Feeling like the bird when we stumbled upon our 1994.5 Nissan Sentra, we were hoping not to be the statue the second time around. With moving to Central Virginia, my wife starting medical school, and me no longer having access to press cars, we needed another car. As we did not like any of the apartments we toured, we took advantage of the abundance of inexpensive properties in the area and bought a townhouse. This, of course, nixed the idea of financing a car. And guess how much we had to spend on a car? Yup, about $3,000.
My brilliant plan was to buy a $1,000 car and put $2,000 worth of work into it. That should leave me with something reasonably reliable, at least for a couple of years. Unfortunately, this famous article had not yet been written, or I most assuredly would have gone in a different direction.
Overall, the plan sounded reasonable since I wasn’t looking at starting with something like a Lexus LS400, with its large, high-tech engine and expensive-to-fix-or-replace gadgets. I was going back to basics, with air conditioning and a history of good long-term reliability my only requirements. After being warned away from another Colt (I still missed mine), the car at the top of my list was the 1985-88 Nova. This Chevrolet-branded Toyota had a much lower resale value than its Corolla counterpart. After a short search, I found a 1986 Nova with power steering, power brakes, air and 100,000 miles for $1,500.
Ed looked a lot like this when we first saw him.
We went to look at the car, and what a sad, sorry thing it was. Abused within an inch of its life with badly faded paint, drooping headliner, evidence of previous damage, and, strangely, 150,000 miles on the odometer. When I mentioned this to the owner, a girl in her early 20s, she told us that the timing belt snapped at 125,000 miles. Being an interference design, this meant the engine was a goner. The “new” engine had 75,000 miles on it at the time, hence the “100,000” miles in the ad. I could have mentioned that there are a lot more parts on a car that are affected by mileage, but I just let it go since at least I now knew the timing belt had only 25,000 miles on it. Plus, there was also a service history going back to 1993.
Internet photo of a 1983 Toyota Sprinter – the sporty Corolla
She did stress that the car had a Toyota engine. During the entire time I owned the car, people kept telling me this, and it bugged the hell out of me. It didn’t have a Toyota engine; it was a Toyota. Specifically, it was the JDM Toyota Sprinter, which was the sporty version of the Corolla (sporty being a relative term). The only things GM contributed were the (joint venture) factory where it was built, badging, grill, stereo, and maybe the headliner. I used to carry a picture like the one above to prove it to people.
All I can remember about the test drive, which we went on by ourselves, was that it started pouring, and we got lost. We should have taken that as a sign, but when I asked my wife what she thought, her response was, “It needs me.” Then I asked her if she wanted to drive. “No.”
The next step in this strange odyssey involved having the car checked out, and the owner offered to take it to the mechanic that had been servicing the car. Not really knowing any better, we agreed. She did end up knocking $300 of the price due to the $500 bill that included a new CV boot, wheel cylinder, front brake pads, EGR valve (which enabled it to pass the emissions test), and an oil change. We named him Ed and took him home.
Internet photo of the base Nova interior.
Within the first couple of days, while driving Ed to work, the clutch suddenly felt significantly lighter, and I was consistently grinding the gears. You guessed it – the clutch cable snapped. Remember, though, we’d planned to put about $2,000 into the car. So, the $250 for the new master and slave cylinder, plus bleeding the system, was all part of the plan. After I picked up the car, I headed over to NTB for four new Michelin tires. The salesman tried to talk me out of it, noting that the left-front tire appeared new, and the right-rear looked like it had some life left in it. I insisted on replacing them all, since I like symmetry. With the alignment, the bill was $315.
I then had to address the fact that Ed ran like Suzie the Little Blue Coupe before she was unceremoniously dumped. Back at the Exxon station that fixed the clutch, they replaced the cap, rotor, spark plug wires, and air & fuel filters. I also asked them to look at why the fuel gauge only started working at about half tank, which turned out to be a bad sending unit. The cost to replace it was more than I wanted to spend, and you only really need the gauge for the last half of the tank, anyway.
Next stop was MAACO for some rust work, a fresh coat of red paint, and a new headliner. Only $555, and Ed never looked better. I also purchased some cheap wheel covers to cover up the ratty-looking styled steel wheels. At this point, we had spent all of our planned $3,000, and now had a car that we could probably put back on the market for not much more than the $1,200 we paid. Ed still didn’t run very well and vibrated at highway speeds. Also, I noticed that when I washed him, the sponge turned red. Shortly thereafter, I discovered the trunk leaked, and I never found the source.
After closing on our townhouse and moving in, I ended up with an entry-level job as technical support at a local internet service provider. The job only paid $18,000 per year (it would soon rise all the way to $25,000). I was very happy not to have a car payment. The office was only a few miles away, which meant that Ed at least didn’t have to get me very far.
The Holy Grail of Corollnovas – the Twin-Cam SS. I would have preferred this model, since the fuel-injected engine wouldn’t have given me all the problems I had with the 2bbl Venturi.
A couple of months later, the exhaust pipe separated from the manifold. I also asked the mechanic to look at the carburetor since there was a consistent problem with the choke. When cold, I would have to sit there revving the car at about 2,500 RPMs until the engine warmed, or it would stall. He cleaned and adjusted the choke, replaced part of the exhaust pipe, resurfaced the front rotors and adjusted the rear brake shoes. The bill for that trip was $335, and it still didn’t fix the cold-start problem.
I was able to hobble along for about 5 months until I needed to replace the left front axle. With an oil change and another carburetor adjustment, there went another $211. My next brilliant move, after a particularly bad night spent relocating our network operations center, was to mouth off to the secretary Chief Operating Officer (who also happened to be having an affair with the owner). I was summarily dismissed. The silver lining was quickly landing another job at a local telecommunications company at almost double the salary. The touch of gray was the new commute, which was 33 miles and over a mountain, each way.
I’d already invested so much money in Ed, how could I give up on him now? If this was Vegas, I’d be that disheveled guy in the rumpled suit and 5 o’clock shadow, down several thousand dollars, sitting at the blackjack table doubling down on a 16 in a desperate attempt to break even.
New front struts, inner tie rod ends, front tower bearings, right-front bearing, machine press bearing, transmission mount, new wheel, right-front axle, four wheel alignment and an oil change, and for about $1,200 Ed was ready to take on the world road. A few weeks later, impatience got the best of me again when I tried to pass a slow-moving car in a lane that turned out to be the end of a merge lane. After bouncing between a Volvo and the curb, I had to shell out $100 for a used wheel and tire.
This went on for another year and a few thousand more dollars when, back again at the shop, my mechanic just shook his head and said, “It’s time.” All in, I had invested somewhere in the neighborhood of $7,000 – including the purchase price – for almost three years of service and 37,000 miles (I don’t know the exact figure because my service history mysteriously ends in December 2000). Ed was still not worth that much more than we initially paid for him. Mind you, Ed never left me stranded, the air conditioning always blew strong in the hot Virginia summers, and the heat kept me toasty in the cold winters. However, when your mechanic tells you a car is not worth fixing, it’s in your best interest to listen.
Ed with his brother, Nelson.
I had no real interest in selling Ed privately or trading him in. I wanted to donate him, but not to an outfit that would just wholesale him to a scrap yard and keep the money. Ed was still a great car that just could not handle a long daily commute. I could have switched cars with my wife, but not only did she (still) not want to drive him, I wasn’t comfortable with the idea, either. Her third year of medical school also required her to spend considerable time traveling to different types of practices throughout Virginia, which is not something I’d want her to do regularly in the Nova. I was nervous enough driving him to visit her on the occasional weekend when she stayed over.
After a little research, I discovered the Good News Mountaineer Garage in Charleston, WV. They take the donated cars, refurbish them, and give them to people who need dependable transportation to help raise themselves out of poverty. When I called, they asked if I’d like them to send a tow truck. “How about if I just drive it out to you?” They were thrilled not only to be receiving a running car, but one that can [hands in praying position] handle a 250-mile trip. Fortunately, we made it out there just fine.
The lesson learned, referenced by Jack in his article, is that only people who can confidently perform the mechanical work themselves, and maybe own a backup car, should buy something like this. I have no mechanical ability. Dad did, but his impatience mixed with my un-diagnosed ADHD ensured that knowledge would never be passed down. I also had no garage or driveway in which to work. If I did attempt a repair and things went pear shaped, I wouldn’t have any way to get to work. Working from home wasn’t an option, so that would mean having to take one of the few sick or vacation days I’d accumulated. I really didn’t want to take that chance. Being one of the fortunate “privileged,” I just threw money at my mechanic in a manner not unlike the way the villagers threw stones at Tessie Hutchinson, with a mixture of anger, fear, anticipation, and confusion.
After doing the math, I came out no further ahead than if I’d leased a new car for 3 years and 36,000 miles. Of course, I can’t regret that decision because leasing wasn’t an option. I probably should have just bought another car when I got the new job, but I’m glad I didn’t. Not only because Ed provided great fodder for this post, but the new car we bought, which had just come on the market, would end up being in our family for much longer and many more miles.
This is a COAL that may ring a number of memory bells in formerly young readers and used car buyers.
” … I have no mechanical ability. Dad did, but his impatience mixed with my un-diagnosed ADHD ensured that knowledge would never be passed down …”.
When I read this sentence I stopped, re-read it, and then stated to think of my father and my second son.
I learned a whole lot of car and boat mechanical and maintenance activities at my father’s side and that taught me to view many mechanical tasks as doable if properly informed. Some of that knowledge is only appropriate on antique vehicles now, but the necessary self confidence to tackle [some – not all] home repairs, plus the wonderful “how-to” you tube videos on the internet, have allowed me to be truly useful in many situations.
It feels good to be useful and not totally dependent on professional mechanics, plumbers, and electricians.
I credit my father’s sage advice.
But my youngest son has not, and will not, allow me to impart any of this knowledge to him. It makes me feel sad in not being able to give him the same gifts my father gave me.
OK. Enough self reflection.
Buying used cars is a gamble, like choosing an education, getting a job, getting married, moving here or there, having children, changing careers … etc.
Buying a cheap used car is often the only [perceived] option when young, credit poor, and hopeful. It is a gamble, but in this case you got a great education at a relatively reasonable price.
All cars, even Toyotas, that are run into the ground with little to no servicing for over 150,000 miles, are probably bad deals. Once a car is over a few years old, it is largely the owner that I would look at rather than the make or model of the vehicle. Yes, even K-car derivatives, Tempos, and Mitsubishis can be great deals with the right past ownership.
As always, YMMV.
Thanks rl. The biggest issue was style: Dad was a “sit there and quietly watch me do it” teacher. I, of course, would be bored in about 5 seconds because my learning style is, “Guide me while I do it.”
Funny you should mention the K car. I was looking at a senior owned Dodge Aries with 37k miles, but my friend’s uncle, who used to own a used car lot, said a Toyota with 100k miles was a better choice.
Some days I feel like that comedian who said, “My dad could fix anything. When a fuse blows, I just sit in a corner and cry.”
I stopped and re-read that sentence as well, though from a different perspective. I’m like your son. My father, probably like yours, could repair and rebuild just about anything. But different personalities, and not atypical father-son dynamics got in the way. I simply couldn’t work with him, and eventually dreaded home- or car-repair projects. It’s my biggest regret in life, though even if someone were to have imparted my with that warning when I was a teenager, I’m not sure I would have listened.
Yikes, what a sum of $$$ to throw at a car that was worn out. But it makes for a very entertaining story!
I had a Subaru Outback that was similar. I’d owned two Outbacks before and loved the cars, but this third was a bomb. I bought it off a young mother with just under 100k miles. She told me that “a family friend” had always taken care of the servicing, which should have been a tip-off. After driving it for 6 months, it was clear it was going to need new shocks and struts, a new catalytic converter, and I knew that the head gasket had not been done and was imminent. I cut my losses and sold it for about seven or eight hundred less than I bought it for; was glad to just be rid of it.
Remember what Darnell says about Christine? “Yah can’t polish a turd.”
Dad always told me that when someone is selling a car, there’s a reason. The reason always seems to be, “I need/want a bigger/smaller/sportier car.” The hard part is determining which of those sellers is telling the truth.
Very true. I find some owners share some problems but not all of them. The hidden problems are those they fear most or ones they don’t understand. I’ve come across a few owners who say nothing and let me find the issues.
When looking at a cheap used car, I always expect there’s a serious issue and it’s up to me to find it. Usually this is the case.
According to Craigslist today’s reasons are 1) I am going off to school and can’t take it with me, 2) I’m moving out of state and can’t take it with me, 3) I’m moving out of country and can’t take it with me, 4) I bought this car but decided I need something bigger (duh), 5) it has been sitting around and I hardly use it, 6) it doesn’t pass smog so I ned you to buy it and get it passed, and 7) for those who like projects this car is for sale because I bought it as a project but my direction has changed.
How do you know about The Lottery? We put on the play as our one-act for Speech Contest when I was a high school junior, with the head cheerleader/most popular girl in school in the role of Tess. We had the same mixture of feelings at the end of each show, and were way too young to really understand why.
You can learn how to fix anything with ADHD, you just need a patient teacher and enough repetitions that the steps in the task become automatic. Father-son dynamics can get in the way, so it often works better with a kindly neighbor or a good shop teacher. But the self-taught version can be expensive, especially with an old car. My most recent lottery experience was with my sister’s 96 Corolla, which gave me 60,000 good highway commuting miles for about $4000 total. Would have been an even better deal if I had not been looking for the location of the oil change place on my phone while driving and run into the trailer hitch of a Silverado. Punched a really neat hole into the front of the car, all the way to the block, end of that story. And now I don’t look up addresses while driving. I love the names you are able to come up with for your cars, glad you were able to pass this one on to people who could appreciate its virtues.
But did you hear about the letter the New Yorker received after publishing the story? It was unsigned and had no return address. It just said, “How did you know about us?”
“The Lottery” was shown to us at school (can’t remember what grades, prob middle or early high) at least three times. It’s hard to pin down the emotion it evokes, even decades later.
I have come to the conclusion that a cheap used car in our modern emissions/computer/high-tech era is a whole different proposition than a cheap used car back in the days of carburetors and points. There is just so much more there to go wrong, and it is all packed and packaged so tightly that it is too hard of a job for all but the most dedicated DIYer or too expensive.
I have lived that “just one more repair and I’ll be all set” lifestyle. Perhaps I could have lived with it if I had been willing to consider it as a cheap beater, but the car was nice enough that I tried to keep it up to “good car” standards – the kind of car you can get in at a moment’s notice and drive for 300 miles without being terrified about it.
I learned almost all of what I learned about cars from a couple of different adult mentors and from a couple of friends my age as we pitched in to do work on each others’ cars. RL Plaut is right, it takes awhile to get from “I can’t possibly do this” to “I can do this”. Making that trek pays a lifetime of dividends.
I agree 100% with your premise Mr. Cavanaugh. Back when I started driving (when dinosaurs roamed the earth) the cars available to me and my friends were built in the late fifties/early sixties. One could “fix” 95% of the problems on these vehicles with nothing more than a hammer, a couple of screw drivers and some Vise Grips. Fast forward 50 years and there are few cars even 30 years old that I would even consider working on. The good thing is that newer cars don’t need nearly as much routine maintenance as their predecessors. I call this progress but others may think differently.
My biological father was very mechanically inclined, but life precluded him from sharing that knowledge. My Dad is a brilliant electrical engineer, but not interested in working on cars. It was my own desire to learn that got me started at the age of twelve. I had a fantastic shop teacher in HS that really encouraged me to keep learning as well as a neighbor at the time who invited me to hang out as he worked in his garage. The result has been success with the used car lottery for over twenty years now, and only one car that I ever have had a payment on.
Thank you very much for sharing this Adam. Many life lessons here. When I was very young, my dad consistently taught me the long term value of preventative maintenance, which I’ve always practiced.
Fortunately, there are owners who take meticulous care of entry level cars, but they are unfortunately too often the rare exception. But you will find them in your neighbourhood, at work, or school. And they are often thoughtful people. Passing on good will is a good way to be.
My backyard neighbor and schoolmate Tim’s family bought one of these new back when we were in school together. They were dyed-in-the-wool domestic buyers and had an Oldsmobile Salon (the slantback), a Hornet Sportabout Wagon, a large conversion van that never moved, and a Chevy Citation, all in SoCal in the early to mid-80’s. Then this. After this I believe the other cars started moving out of their driveway, they moved on to a “real” Toyota, a Camry I believe, and never looked back. While yours was obviously beat at the point you got it, I think a lot of these and the other “captive imports” did a lot to persuade on the fence buyers that the import cars really were good and after one or perhaps more that were badged as domestics eventually buyers just went direct to the import showroom. Kind of a Trojan Horse that the domestics brought on/in themselves.
Excellent story though to demonstrate how a cheap car can be anything but and sometimes the wiser choice is to just pay for a newer one with a recurring monthly if one is not inclined or able for whatever reason, be it internal or external, to fix any/everything that needs it.
Thanks Jim. Personally, I think I should have just looked a little harder. I just hope that whomever The Good News Garage gave him to had a good experience thanks to all of the money we spent.
I bought the Chevy-branded Nova new, much like this one (stickshift, A/C, but a hatch), and had a much better go of it, even if I’m counting the “what parts wore out starting at 120k”.
The below-Toyota value retention was not going to be a thing for us, as we held onto it until 190k and sold it to a very mechanically-inclined friend at 190k.
This happened to be the first car I had long enough to need a new fuel filter, and it was right there in the engine bay, of translucent white plastic. You could actually see the sludge in the bottom, which was a great way to suss things out, and even replace it with barely any tools or reaching around/behind lots of mechanicals.
I think about that when I considier how I have to move god-knows-what to replace a mere halogen headlamp bulb nowadays.
The painful lessons we learn are the ones that stick with us: Always buy the best used car you can afford.
It’s the same with residential contractors: folks who get into owning rental properties but don’t know how to fix them are at a huge disadvantage. Not only because contractors are expensive, but also because they tend to go overboard. Did anyone ever have a roofing company come to inspect a roof and tell you that it doesn’t need replacing?
…which is why I’m wary of anyone offering to do a “free inspection.”
BTW- the site is acting strange, at least for me. I tried replying to Adam directly, but my comments didn’t show up. Then I tried again, and it showed duplicate comments. Now it’s not showing them again.
That happens to me sometimes.
Usually if I go away for a while, one of the replies ends up where I wanted it in the first place.
Maybe computer voodoo; maybe watchful site editors.
Seems to be fine now.
Thanks for sharing, Adam. This could well have been me. Dad was a mechanic and wasn’t about to pass on the skill set–wanted me to do something else. So if my car had needed this much work I would have been in the same situation of throwing good money after bad or ditching it. And when it is 300 here, 500 there, 200 here, the costs are easier to justify than when a $2000 repair hits. Still…as you said it got you around and where you needed to go so it could have been far worse.
Jack’s article is a good read for anyone who may be leaning toward this end of the price spectrum and doesn’t have the time, flexibility, job situation, or skill set to deal with the potential issues. Some people, of course, have little choice.
Wow, what a rich story! You managed to pack a lot of ground into a very compact piece. Very nice shirley Jackson reference.
My father can tell one end of a screwdriver from another but has no fix it inclinations whatsoever. His father made his own furniture and fixed everything around their house but didn’t pass anything on to my father. I had to learn the little I know now through Chilton and Haynes books and lots of well, THAT didn’t work.
100% agree with rlplaut that when you are buying a used car you are buying the previous owner, not necessarily the car, and a less respected model in good condition is better than a well respected model in poor condition. Mileage gets to be just a number depending on the age of the car and I’d rather have something with high mileage which has proven trustworthy and reliable than something which sat in the garage for years or grandma only drove it to church on sundays. I’ve seen cars with 90000 miles which were ready for the junkyard and cars with 240000 miles which seemed almost new. Cars which are regularly driven get regularly fixed. Cars which grandma only drove to church get, huh, thata making a funny noise, I’ll get to it later. Based on your initial assessment of the car, i would have run far, far away. Any car which needed a new engine that early means it was severely abused, timing belt or not. I’ve definitely bought many low priced cars and the other secret is it’s never going to be a new car so skip everything but the absolute essential repairs and maintenance and know when to cut your losses.
I was always under the impression that a lot of people play Russian Roulette with the timing belt because of the replacement expense, even if they do all of the other maintenance. They might not realize they’re playing with an interference engine, though. If the car went 125,000 miles on the original timing belt, that’s damn impressive.
Granted there is an element of luck in everything, but my cheap college used car venture involved a big four door 1972 Pontiac Grandville. Low mileage, well cared for, senior owned. I knew it was the “one” because it had an after market clear plastic bug shield mounted over the grill, the universal sign of an anal senior owner. Which, of course, I immediately removed! I drove it from 1987 to 1993, and the only real “repair” I recall was a water pump. Paid $2,000 for it, and was rebated about $300 when I found an otherwise empty wallet stuffed under the front carpet panel overlap to the rear while installing a stereo. It was probably the first owner’s emergency road fund, but he was deceased and I bought the car from his neighbor, who basically flipped the car. Luck indeed.
Maintenance included taking out a leaking after market rear air-shock system – which had been installed to accommodate the first owner’s very lightweight bumper hitch. That hitch proved to be way too light duty for my Dad’s small sport boat. So, ironically, I returned the rear suspension to factory spec and had a much heavier frame mounted hitch installed, and the car towed like a champ, even with 4-6 passengers.
Otherwise, I recall tires, alignment, tune-up, oil changes, coolant flush, a battery, probably had the AC charged, but don’t recall any real work on it, and some minor exhaust work. I also had the vinyl top dyed as it was a light off white color and had become sort of oddly stained by mildew – $40.00 at MAACO as I recall.
It was a daily driver, but my commutes were never too dramatically long or hard. And, it made 10 hour trips to Colorado for skiing and Texas to visit family. I think I drove it from about 40,000 to 90,000 miles, and it was running strong when traded in 1993 for very clean 1989 Thunderbird.
If were to bet again on a cheap used car, I’d go low mileage and well cared for over a brand’s reputation and high mileage.
My elderly mother may need some wheels for grocery runs, and this has been on my radar for a little while – clean Carfax and a very clean white interior.
Pre-bankruptcy GM? Are you sure you want to take that chance? Although the Malibu Maxx has always intrigued me conceptually, if not visually.
Why not?
The 3.5 L V6 is fairly bulletproof. Good ol’ pushrod design, you can run these low on oil and still not hurt them. The 4T65 (I believe is on these cars) 4 speed autobox is rock solid. Anybody in this part of the country can work on one of these blindfolded. I was able to achieve 30 MPG on the interstates on my rides back and from Cleveland.
The Maxx body is very versatile. The rear seats and right front seat folds down so you can load 8 ft lumber in the car with the hatch closed. In fact, the rear seats have a fore and aft feature like the front seats of cars. If the car has the optional front sunroof, the standard rear sunroof will offer lots of light during the dark Iowa winters. If I’m honest, ~90K miles seems a little low for a 16 year old car and the Carfax only knows what’s been reported to it…
I had one for three years, and it was during the time both of my kids were in travel soccer; it was handy for all of their gear on those long drives. In addition I was gigging around town back then. The hatchback was great for shoving my drum kit and electronics and usually the bassist, too. I miss that old grey beast. I still lots of them around here and they seem to all have developed the same rocker panel/before the rear wheel opening rust and in more serious cases, the bottoms of the doors start rusting, too. I often entertain thoughts of getting another one, maybe the SS this time around.
Another good Sunday-morning-over-coffee read, Adam. I sympathize with your decision. Being mechanically challenged myself, I’ve faced similar ones. The incident with the Celica left such a bad taste in our mouths that we decided to buy new, but as stripped-down as possible (hence, the Tercel). It’s not an easy calculus, and it’s easy to second-guess yourself. I’m sure you did the best you could given your circumstances. Anyway, bad experiences can make for some good stories, so thanks again for sharing yours.
Thanks Matt. I do go used one more time, but almost-new used, not used up. Check back in two weeks. I’m glad your most recent experienced with used cars (xD) has gone much, much better.
Glad my comment showed up. It was acting strangely earlier- I kept submitting the comment but it didn’t show in the thread. Then it was duplicated- then it disappeared.
So far the xD has been a good buy. I had it checked out, of course, but with almost 100K, it’s always a gamble. This is the most “used” car I’ve ever purchased, but I did my homework first.
Happened to me yesterday. My comment on your post was the third attempt, which didn’t show up right away. I decided to step away and try again later, and when I came back, there it was.
I owned a ’91 NUMMI Corolla that I bought new. When I finally convinced the Chevy dealer to tell me the price of a NUMMI Nova, The Nova was $500 more than the Corolla, so I noped out of the Chevy dealer and bought the Corolla the same day.
GM contributed more to mine than it did to yours. All the electrical parts were Delco. And, I had more trouble with the GM electrical parts than I did with the rest of the car, Overall, it served me well. When it got to be 21, with 150 K miles, I told it to get the hell out of my house, get a job and support itself. It managed to acquire another owner instead.
Over all, it did serve me well. I’d consider it one of my better automotive buys.
Wow, I’m surprised that the Chevrolet dealer wanted to charge more than the Toyota dealer! If it’s 1991, it must have been the Geo Prizm by then. I wonder if dealers thought they could charge a premium for a “Geo” instead a “Chevrolet” and all of its associated baggage (Vega, Chevette, Monza, Cavalier)?
Something hilarious just happened. I saw the title of the post and the lead photo, and it triggered a memory that I actually *owned* one of these, in the same color, for a few months sometime around 1997. Apparently it was so forgettable that it never made it into my own COAL series!
A neighbor had bought a new car and I bought this Nova for $500. Drove it for a few months and decided I didn’t particularly care for it. Sold it on to a friend-of-a-friend who was broke and in desperate need of wheels for $400, at 4 payments of $100/month.
I had a 73 Super Beetle with the semi-automatic, purchased at 11 years old with the odometer having locked up the year before at what the Minister selling the car told me was 242,000 miles. I believe him. This was in the early 80’s when used cars were worth real money because of the triple curse of absurd (20%!) car loan interest rates, Yen/Dollar exchange rates, and demand that made new Japanese cars impossible to afford. Further, anybody who had a Japanese car was apparently hanging onto it… In fact anybody with any car that ran decently was hanging on to it.
Thus:
A VW, even with a zillion miles, seemed like a safe bet because as I liked to say then “You can repair anything on a VW Bug for $100.” This turned out to be absolutely true (in 1980’s dollars; $250 of today’s dollars) however I failed to appreciate that the number of things that could require repair was apparently infinite. I shoveled money monthly into that car, as it was our only set of wheels in a Texas City with no public transportation.
I also learned a lot of youth and stupidity lessons in that car. Some examples:
1. Even if a car is old and cheap, you should still slow down going over railroad tracks as you will ruin your front-end alignment.
2. If you keep driving with your car out of alignment, you will ruin your front tires in a few months.
3. Even if you are short on money and must prioritize, don’t buy the tires first and wait two months to save up for the alignment. You will mal-align the steel belts in those new tires and ruin them so they are impossible to drive on after the alignment. You will need new tires.
4. Do not do an alignment before doing the ball joints and and front struts because you will have to do another one after you have to have them replaced to pass inspection.
Hilarious! I actually learned that lesson on my Zephyr. When I pulled into the K-Mart service center with the threads showing on my old tires, I asked the technician how much life they had left. He said, “3 minutes or 3 miles, whichever comes first.”
Under the circumstances it would have been unwise to cover 3 miles in 3 minutes!
In 2006 I bought an ’84 VW. The mileage wasn’t outrageous (~170K), actually less than my fairly trouble-free ’87 Audi 4000 had at the time. I figured that since the cars were closely related, it should be OK. Long story short, the VW was just plain tired by the time I got it.
It’s virtually a cliche: “The cheap ones are expensive, and the expensive ones are cheap.”
That is a car you rarely see anywhere in the last 15 years. I could see them around here, where NUMMI, was only 35 miles away down 680. Even recall looking at one for someone other than me as far as a new car. Instead they bought a bigger car, a 626, based on my level of satisfaction with my 626.
As always with any car, especially an economy car, it will last IF you put the time into maintaining the car as I am proof of that. Buying a used one when it looks pampered most times is smart, but when they look as though they were rode hard and put away wet then best avoid except for dedicated mechanics.
“When I mentioned this to the owner, a girl in her early 20s…”
Aping a free speech activist Jack Weinberger’s dictum from 1964
“Never trust a person over 30”, never buy a car from a person under 40.