Sometimes I consider getting a beater car

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I get the sentiment. I am starting to look myself. I got rid of my other beater/commuter ,but after six months of daily driving my truck I'm starting to look forward to something else. Mostly something that can pass a gas station and won't cost an arm and a leg to replace--the less I drive the truck, the longer it will last, right?

The problem of course is finding a beater in mint mechanical condition that someone has given up on because of some trivial repair. Rust free, smoke free, etc.
 
A mechanically good beater is great. One you don't have to worry about where you park. Second its the attitude that i can afford something better to drive to work, but i don't have to.
 
I have a neighbor's 2001 Chevrolet Camaro T top for sale as of yesterday (Nov.21). It's in good shape and would qualify as a beater....great "first car'....great student's car....girl's race car (Ha-Ha). PM me if you're interested. Kira
 
With all the prices going up on new cars and especially trucks and everything in general, I think the LSX swap is starting to look good. There is a booming aftermarket now for it. I can even put an LSX in my 1990 240 Volvo.

I am seriously considering hunting down a Chevy C/K 1500 truck body that is in good shape, and doing the LSX swap. No car payments, and a new V8 American muscle engine with rear wheel drive sounds great to me.
 
Perhaps you should stop babying your cars. After all you've bought your cars to serve you. There is nothing wrong with buying good parts though. Cheaper may not be always cheaper long-term.
 
If it's only a few more bucks to go "good", then why not? If you want to save a few bucks by buying cheap parts that last nearly as long, ok; but if it's only a couple of bucks and it won't add up over time... then do what you want. IMO the cheapest parts get made because the vendor themselves save huge money by going as cheap as possible--buy/make a million of something, and every cent adds up. But for us buyers, not so much.
 
I enjoy older cars, but the "beater" mentaility has to exist in the owner. Every "beater" status vehicle I've bought ends up being treated like a nice car. then it becomes nicer. then I start to care about it more. It's happened every single time. I can't *just* use it... if it needs something, I fix it, maintain it, bring it forward. I can't help it. so I don't know if the model can really work with a "car guy."

The volvo is new to our stable. It wasn't expensive, and it was generally cared for. But there were things wrong with it, and I've probably already logged 8 hours under the hood and several hundred it parts, hoses, fasteners, etc.. It's becoming a nice car! I don't want it dinged!

-m
 
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Beater or not, I always buy quality parts. I've had too many bad experiences having to do jobs over again because garbage parts failed prematurely. If a "cheap" part is half the price of a good part, but it lasts less than half as long as the good part, (and you have to replace it at least twice as often) is it actually cheaper?

And cost aside, I don't want to be bothered with doing the same repairs over and over again. And I like working on my cars. If I do a repair, I want the repair to last, not have to do it over again in a year. I have to replace the garbage lower ball joints on my "beater" Accord. They have about 25k miles on them. I'm not happy about that. I have a set of Honda OEM ones to replace them. I expect this next set to last significantly longer.
 
Why worry about it? As others have said, your Accord with over 200k miles is nearing beater status. Just start treating it as a beater, no need to go out and spend money to acquire one.
 
Originally Posted By: camrydriver111
Perhaps you should stop babying your cars. After all you've bought your cars to serve you. There is nothing wrong with buying good parts though. Cheaper may not be always cheaper long-term.


This.

OP has OCD. Who cares if your 200k mile car gets a parking lot scratch!?! Seriously. How does that truly affect your life?
Find other things to worry about. Your 200k Honda is an appliance. Treat it like one. Don't serve your cars.
 
Sometimes I consider getting a NON-beater car

Then I read threads like this and relish in my reliable, old, cheap, rides. My Vue has seen more off-road than most trucks/4x4s. Haven't washed it in about a year, I'd wager. Money, time, anxiety = saved.
 
Every car I've every owned is a beater to me. I enjoy driving them hard and putting them away wet. And, I can't afford a new BMW or Mercedes, just a lowly 11 year old Honda and a 13 year old Jaguar X-Type that I inherited.

Even so, quality parts prevent problems and quality brake pads stop well. So I generally use good parts. (not always, but generally)
 
I used to obsess over cars but then had to buy a family vehicle which is decent but not perfect 2007 MDX.

I personally could care less about scratches,dings, kids messing it up etc. Its just a 7 passenger vehicle(albeit nice one) that gets me A to B.

On oil and parts I could care less. It has been a pleasurable 5 yrs ownership/70k miles of problem free. The only expensive item has been a $600 timing belt change + $200 spark plugs change.
 
Originally Posted By: mclasser
It'd be great to use el cheapo Duralast or Wearever semi-metallic pads on a beater and not feel guilty about . Sure, they may be squeaky but as long as the car stops correctly, I wouldn't bat an eye. Two of my cars are 13 yrs old, but I still worry about them getting dings in parking lots. With a beater, I'd find the closest spot up front near all the soccer moms with rogue kids and shopping carts and wouldn't care about dents. And since this is an oil forum, wouldn't it be awesome getting some SuperTech or AAP dino oil with the cheapest filter and not nitpick over TBN and NOACK levels, or if the filter has cardboard or metal end caps?


I really don't recommend cheap parts on any car. Yes, I drive a beater and it's not my only car. Seriously, cheap parts can sometimes be the most expensive part since you'll have to replace it again soon.
 
I've most always had a 'beater'. If not a mostly tired car I bought new or nearly so, one I found with good mechanical care. It's my 'winter car' that I won't miss too much if some yoyo slides into it. I picked up a one owner, well maintained '05 Elantra a few years ago that's needed nothing beyond fluid changes. They built that essentially unchanged from '01-'06 and parts are easy.
 
I like new too, but even they need work. I spent at least three hours doing tire rotation and brakes on my Camry, and four doing the same on my Tundra. Had stores not been closed I should have gone out and bought a rotor and new pads, since it was all apart--but then the wife would be stuck home.

A beater as a spare vehicle has its uses.
 
I guess you could call my 92 Cavaliers beaters. They both have over 200,000 miles on them as well as some rust and dents. They are both pretty reliable and the cost to fix things is pretty cheap. The nicer of the two is my daily driver.

I always have owned more than one vehicle except in my very early driving days and I like to have a spare vehicle to drive when one goes down. That way I don't feel rushed to fix something to drive so I can get to work or wherever.

Wayne
 
My Cobalt is supposed to be the beater, but up until monday (when some smashed/dented pass. fender) it looked better than cars half its age (10 years). And cared for too....
 
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