Oneslip

I just bought a '90 Toyota Tercel with 89k miles for $1,800.
Man is it fun! I can park wherever I want and not lock the door. Snow, hail who cares! Give me a door ding, oh well. I have really been having fun with this car. Having this beater has actually made the driving experience in my C320 even more enjoyable. I have always appreciated the luxury of my Benz but now it's even more highlighted. Just wanted to share my latest amusement with you all. Have a good one.

MsMercedes

So funny! A also own a 1989 Toyota Corolla with 185,000 miles that I picked up for $900. I rarely drive it anymore, but I bought it before I bought the Benz and I was driving it a lot when I first picked it up. Iaffectionately named it "Mortimer". Really, it has been a great car in it's time. It still runs like a charm and has relatively few rattles considering the mileage. The cruise even works!

No worries about dings, I can park within a 2 mile radius of other cars in parking lots, I can go down gravel roads, I can take my dog with me, etc.

The down side is Mort looks so sad, rusty, and beat up! I wonder.....do you think people would believe me if I put a bumper sticker on it that says, "My Other Car Is A Mercedes-Benz"??????

avlis

Now THIS is a beater.

It really turns heads at the Walmart. In these parts, it gets more attention than the Benz.

rskinner

How about this beater? Like the snow tires?

avlis

YEAH!!! That's what I'm talking about!

Is that really yours? Can you drive it on the street? Can you launch missles off it?

Silver_Lana

funny about this thread....
i was thinking of getting a used A4 or Jetta as a beater car

Anyone comment on their reliability and driving character?

revstriker

Cool half track! Actually, the rubber pads on the treads make that thing like a sled in the snow. Not a lot of traction.

rskinner

The half track belongs to a friend and they keep it at their ranch. Works great in the snow & dirt and the kids love riding in it. It can go over just about anything. Not sure if it is street legal, but they have 1,000 acres to drive it on.

No missle launcher on it, yet.........

jswedberg

My old Mazda pickup is what gets to go out in bad weather. It also gets the "opportunity" to haul fertilizer etc. so our ML doesn't have to! It also is the choice for long stays at the airport, etc.

Although in scary bad weather, the ML would be the proper pick for safety reasons! Or maybe we would just stay home!

Gee, when do I ever get to drive the C32?

Duffer

I had a 96 A4 2.8 5 spd w/ over 50k miles and had no problems. Audi has used the 2.8 litre for a long time and always found it reliable. Everything worked well -- the a/c had a problem at 53k and cost $650 to fix, but that was it.

I assume that a late model Jetta with manual would also be rather reliable but would go with the A4.

trench

I use my old Integra as a beater car - figured it was worth more to me than I'd get for it selling it or as a trade-in.

I'm considering picking up an old 190E for fun as well; saw a sharp looking black one a couple of weeks ago.

Beaters are fun - in high school I had a 1971 Chrysler Newport that I paid $435 for when I was 15 (sold for $200 three years later) It was pretty reliable to boot, it only ever needed a battery and new alternator brushes. Too bad the American car companies decided to go with planned obsolesence - it's been thirty years and the cars Detroit makes still aren't as good as their older ones. Although, I recall one winter it didn't make it for a school for a couple of days because all four tires had frozen to the ground. I'll never forget the sight of my Dad's Chevy pickup with it's 327 HO motor screaming, spinning all four wheels on the frozen street trying to break that sucker free.

Anyway, I cannot begin to describe the churlish shennanigans that took place with that car, affectionatly known as "The Barge" (although most of the statutes of limitation have likely expired by now).



BT

PS: here's The Barge in all it's glory, now the poor thing's probably a steel cube rusting away somewhere

MsMercedes

Nah, the Barge has probably been reborn as a glorious sports car somewhere, thanks to recycling. Then again, it may be a refigerator....

mdp c230k

A buddy of mine only buys 4-door american cars from the mid '80s like Monarchs and Grenadas for less than $600. When they break he throws them away! He can afford a MB like ours but he likes the idea of disposable cars. Oh yeah, hes a hippie!

Mike T.

I just bought a 1979 Cadillac Seville for $1100 CDN (about $700 US) - at 125,000 miles, it runs great (350 ci, Bendix port injection), all power equipment works, body looks presentable. I actually got it on behalf of a German friend who's visiting us this August. Cars like this are unbeatable value.

awaken

I saw an old military Jeep Willis for sale with machine gun attached to the aft!
Not sure it's working but it would be fun to have such car for weekend outdoor trips. Especially when someone trying to tailgate you