If 1999 Civic, that’d be the fuel lines that rust out early in their third decade. I turned that job over to local pros. Timing belt was quite a project, too.
The very description of Murphy’s Law!
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So I called the seller of the 1999 Corolla. I thought it was a great deal. Unfortunately, someone else who woke up earlier than me also thought it was a great deal, as I was told the car is spoken for. I then called about the 1996 Corolla. The seller has a title, but it’s not in his name. Supposedly, he’s selling it for his girlfriend. I asked if she would be willing to sign a bill of sale, and he said she’s out of town right now. That was the end of my interest in the car. I then decided to focus my efforts on trying to fix the car that I already have.
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Craigslist Scam !!
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Yep, very high scam potential. Walk away.
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Well that would include ABS, so you’re looking for something at least as old as the 80’s. If you’re OK with ABS, then either of the Toyotas on your list would be worth looking at, and possibly the Kia although that was a little before they did their incredible build quality turnaround. The Metro was also a decent car (mainly because it wasn’t actually built by Chevy - but it was still incredibly slow with less than 80hp), though finding parts might be an issue. And shop bearing in mind the caveat that you are not going to get “Toyota reliability” out of the Corollas because they’re ancient and well past that stage.
Ordinarily the rule of thumb with a vehicle that old is that brand matters less than how it was maintained, but the Escort and especially the Cavalier were overly impressive pieces of crap that weren’t terribly reliable when new, so I’d avoid them.
Look for a 99 Chevy Prizm because its a Corolla clone.It was built by Toyota and it looks the same as a Corolla,Same reliability.
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I just realized that by definition, the less reliable designed parts on the vehicle are the ones that get bought most often and become hard to find. But they’re also the ones that you’re most likely to find broken on your car!
Don’t worry too much about it. The most likely parts to be replaced are also the most likely available as aftermarket or dealer parts. There’s a good profit after the nonrecurring costs like manufacturing equipment and engineering are paid for.
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Buy a car with the highest overall reliability rating regardless of year; just minimize the number of ‘extras’ and entertainment modules in the vehicle…those are usually the things that are designed more for flash and less for reliability, and could easily run big bucks to repair/replace.
Don’t fear computer-controlled systems, any more than people 120 years ago feared switching over from horses to cars. The fact is that computer-controlled systems are, in general, more reliable than the mechanical systems that they replaced…after all, in most cases that’s why the OEMs are using them.
It’s highly likely that whatever $$ you save going the full-DIY route will not exceed the $$ savings from simply going with the most reliable car.
@VDCdriver. I owned a 1971 Ford Maverick. It was reliable. It sat outside overnight and I started the engine at 22 below zero. It was easy to work on. I didn’t have to get under the car to change the oil or filter. The drain plug was on the side of the oil pan. I could slip a catch pan under the Maverick and reach down from above the engine to remove the drain plug and oil filter. It wasn’t a great car for creature comforts, but mine was reliable and easy to service.
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I would recommend a older car instead of one of those “econo” boxes. I have a 1977 Pontiac grand Prix,v8 automatic, power windows, power brakes, power steering,and no computers and I can get any part on the car in just a few day thanks to the internet.This is a great time to have an older car, due ti the fact that so many companies are making older car parts again. I can build a 1965 Mustang today out of completely new parts, from frame to fenders,brakes and NO computer ,unless you want it.
ATC the cost of operating an old, simple car are greatly dependent on the knowledge of the owner or an experienced, cooperative mechanic. Retrofitting carburetors and ignitions from earlier models is often necessary and likewise older transmissions. Being somewhat knowledgeable the antique Bronco that I bought was immediately given new timing gears, water pump and all the belts and hoses, all new brakes, wheel bearings, etc., and new clutch and all U-joints. I drove that old Bronco many miles pulling my boats and dozens of others out of lakes putting on many thousands of miles and sold it for twice what I paid for it about 12 years later. But that is an extreme example. In the realm of realistic possibilities a 6 cylinder Nova, Maverick, Granada or Mercury twin might be found and with some serious up front catching up on maintenance could be amortized over just a few years of relative trouble free operation. Of course the manual steering, non AC models would be the cheapest and easiest to operate.
You want the 1959 Fiat 1200 Sedan that I bought new in Cleveland Ohio for about $3000. It did not have any of those undesirable features you mention and nothing ever went wrong with it in the four years that I owned it. It even refused to rust. I enjoyed fixing my cars and sold it because it was boring.
In its day VWs really were simple, reliable cars that were quite easy to repair for those willing to educate themselves on the details and buy the tools. I don’t believe there is anything near the early VW in those categories today and that’s a shame.
We’ve had this argument before and some insist there was something wrong with it that no dealer was able to correct, but my 59 VW bug was not all that dependable. Sure no problem around town and so on, but every 2000 miles either new points or you’d be left in the cold. When the generator went out, they had to yank the engine to replace it. Front end work was not something I would tackle, and then of course the bumper brackets would rust off and the bumper would fall off. My poor dad had to try and weld the repair brackets to rust. He did it, but required a certified welder to do it. Sure I liked it and everything and bumpers were only $10 but still my 59 Pontiac never left me stranded.
Beetles were easy to fix, not the same as reliable. But all cars required a lot more maintenance back then. I still would have no interest in commuting in one today.
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+1
Yes, a lot of people have feelings of nostalgia for the old VW beetle, but the fact remains that it was designed and developed with 1930s technology, and it required a 1930s approach to maintenance.
In other words… a LOT of preventive maintenance which didn’t necessarily result in them being reliable.
And, despite a bit of updating over the years, the old VW beetle was still essentially a rolling piece of 1930s technology until the end of its production.
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Nostalgia does seem to hide a lot of frustration.
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