My nephew is looking for a first car. He's 17 years old and has $3000 available to buy something. Anyone got something they're looking to unload?
Looking in Central Mass
Looking in Central Mass
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WTB 4 Cylinder Manual Transmission car for $3,000 (or less)
- Thread starter swatgig
- Start date
I suspect it's the economic factor. He goes to a trade school almost 30 miles from home. His older brother would drop off the V8 with his father, and take the Corolla just to save on gas.
cockpitbob
NES Member
Just make sure the type of car is known for its reliability. I broke my own rule of "spending too little is worse than spending too much" and paid $3,600 for a Subaru with 140K. If I had spend $5K for a better one, within 2 years I would have had more money in the bank and a better car in the driveway.
ETA: +1 for him wanting a stick. You know a manual transmission is a millennial anti-theft device, right?![[laugh]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/012.gif "Laugh [laugh]")
I got the Subaru because I wanted my boys to learn on a stick.
ETA: +1 for him wanting a stick. You know a manual transmission is a millennial anti-theft device, right?
I got the Subaru because I wanted my boys to learn on a stick.
He's studying auto mechanics in trade school. He needs something that will continue breaking down so he can fix it. I'm trying to talk him onto buying my Wrangler 
cockpitbob
NES Member
Old Subaru Outback or Forester. The timing belts are buried so deep inside that it's about $1,500 of labor. Then there's the head gaskets that you can set your watch by: 150K miles. The clutch is also hard to get at, and ours gave zero warning. I tested it with some power-shifting a week before my son calls to say he coasted into a parking lot after not making it up a long hill, and something smells burnedHe's studying auto mechanics in trade school. He needs something that will continue breaking down so he can fix it. I'm trying to talk him onto buying my Wrangler
![[rofl]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/013.gif "ROFL [rofl]")
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My worst story is a Mitsubishi Eclipse. I asked the seller about the timing belt and she told me she had replaced it. I forgot to ask "when?". Two weeks later, the belt broke and took out the engine.
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One move I have never regretted is buying a stick for my first car (not counting the family hand-me-down which in the spirit of most programming languages, I consider Car #0). It gave me the skill of driving a manual that has come in handy even though all my cars since have been semi-autos.
