Stop Buying Things #2: Car Advice

Okay I had a little Thanksgiving hiatus there due to what I will call a Honda Element Forum binge. My car, the Honda Element has one hell of a good website called the Element Owners Club (http://www.elementownersclub.com/). I absolutely love this website due to it’s encyclopedia like knowledge of everything that is my car, from common issues and their fixes to factory recalls to mod’s (that is modifications for the laymen) to camping tips. It is more addictive then potato chips.

I guarantee that your car, whatever it is, has a forum filled with repair knowledge and eager posters that are ready to share there knowledge. The best part is that the money collected for all of this is nada. So search out your car’s forum and find out why it always rattles slightly at highway speeds.

Article of the Week and Automaker Commentary:

Hurry up and read this week’s article before it goes into WSJ’s archives:

Auto Chiefs Admit Mistakes as They Make Case to Congress (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122840102318379327.html)

My thoughts on what is going on in the US Auto Industry is well, mixed. I grew up a GM teen with 2 Buick Regals, 2 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supremes, and a Saturn SC2 (still own it), and always thought there drivetrains were excellent. Now-a-days though I have definitely switched to the darkside, I am firmly a Honda and Toyota guy. Someday, I will go into that more but really feel the need to evaluate the US Big 3. Before I evaluate each company it is important to note that all of these companies were restructuring when the whole market went to crap. Most have some decent new vehicles, but with nobody buying cars, and nobody putting out loans, they all got screwed so to speak. Others would say too little too late, and I do agree to some extent.

Let’s start with Ford. Ford in my opinion is the best run company of the three right now. Why, because they have viable small cars and light trucks that are reliable, built well, and really as good as anything Japan offers. They went to the government asking for a $9 billion line of credit, not bail money, but credit just in case they need it (which they may), and they have a realistic plan for profitability by 2011. They have four excellent models in the Focus, Fusion, Escape, and F-150 that will retain a good demand. To me this company is the best bet of the three for succeeding. Worth noting is that they have an extremely good hybrid in the Escape that is in its second powertrain generation, meaning already have some of the technology needed for higher mileage vehicles. The bad is that Ford is looking into selling some of Mazda, hopefully not all. Mazda has basically been the test dummy for a lot of the Ford drivetrains that are now used, and Mazda really makes some good cars.

GM is next. Frankly, I am disappointed with GM and I do not think that Rick Wagoner is the right man for CEO. However the good is all of the Cadillac product, Buick Enclave, the Chevy Silverado, Malibu, and the tiny Aveo are all pretty well built cars. The Malibu in particular is again one heck of a vehicle, now with the possibility of a 4cyl engine mated with a 6-speed transmission, which really is a car made for the common American public. Another bright spot is that the Ecotec 4cyl engine is actually pretty decent and reliable; too bad the Malibu and Saturn Aura are the only decent vehicles that it goes in. The Cobalt and variants really could be a nicer vehicle (cheap), the Saturn lineup needs more of the Opel fuel efficient engines that are common in Europe, and they need to abandon this push towards E85. The Volt looks promising. Also good is there strong presence in China’s emerging economy. I feel that with the right leadership all these loose good parts of GM could be remade into a really reliable company. It has a real chance if it can get away from acting like cow is a stallion, and instead just make that stallion. Also, they need to stay far away from merging Chrysler.

Chrysler is in terrible shape and Cerebus is to blame. What exactly was Chrysler thinking would happen when it continued to promote and develop big cars for the Hemi and delivering on such crapfests as the Dodge Caliber? Does anyone else thing that they were idiots for abandoning the Neon (the pre VW Bug redo before the actual VW Bug redo)? The only good products in their lineup are the mini-vans, Jeeps, and the Ram trucks, consequently those are the products that they spent their money on after the take over. What stinks is their eagerness to merge with GM, which to me reeks of Cerebus ready to cash out and GM to get as much money from the government as they can. Mark my prediction if GM bought Chrysler, they would dance with the corpse long enough to get paid and then burry the body. The two companies’ product lines just do not compliment each other at all. Where I am most upset with Chrysler is that the best option was out there and they didn’t jump on it, which was working with Nissan. Charles Ghosn CEO of Nissan-Renault is probably the brightest man in the auto industry right now. He offered at one point to take up to a 20% stake in Chrysler, allowing Chrysler to get Nissan built small cars, and Nissan to get Chrysler built large trucks and minivans. It actually was an excellent plan and gives Chrysler a real viable future, and they walked. To me that was worse than Yahoo walking away from Microsoft. I don’t know if I would loan them any money unless they began some good real talks with a potential buyer not named GM.

All this being said, I do really feel the government should save the companies, with true oversight. Some have suggested giving up some true bail out money for now, and then requiring the companies to prove that more is needed and will be well spent. I would approve of any plan like that, there are really too many people that this would risk, and basically end major manufacturing in the US other than planes.

The Beater part 2: More needles in a haystack...

Three more possibilities:

1990 Plymouth Laser (Eclipse clone) $750 - 55k on odo

Cheap, low, low miles, clean interior, light usage, has a head gasket issue...and cheap!

1997 Kia Sephis $700 - 96k on odo

Cheap, needs a new radiator (easy fix), fairly low miles, but it's a early Kia.

1998 Mitsubishi Mirage $1960 - 91K on odo

Good price, modern, automatic, 4 dr, safe vehicle, very clean interior, right now my absolute favorite choice for vehicle. I am trying to get in touch with the owner now.

1994 Olds 88 LSS $1999 - 126k

Great GM V6 (my family has had great luck with this 3800 engine in several cars), car is in good shape, plush old people ride, wish it were cheaper for that mileage though...

Still looking for more...wish me luck

The Beater!?!

Due to certain circumstances involving a hill, ice on said hill, and a car wreck at the bottom of the hill, my family has to find a new used car. Luckily, we still have our newer, reliable, albeit “nice” vehicle intact but still need another vehicle to use. Furthermore, we don't want to spend very much money on the car either.

Thus we have entered the beater-zone. That's right, find the best car you can for under $2K and just deal with it for awhile. I used to play sports with a guy known for his beater-savvy ways. Jeep CJ's, Chevy Astro's, Dodge Spirits, and the what not. He could find that needle in the haystack, diamond in the rough, and make it last and last. It was amazing. My own father found a high-mileage German maker coupe for $2K and has since put another 50,000 miles on the car. Some people have the “knack”.

So here I find myself deep in the beater-zone. Not one to shy away from finding the best deal for a given price, I have found three current potential candidates. I would truly enjoy some of your opinions on these vehicle and any advice or experience with any brands or makes that may help sway our decision.



Bachelor #1:
1989 Dodge Dynasty $1200 – 56,000 miles on odo

Seems nice enough, currently at a car lot in a questionable part of town, and not much info on the web page. Pictures make the vehicle look like it is in good shape, interior is clean, and V6 engine. Right now seems to be the top runner.


Bachelor #2:
1991 Ford Ranger $1650 – 83,500 miles on odo

Reliable year for Ford four cylinder engines. Truck seems in great shape both interior and exterior, seems like the guy took care of the truck well, nice wheels, paint's in good shape, and may even be mistaken as not a beater. The greatest plus for this is that it is a truck, which is always useful. Again, it is a 4 cyl so it has to get good gas mileage. Looks pretty good to me.

Bachelor #3:
Everybody else

So I lied I have more than three, there is in fact several others that are out there but not really convincing me one way or another.
They are:

95 Lumina

78 Chevette

94 Spirit

I am no dummy, anything I am looking at I will drive, check out under the hood, and basically kick the tires. For now this is what I have narrowed down internet-wise. Let me here your thoughts.