Growing Up or One Foot In The Grave? Options

[turbohcar]

Lately, the question has been posed to me that if I could only have one vehicle, what would it be?

After thinking much about this it's hard to say. There are tons of vehicles out there that I'd love to own, just none that I can say for sure. I've sold the daily driver and now it's time to get ready for winter. My original plan was to put the Camaro in the storage unit for winter time. I'm not soo sure of that now. I've been talking with the girlfriend alot lately and I'm thinking of going down to one vehicle for practicality reasons. It's too darn expensive to have two vehicles anymore. Yes, it's true. I'm seriously considering selling the Camaro I just bought this summer. It's been great and I can honestly say, I want to come back soon but it's just not plausible right now. I'm trying to live the Hugh Heffner lifestyle on a $20k yr salary and go to school and it's just not working out. I can't afford two cars anymore and I'm tired of living week to week barely making it by. I absolutely LOVE the car, it's just not the right time in my life for it. Face it, I live in Illinois.... it snows like sh!t here in the winter. Camaros suck in the winter (and the rain for that matter) so it has to be put into storage and I have to find a beater. I'm tired of the junk beaters. I want to drive something nice and not worry about it breaking down. I'm tired of borrowing other people's cars for long trips because I'm afraid mine won't make it. It truely disgusts me to think about selling it but, I have to face facts.

I don't like the idea of not having a toy but who says you can't have your cake and eat it too? I'm thinking a low miles 98 or newer Grand Prix GTP maybe. The infamous Supercharged 3.8L from GM. Positive intake pressure may be mine once again! It's a slow, grandma 4-door car on the outside with plenty of luxuries on the inside but, under the hood lurks a 240hp V6 with a roots type blower on it. It may not be much for some of you extremists but it kind a tickles my fancy. 18mpg in the city (same as the Camaro everywhere) and 28mpg highway.

SLP also makes smaller pulleys and exhaust for this bad boy so there are some aftermarket manufacturers out there that are supporting the platform.

Ideas? Comments? Any other cars you would like to suggest pleeease speak up. I've got a range of about $7500 that I want to stay within and stay away from taking out a loan. That would defeat the purpose so, it's a definite no. Thanks!

[black92_tsi_awd]

Kind of defeats the purpose of buying a responsible car and then modifing it....that said, I have friend with a GTP running mid 12's. It would make a close race between us next year!

I would just drive the camaro through the winter. Buy some good snow tires and learn to drive a RWD in the snow. It's no worse than a truck, I drove a truck exclusively for over ten years. You'll do fine.

[turbohcar]

Modification to the GTP would be less than the Camaro ever would see. The Camaro needs work, more work than I can probably afford. Body work for the most part is it's problem now. Eventually it'll need a built transmission and a freshened top end for what I want it to be. That's money I don't really want to spend on an LT1 automatic to be honest. If I had the money while I was looking for a Camaro it would have been a six speed LS1 car.

I've driven RWD in the snow and ice before. Two winters ago I had the S10 2wd pickup. It was the most frustrating winter of my life and I grew to dispise it's inept snow treading ability. The Camaro has good tires on it now and it still gets loose at the thought of touching the throttle.

I guess alot of my questioning derives from the fact that I've never had a vehicle with absolutely NO problems. There's always been little stuff here and there that always seems to cost sooo much to fix and I never get it corrected.

[Eclipse223]

i have also a 2000 Buick Regal GS 3800SC u can get them for a good price around what ur looking. Also i just made a intake for it for $24 and it ran a high 9.7 in the 1/8th witch is not bad. So take a look at them if u put an intake and pully and pcm on them and take the u-bend out u have a car that can run damn good for what u have in it witch is under $450

[turbohcar]

I'm not much into the looks of the Regals, but yes they are the same potent platform. It's not so much about trying to be the best or have a fast car, it's more about being reliable, well kept, and flaw free. The supercharger I think is more for entertainment purposes than anything. That and I've never had a supercharged vehicle, they can be had in the price range I'm looking free of defects, and very durable.

I've had a friend suggest that I keep the money from my other daily driver and pour it into the Camaro and drive it through the winter. I can't say that I want to put that kind of money into a 12 year old car that needs this much work to be free of defects when I can pool the money and buy something equally entertaining and much more car for my dollar.

Any other cars you guys would suggest?

[AWD DSM 1]

If you want something trouble free, look for a honda or toyota 2-door. Great mpg, most are fairly peppy, but nothing worth modifing (very possibly an advantage if you want it to stay reliable). Newer Cavalier, or a Focus... a compact FWD. In a lot of ways I miss my 05 Cavalier.... 30mpg, 5speed so it was still fun to drive, and slow enough that I didn't want to waste any money modifying it.


Face it: CHEAP - FAST - RELIABLE (pick two)

[awd4kicks]

As usual it all comes down to what you really want.

If you don't want RWD sideways driving in the winter then the Camaro isn't for you. (Which means that you probably over sold yourself on it when you bought it.)

GTP's are nice and I wouldn't mind having one. No harm there. FWD is better for normal driving through snow, but it's no miracle worker especially with 240 HP.

I would only ask that you make sure it's what YOU want and not what anyone else is telling you that YOU want. Cause in the end you you will come to realize that you didn't want what they talked you into in the first place. And you will be right back where you started along with some spite.

Just my .02

[turbohcar]

I would only ask that you make sure it's what YOU want and not what anyone else is telling you that YOU want. Cause in the end you you will come to realize that you didn't want what they talked you into in the first place. And you will be right back where you started along with some spite.

Just my .02

This is the hard part. I have no idea what I really want. Everything has it's advantages and disadvantages. I'm so messed up in the head right now I can't even concentrate. If I didn't live so far from school/work driving the Camaro wouldn't be a bad idea.

GAWD I want an EVO!!!! EVO under 10k??? Anybody?

[haunter]

i put a camaro in a farm field after an inch of fresh snow, but that was with 275's up front that were treadless


its fun at times, but not the best DD if you dont live inside of town or your town sucks at plowing.....

but just for the record


we don't get SHIT for snow here in IL!

[natedogg]

We haven't the past few years, but I remember years back in grade school when we were snowed in and school was shut down almost an entire week. What a glorious time that was in my young life.

My point is we have weather and climate trends. The farmer's almanac does a pretty good job of predicting based on these trends. We could trend for a bunch of snow for a few years or trend for very little snow like we've had for past few years.

BOT, Brett, have you considered looking into some used WRX's? AWD for good year round traction, sporty, and pretty reliable as long as you don't overmod it.

[haunter]

I can't recall a big snowfall offhand in teh last decade, esp not compared to what my mom's parents see at the stateline of IL and WI


when I was really little we had some big ones here in CU


its all relavtive, I have spent a fair amount of time in WI and CO so the snowfall here to me is pitiful.


Brett, you could alsogo for the beater with a heater DD and a fun toy 2-car method instead of 2 enthusiast vehicles. grab an older corolla/accord/prelude/civic/sunbird/cavi etc that gets around town fine gets good MPG and drives fine in the snow on its nice 160 front tires and keep a toy....

[turbohcar]

Haunter, my opinion of snow seems to be "slightly" different than yours. I could live without snow and actually, I would prefer to. If arrangements were different right now I'd move further south but it just isn't an option right now with my career just starting and still going to school.

I've tried the beater + fast car route recently and that's what has me frustrated. Both the beater and the fast car need quite a bit of work. Work that I really am not excited or financially stable to do right now. I could, in theory, combine the accumulated funds from said vehicles and buy one nice, flawless, yet fun to drive daily driver.

I haven't looked at the WRXs no, but would they even be in the price range? Like I said, $7500 is about max for what I've got to spend provided a good sale price on the Camaro. If a WRX is in the price range that would be REALLY nice!

[AWD DSM 1]

two less expensive cars definately will end up costing more in the long run in insurance, repairs, maintainance, etc. than one nicer car.

[turbohcar]

two less expensive cars definately will end up costing more in the long run in insurance, repairs, maintainance, etc. than one nicer car.

EXACTLY my point. Now if I could decide what car that would be....

EDIT: I found a few WRXs in that price range with low miles and newer than 98 but not very many. Most of them are $10k plus.

Cars so far in the running:
Subaru Impreza WRX
Pontiac Grand Prix GTP
....
I might venture as far as to say 3rd Gen Eclipse but I'd have to think really hard on that one.


Keep the ideas coming guys. Thanks for the help so far!

[AWD DSM 1]

why's it gotta be force induction? A n/a motor can produce the same power, and sometimes do it more reliably. Go down to a dealer and start driving some different cars!!!

[turbohcar]

why's it gotta be force induction? A n/a motor can produce the same power, and sometimes do it more reliably. Go down to a dealer and start driving some different cars!!!

Doesn't have to be really. Just happens to be some of the cars suggested in the price range.

I HATE dealerships, especially after working at one. The number 1 mistake people make is going to the stealership without having an idea of what they want. I want to know exactly what I want before I ever step foot on the lot.

[AWD DSM 1]

I didn't say you had to buy there... just go test drive some cars, and then make up a bs excuse to get the heck out of there. Take someone with you who you know will talk you out of buying anything as a precaution if needed.

[turbohcar]

I would like to go test drive a WRX since I've never driven one...

I've driven GP's and 3rd Gen's before though.

[turbohcar]

Scratch the WRX. I just looked at Blue Book on them and it's saying I'd have to buy a 2000 with 75k miles or more/older to get within the price range. The ones I found on Ebay are 12-13k cars they just started the bidding low.

[natedogg]

Yeah, WRX's do hold their value fairly well. If it doesn't have to be sporty, you might look into some used Honda Civics or Accords. Good fuel mileage, great reliabilty. My wife and I love our Accord as far as comfortable daily drivers go.