Who Owns A Beater?

Status
Not open for further replies.
2000 F150. No front lower bumper, maybe 15% of clearcoat remains, no AC (20$ fix but to remove the whole interior of the truck is just to much to think about), rollemdown windows, rubber flooring (though I see that as a benefit), 5 speed stick, huge starburst on passenger side windshield - with crack all the way across that splits into 2 cracks about 3/4 of the way across, ABS no work, rear window leaks, runs as solid as the day it came off the line. No ticks, knocks, or engine rattles of any kind. I'd be comfortable driving it to Alaska if the back tires weren't as slick as, well, slicks.
 
Last edited:
I would say both my Malibu and equinox are beaters.

Malibu:
168k on the ecotech 4 now. Loud exhaust, seats/most of the interior are worn out. Some minor clearcoat failure Rust here and there and starting to have minor electrical issues. Windshield gasket is starting to fail causing a nice constant vibration sound at highway speeds. Still averages 30-31MPG

Equinox:
138k on the 3.4. Slow oil burner. Leaking rear diff (have to check that out.) Vibration coming from the front driver's side. I think it is the LCA. Still fine. The interior is in decent shape with wear and tear. Rust forming here and there and the MPG went from 21 to around 15-16. Have give it a once over to figure out where the drop came from. Nice sized starburst I am waiting for it to spiderweb.

Both are my commuter cars. They start and run everyday. Running them both into the ground.
 
Originally Posted By: mr_boring
2000 F150. No front lower bumper, maybe 15% of clearcoat remains, no AC (20$ fix but to remove the whole interior of the truck is just to much to think about), rollemdown windows, rubber flooring (though I see that as a benefit), 5 speed stick, huge starburst on passenger side windshield - with crack all the way across that splits into 2 cracks about 3/4 of the way across, ABS no work, rear window leaks, runs as solid as the day it came off the line. No ticks, knocks, or engine rattles of any kind. I'd be comfortable driving it to Alaska if the back tires weren't as slick as, well, slicks.


my 2015 Ford F-250 has vinyl flooring and the truck cost more than my first condo.
 
Beretta in my sig. Bought by my dad in 03 with 35K on the clock, was cherry other than a dent+busted ds mirror. Had chevron/halvoline oil with purolator whites until I took over.
Beater qualifications:
Signature GM paint (lack there of) in gray color.
Leaky window/door +trunk seals, gets water inside.
Interior shot, headliner is sagging and dry rot coming down, dash bulged out, door panels loose/ about to come off. Steering column is shot, a true keyless start. Turn signal lever has to be wiggled and pulled in a certain direction to work, smoked up terribly before.
Muffler rotted open, literally (top pf the can has a "lid" that opepend up), all the guts rotted and precipitated inside, one of the exhaust pipes fell off. Loud and obnoxious, but won't spend money on it
smile.gif

Radio/tape player amplifier issues (typical for the model stereo)
A/C screwed up, cross threaded at the condenser, could re tap it theoretically, but I tolerate heat well, won't spend $10 on freon either.
Tires have been on there for 15 years, bought used from JY lol.
Brakes are stiff, always have been, good enough since the car is slow anyway and corners like a pallet jack in a puddle of oil. Seems to have a leaky cyl in the r drum, sticks if the e brake is used, otherwise fine (after washing the fluid off)
Leaks from rear bank valve cover qt/4-5k miles
, pi ta to get to, so I just let it bleed a little, top offs help to keep the oil fresh (since she burns none)
One dime sized rust bubble under pain bu the rear window, but that's it.

To keep it going it got a new radiator, CPS, ignition module, A3/B4 0w40, some Maxlife atf, supertech yellow coolant, air/oil/tranny filters...
 
Originally Posted By: Donald
beater = a car your wife will not ride in to go out to dinner


At the end my Jetta was like that. She didn't care for how it looked (rust painted over, patched up) but more importantly, she didn't like how loud it was (I guess Camry's are more quiet). Probably bugged her how much it cost to repair after the summer it died twice ($4k in repairs? something like that).

She got stuck taking the kids to school one winter morning, and apparently my daughter all but had a screaming fit, yelling at some bit that was squeaking/rubbing/"making noise that mommy's car doesn't".

The last winter I had it, a coolant line blew. I drove it the 15 miles home, wondering if it'd make it. It did, but I always wondered if I took some life off doing that.

I think I was the only one in the family sad to see it go.
 
Guess all mine could be beaters....
wink.gif


The official "beater" in the family is my 2006 Chevy Cobalt...in pretty good shape for it's age, minus the dent to someone hitting it while parked on the pass side....

Wife's car looks like a beater, but repairs are on the way....
 
I could consider my T100 a beater, but its a truck so its kindof exempt from beater status. Beater Truck is almost a feature when it comes time to do dirty hauling.

I stopped daily driving old cars when my kid was born. Must have newer, safer, reliable cars for the family.
 
I've had a number of old, high-mileage cars. But try as I might, I just can't treat a machine as a "beater." If something breaks, I fix it. Even my old Satellite with 430,000+ miles, and my not nearly as old 2001 Cherokee I bought for next to nothing. Heck, I sold the Cherokee in better shape than I bought it and never really spent big bucks, just took care of the little neglected stuff.
 
Originally Posted By: 440Magnum
I've had a number of old, high-mileage cars. But try as I might, I just can't treat a machine as a "beater." If something breaks, I fix it. Even my old Satellite with 430,000+ miles, and my not nearly as old 2001 Cherokee I bought for next to nothing. Heck, I sold the Cherokee in better shape than I bought it and never really spent big bucks, just took care of the little neglected stuff.


Yeah. Im the same way with my '02 CVPI. Ive fixed everything and done so many upgrades. It runs perfect and the only thing that makes it kinda a beater is the paint that falls off when you look at it wrong. My rear fender is more primer than paint now.
 
My 2006 GMC Sierra 1500 4x4 is my beater. Runs perfect, has ice cold air, doesn't leak any oil. Nothing wrong with it other than the head liner needs repaired. It's paid off, it tows the boat, and I put less than 2000 miles a year on it. I've owned it for 4 years and I have never washed it. Don't really care about it that much. It's my beater, and it sits on the side of the house unused most of the time.
 
Sold my 97, Toyota 4Runner SR5 a couple of months ago to a college student in NJ. It had 380K on the odometer and the engine, transmission, and the integrity of the vehicle was still very dependable without any problems. I was meticulous in maintenance and changing the fluids.

The only reason I sold my old 1997, Toyota 4Runner SR5, was due to the fact that, I found the identical 1997 Toyota, 4Runner, SR5 for sale in Florida, with a different color, for a price under $3,000. The mileage was 94K and ran rough. So far I have given it a "Kreen" treatment during a long high-speed drive back to Coney Island, changed all of the fluids, added some OEM brakes and new Michelin tires and now it runs like a top. What a find for a garage kept vehicle from Florida with low mileage. The owner had the vehicle since new and had passed away. His widow just wanted to get rid of the vehicle since it brought back too many memories. Hope I have the same success as my 4Runner that I sold.

So now I'm the proud owner of a "new" Toyota "Beater".
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: Donald
beater = a car your wife will not ride in to go out to dinner


My 86 Nova (Corolla) was like that. burnt oil, rusted out fenders, holes into the trunk, shot suspension, flat spot on the flywheel so you had to push start it every once in a while (usually twice per week) and the slickest shifting 5 speed I've ever owned (or probably will ever own).

To this day my GF groans and complains when I mention that car. It's the kind of car you give no love to, and it'll still keep running happily
 
Originally Posted By: dareo

I stopped daily driving old cars when my kid was born. Must have newer, safer, reliable cars for the family.


I feel sorry for your children. They'll never know the feeling of not being able to get somewhere simply because the car is broken.

After growing up in a household with hardly enough to eat at times, I have a deep respect for simple, plain jane cars that are well-maintained. Something many in my generation will never share simply due to have too much of everything
 
Let's see, a 2002 Camry with over 270k miles on it. Stepson drives it back and forth to a local college.

I drive a 2003 Protege5 which should hit 200k miles in the next 7 days.

Neither looks good. But everything works on both cars. Oh, ok, one of the LEDs in the CHMSL on the P5 is out. Drives me batty when I see it, but not enough to fix it or look for a replacement CHMSL.
 
Possibly my wife's X3; 180k miles, everything works(but I'll need to fix an SES for cat efficiency- anti-foulers, here I come).
She only drives it to work. I only drive it when I don't want salt on the ti or 2er.
 
I felt sorry for every beater I have owned. Therefore, they get fixed up and restored. I guess that what happens when you have the means to fix them cheaply and you get bored one afternoon. I don't care how ugly, undesirable or nerdy they were new, I like driving a showroom new looking car.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

W
20,000 miles in a CX-5 GT-R
3 4 5
Replies
91
Views
19K
14Accent
B
  • Locked
Honda 2 Blown Engines, Very Sour Taste
2 3
Replies
43
Views
10K
beastykato
M
2 stroke oil in a 4stroke engine's fuel
2
Replies
30
Views
33K
tblt44
C
  • Locked
Pulled the plug on a "new" Craftsman Snowblower
2
Replies
38
Views
17K
CharBaby
dave1251
  • Locked
Exxon Mobil
Replies
19
Views
14K
MolaKule
Back
Top