I found an 88 Chevy Spectrum hatch base model 5 spd for sale this morning. It has 45k miles and the asking price is around $750. It has no rust either. This will just be a daily driver and bicycle hauler. I've heard that some Isuzu parts are somewhat getting scarce. Should I take a look at this or pass over it?
Found 88 Spectrum for cheap...any input??
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interesting little car. price and odometer is good too.
i would pass on though. if youre looking for an econobox, grab something newer than 95 so you get obd2 and modern fuel injection. youre more likely to get parts at flaps too.
things that come to mind are ford aspire, geo metro, chevy sprint, pontiac firefly, a honda civic hx or vx (with lean burn). i really like the aspire. that platform accepts engine swaps from the 1.3 to a 1.6 or a 1.8.
i would pass on though. if youre looking for an econobox, grab something newer than 95 so you get obd2 and modern fuel injection. youre more likely to get parts at flaps too.
things that come to mind are ford aspire, geo metro, chevy sprint, pontiac firefly, a honda civic hx or vx (with lean burn). i really like the aspire. that platform accepts engine swaps from the 1.3 to a 1.6 or a 1.8.
Flash the cash...you know show 'em maybe $400 bucks and see what they say...Take a good look under the hood...pay special attention to fluids, hoses, and belts. This will give you a general idea of how well the car was maintained...Also inspect the CV boots for tears...And if you do buy it...I would recommend some short test runs close to home in case she fails...you might get a good car, you might not...Do you feel lucky?
Just want to pass on one bit of wisdom from experience...take it for a long drive if you possibly can. A drive on the highway will expose far more than a drive around the neighborhood. And...again, speaking from experience...if it's full of coolant but still overheats, pass on it. I realize that's probably the thermostat, but it could also be a collapsed radiator core or plugged head passages. In any case, it's likely been overheating for a while, they got it diagnosed and found it not worth messing with. In other words...a $750 nightmare. Been there.
Ck it out and buy it. 20 yrs old, find out how old the t-belt is.
Pretty difficult to get a car that runs and will pass inspection for a grand, especially no rust. I say go for it.
I'd stay away from it. I owned one (my first car
),and it was nothing but trouble (15 yrs ago). Bad ignition system and electrical system. Was driving it one day and the throttle stuck open driving down the highway...scared the poop out of me. Bad car.
I went and looked at it today. To start out with, the car kept stalling and the battery eventually went d.o.a. which limited my test drive to a few feet in a parking lot. The interior of the car was clean and ratty all in one (if you can believe that). The seats were torn and worn. The hatch wasn't able to be opened with the keys instantly. You had to shut it a couple times for it to work. I think this would just be a headache in the long run especially learning about the t.b. roll. I'm gonna hold out for a Civic hatch or a Metro...
Yep, that sounds about right right for a Spectrum. Definitely get the Honda or the Metro. I forgot to mention too that on the Spectrum I owned, the right front strut just collapsed while driving one day(no kidding)...and the clutch cable pulled through the firewall.
if you go for a used civic, get one of the hx or vx models with lean burn. dont get a california model, they dont have lean burn because of poor california fuel economy standards. (they put emissions above fuel economy)
If that Spectrum used a carb engine, you would have been better off anyway. I never heard of a single electronic feedback carb that was any good, or reasonably priced to rebuild.
I'd buy it and store it if I could. Look at Pinto's and the like now compared to a few years ago... might be a wanted itme someday.
Add Corolla or a Geo Prism to your list, you won't be sorry.
Spectrum = Isuzu
Not terribly reliable.
Not terribly reliable.
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