I need some sage advice/opinions from everybody...

[formula]

Alright, so I picked up a pretty slick summer job in my home town, and should have around 6k to play with by the end of the summer, possibly more.

Now don't you all dare get me wrong, I love my little car to death. It's done nothing but treat me right, but....it's old. It has no A/C, it rattles, it creaks, it groans, it doesn't like to start when it's cold...it's altogether rough around the edges, if nothing but dependable. I'll never let my birdy go, but I've been thinking that the grind to college and back would be a lot less nervewracking in a car slightly less almost-three-decades-old-ish.

BUT...I could live without AC, and use the money to rig up one hell of a suspension, fix up all the niggly little issues i have, and maybe even pick up a decent set of brakes, or wheels, or a new rear end, or a set of heads...

Thoughts? New car and put mine on the back burner for the forseeable future, or move ahead leaps and bounds on my car?

[surlyjoe]

I am going to say that if you have a safe place to park the bird get a daily driver. Speaking from experience there is nothing worse than trying to get the car running when the school work should be getting done. Also if you have another car then you can take longer to complete your projects and wait for parts etc.

Just make sure the daily driver is solid.

[vanzuuk1]

Safe place means inside, dont leave it in a driveway to die.

[Steve Chryssos]

How about $4K on a beater and then treat your car to $2K? Spend the $2K on de-bugging the car so that you enjoy it more. When you shop for a beater, find something that you would never ever dream of hot rodding like a Toyota Tercel.

Or sell the 'bird. Take that money plus the $6K and step up.

[CAMAROBOY69]

Like Steve said. Get the best of both worlds. Get a daily driver AND get the bird some goodies too. You can pick up a 30mpg-40mpg Saturn for between $2k-$4k. Heather has a Saturn and I have a Saturn. Extremely reliable daily drivers that save you a lot on insurance and the do real well on gas. :cool:

[rolltide]

....it's old. It has no A/C, it rattles, it creaks, it groans, it doesn't like to start when it's cold...it's altogether rough around the edges, if nothing but dependable.


:injured: Ok...that sounds a lot like me.

[Neil B]

If your college experience is anything like mine, you don't want your baby anywhere near there. My car was constantly getting hit by other cars in parking lots, beer bottles, etc. Buy a car you don't care about and save the rest of your funds. If possible, stash your car in a garage with a relative, drive it on the holiday weekends when you go home, and start your project when you graduate.

Just my .02.

[CAMAROBOY69]

Saturn-Dent resistant-rust resistant panels. 30-40mpg. Saturns will slowly rule the world. :look:

[Clean Cut Creations]

I'm ALWAYS down with rollin' a hooptie! That's all I drive anymore. I can't remember the last time I drove a daily driver that was worth more than $800-$1,000..... I just pick 'em up cheap from wherever. My daily a few years ago was a 4-dr '59 ford Fairlane. (I got it when it was FREE to a good home!) Here's a hint...Go to the local corner Billy-Bob used car lot and ask them if they have any back lot trades they picked up from a local big name dealer. They usually have some 6+ year old escort, saturn, honda,cavalier for $800-$1,000. Hell there is a corner lot down the street from me that ALWAYS has 3-4 of these type of cars on the front line marked CASH PRICE on the window! Now go get yourself a beater and save the cash for your good car.

[Matt]

Agreed on keeping your baby away from college life... but beyond that I can't offer you sound advice. I keep wanting to say go nuts on the project car, but I know it's not wise.

[6'9"Witha69]

there is nothing worse than trying to get the car running when the school work should be getting done.
Ditto.

Been there.

Done That.

[formula]

Saturns, eh? I truly hadn't even thought of a saturn...

As for cushy storage places...I still live at home during the summer, so I can just stash the bird in my parents' garage during the school year and tell my dad (and mom!) he can take it out whenever he wants. He'll agree to that, I'm sure.

[Diognes56]

How about $4K on a beater and then treat your car to $2K?

+1:jump:

David

[Mr.VENGEANCE]

+2:pat:

[AndyB]

I'll add another vote for saturn as a beater. My mom's got side swiped one night, it tore up the whole side of the car. I picked up one just like it on craigslist for $400 that had a bad motor mount. They are so easy to work on that it only took an hour or so to switch out all the panels between the cars. I then put a motor mount in the craigslist car and got my money back selling it with the banged up panels on it.

The saturn also meets streetfytr68's good advice in that you will never, ever, want to hot rod it.

[DaveO]

...I still live at home during the summer, so I can just stash the bird in my parents' garage during the school year and tell my dad (and mom!) he can take it out whenever he wants. He'll agree to that, I'm sure.

great idea! and tell him if he feels like upgrading some things like brakes, suspension, engine...you know, to make his drive more enjoyable, go nuts!:hammer:

[WS6]

take it from someone who daily drove a 79TA for three years. park it and keep it safe while you beat the crap out of a daily driver. i love my 79 as well and right now its just sitting begging for me to make it roll again. i simply can't afford to considering I am going back to school as well. One day it will be badass and I will have more second gens parked next to it. get a beater and don't look back. no one said you have to get a beater you don't like.

oh and here's a better idea yet. $4k for a beater and $2k in a Roth IRA account. Trust me on this. Start it now and you'll be like Bob when your older, building million dollar cars.