cavalier is neither boxy or un-comfy. as i said, my dad was a transmission shop owner. i think he may know how to choose & fix a car. (he re-built his from scratch.)

bzoom, the main stretches're flat. forbes ave., the strip district, liberty ave., & also bridges- then there's the rest. & that shovel & snow.

2nd pt.- yep. gotta squeeze into on-street parking & garages where half the ppl take 2 parking spots to themselves.

we park fer $0 @ my place. jus' when goin' somewhere have i needed to pay.

luv audis. they've 4wd ones.

bczoom · Feb 6, 2013

luvs said:
luv audis. they've 4wd ones.

That's what Mrs. Zoom uses for her daily driver. She's run it up to 170K miles so far and it's only needed relatively minor maintenance. Her previous Audi needed a new tranny...

We were going to sell it in a couple months but the Mrs. decided she wants to keep it for our daughter who will start driving this fall.

ki0ho · Feb 6, 2013

HAY thats a great idea!!!!!then the boy friend will come around more.....FREE cab service.....a good reason to hang around!!!!!! :whistling:

thepooguy · Feb 6, 2013

i agree 100% with roadking on "buy what the junkyard is full of" you will find that the BEST engine ever built will be the cheapest to buy and the most available. when you go to look for the WORST engine ever built you will pay BIG BUCKS as they are all used up and demand is huge for them. I ALLWAYS tell people looking for a 3 or 4 year old car to call someone you know at a junkyard. you will also see them driving them for their parts runners as they dont want to drive something that is in demand and worth alot of money in parts.

luvs · Feb 6, 2013

ki0ho said:
HAY thats a great idea!!!!!then the boy friend will come around more.....FREE cab service.....a good reason to hang around!!!!!!

quit instigating. he can ride on a sled.

JEV · Feb 6, 2013

ki0ho said:
HAY thats a great idea!!!!!then the boy friend will come around more.....FREE cab service.....a good reason to hang around!!!!!!

Hell, he might even decide to trade cleaning up after himself for free transportation. I can see the movie to come...

Driving Mr. Blake!
:yum:

FWIW, if I was out of work and living in the city, the last thing I would be looking to do is parting with what little cash I had to add the expense of car payment, fuel, insurance and the inevitable maintenance. luvs must be independently wealthy and wanting to stimulate the economy.

As every man knows..."If it has boobs or wheels, it's going to be a problem."

luvs · Feb 6, 2013

very adult, joe. inadvertant jabs at an illness i'm fixing w/ great ferver & inhibits me from Chef-work at this time- very manly.

Kane · Feb 6, 2013

Snowtrac Nome · Feb 6, 2013

my suggestion is buy some thing cheap to drive the little vw diesels are good usualy get good economy. toyota makes some little 4 cylinder fwd cars that are cheep to own and drive. another jap car that seems to be good bang for the buck is subaru products those little things just go and go. some of the new americain cars i know nothing about except ,all they seem to be doing is trying to cram the largest possable motors in there products, and gas milage will suffer the exception being the ford focus a buddy of mine has one and likes it alot. forgot to mention don't buy a honda they make a great product until you have to work on one changed an alternator belt on one of those boxy pimpcans they make took near 1 hour and i only had to loosen 3 screws.

bczoom · Feb 6, 2013

[mod hat on]
Cut out the jabs guys. She's asking about a car. Why don't we help her with that?
[/mod hat off]

muleman · Feb 6, 2013

Get a small 4 cyl. 4X4 like the geo metro or toyota rav4. Easy to park and cheap enough on gas. Skip the Prius as they don't like snow on hills. A little diesel like Don mentioned would be good also.

JEV · Feb 6, 2013

luvs said:
very adult, joe. inadvertant jabs at an illness i'm fixing w/ great ferver & inhibits me from Chef-work at this time- very manly.

Lighten up, Luvs. This is FF and if you want to play with the big kids you have to be able to take lighthearted humor. It goes both ways. FWIW, I said nothing of any illness, so that is not admissible. There is always the ignore option for your pleasure.

Mama · Feb 6, 2013

Aubrey, I bought a 1989 Chevy Cavalier new and drove it 289,000 miles before it gave up the ghost. It had a standard transmission and did have to replace the clutch once but it ran great. It was a very dependable car. If you can find a cavalier that has been taken care of, I think you will be happy with the service you'll get. Ours had over 200,000 miles when the clutch went out, that was the only time we had to put it in the shop. It needed other minor repairs over the years like the water pump and new hoses but nothing really major and DH was able to do all of the repairs except the clutch. There are lots of them so finding parts for them at a junkyard isn't an issue.

The head gasket blew at 289,000 so we gave it to someone at church who had another cavalier that needed a new body. I think that little car is still on the road with a new motor under the hood :biggrin:

Whatever you choose, I wish you the best of luck!

mla2ofus · Feb 6, 2013

Don't know how old you want but the early 90's Buick Century's are great cars. Still see a lot on the road. We've had an '89 Century we bought 3 yrs ago at an estate sale. The lady owner, who'd passed away, bought it new and it had 77k miles. Get's 18-20 mpg around town and 26-28 hiway. I wouldn't be afraid to take it on a long trip.
Mike

BigAl · Feb 6, 2013

Just get something 4 cyl /good gas mileage , and small in the 1990s range . Its going to get beat up and dinged by knuckleheads who open their door and hit yours . I would start out by talkng with a insurance company on which cars cost less to insure .
Good luck on your choice .

luvs · Feb 6, 2013

bczoom said:
[mod hat on]
Cut out the jabs guys. She's asking about a car. Why don't we help her with that?
[/mod hat off]

TY, bzoom. appreciate that.

luvs · Feb 6, 2013

JEV said:
Lighten up, Luvs. This is FF and if you want to play with the big kids you have to be able to take lighthearted humor. It goes both ways. FWIW, I said nothing of any illness, so that is not admissible. There is always the ignore option for your pleasure.

a few jabs is :biggrin:

. too many, tho, mean too much. how 'bout if i posted that your pasta & bread look awful. (metaphorically, joe)- critiqued, picked. gave reasons why i would stay far from that ravioli. then the others agreed & also tacked thier own reasons on, too.. - would u grin, or would you be annoyed. a tad ticked.

luvs · Feb 6, 2013

mama, cavaliers rock. there's a used-car dealer near me, & he's got many. that was kind of yinz to donate to another.

mla2- i've owned an 84 & co-owned a cavalier when i was 19, 20-ish or so. found older models to be better. my Parents' (when my Mom was w/ my old-dad) got monte carlos ea. few years. (i drove the 1- smooth ride.)
jus' lookin' fer affordable, attractive, minimal maitnence (i know how to change my own oil, the meaning of various noises & how to fix most, etcetera.)

& thanx, al. there's those denting fools. solid though, there.

appreciate the thoughts, guys.

muleman · Feb 6, 2013

Attractive?? WTF? Anything looks good if you are hoofing it. Paint and pretty won't get you home. A good running easily worked on with good tires will.

JEV · Feb 6, 2013

luvs said:
a few jabs is . too many, tho, mean too much. how 'bout if i posted that your pasta & bread look awful. (metaphorically, joe)- critiqued, picked. gave reasons why i would stay far from that ravioli. then the others agreed & also tacked thier own reasons on, too.. - would u grin, or would you be annoyed. a tad ticked.

Until you post something more eye appealing, I would just think that perhaps the chef is jealous of the cook. I'm not threatened by a culinary degree, nor do I allow my feelings to be tickled on this or any forum. If you're easily tickled, perhaps you should not tread where angels fear to tread...metaphorically speaking, of course. :whistling:

luvs · Feb 6, 2013

wait. i spend half my morning on hair, cosmetics, getting my gear chosen, choosin' boots fer the socks i've on, changing my mind, picking new attire & hair & eyeshadow, new boots, then a coat. & hat. i hafta be acceptable.

oh, joe, u've not seen my food talent. that's so it's not copied. i was awarded. published. i have a gorgeous food portfolio laden w/ pix. i have scads & scads of pix. nobody says i hafta post them. in fact, Chef requested i keep recipes & pix to myself so i can use them toward my career. wink. i know eye-appeal. i'm not threatened by u, joe. i'm w/ limited use of my appendages until time heals them. i've nil shame in plating something rather than nothing & knowing i gave effort. being imperfect is okay. i'd rather have a non-gorgeous plate fer safety's sake. & when i get well, i'll plate as beautifully as i was months ago. until then, i luv stouffer's & ensure +.

JEV · Feb 6, 2013

luvs said:
wait. i spend half my morning on hair, cosmetics, getting my gear chosen, choosin' boots fer the socks i've on, changing my mind, picking new attire & hair & eyeshadow, new boots, then a coat. & hat. i hafta be acceptable.

oh, joe, u've not seen my food talent. that's so it's not copied. i was awarded. published. i have a gorgeous food portfolio laden w/ pix. i have scads & scads of pix. nobody says i hafta post them. in fact, Chef requested i keep recipes & pix to myself. wink. i know eye-appeal. i'm not threatened by u, joe. i'm w/ limited use of my appendages until time heals them. i've nil shame in plating something rather than nothing & knowing i gave effort. being imperfect is okay. i'd rather have a non-gorgeous plate fer safety's sake. & when i get well, i'll plate as beautifully as i was months ago. until then, i luv stouffer's & ensure +.

Whatever...I'll believe it when I see it. You don't hide a candle under a bushel basket.

luvs · Feb 7, 2013

JEV said:
Whatever...I'll believe it when I see it. You don't hide a candle under a bushel basket.

u'll see nothing. my entire point. the portfolio is fer me & my interviews; not to appease joe. when i was makin' 'at portfolio, my thought was not, 'this is fer joe!' was kinda, 'i hafta get this typed before we're dismissed from the 'puter lab.' seriously, u'll think as u choose to think. not my job to change that. my job is to be me- not to change joe's mind.

my photos got erased in my profile. i have 'em, though;- flashdrive, phones, 'puters, chips, & my Mom, blake, & vinny

JEV · Feb 7, 2013

luvs said:
u'll see nothing. my entire point. the portfolio is fer me & my interviews; not to appease joe. when i was makin' 'at portfolio, my thought was not, 'this is fer joe!' was kinda, 'i hafta get this typed before we're dismissed from the 'puter lab.' seriously, u'll think as u choose to think. not my job to change that. my job is to be me- not to change joe's mind.

my photos got erased in my profile. i have 'em, though;- flashdrive, phones, 'puters, chips, & my Mom, blake, & vinny

I'm mentally visualizing the seething anger you're projecting with those words, and I'm literally sitting here chuckling to myself over it (Hell hath no fury... :doh:

).

Hey, I'll leave you to your secrets and make this my last post on this topic. I fully expect you to remain true to form and have the last word to "put me in my place", because it's a chicky-poow wimminz thang. Have at it, sweetie, my work here is done. To show you what a really nice guy I am, here's a nice plate of Chicken & Broccoli Casserole so you don't have to eat those salt laden TV dinners...enjoy!

Mama · Feb 7, 2013

I thought you had to be an adult to post on this forum?

bczoom · Feb 7, 2013

Mama said:
I thought you had to be an adult to post on this forum?

That, and I thought we were talking about cars.

NorthernRedneck · Feb 7, 2013

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CezNIRYYGY"]Cat Fight - YouTube[/ame]

thinking of getting vehicle

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