Author Topic: Buy a terrible old car to try and look rich!  (Read 9756 times)

Indexer

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Re: Buy a terrible old car to try and look rich!
« Reply #50 on: April 14, 2019, 05:07:54 PM »
Actually - Fiat has made some really great engines over the years. I've thoroughly enjoyed wringing out every horsepower from some of their smallest engines. They were building dual overhead cam engines that were efficient and full of technology long before American car companies who have hung onto pushrod valvetrains for decades longer than everyone else.

Fiat and it's subsidiaries are constantly found near the bottom of the rankings for reliability by Consumer Reports, and JD Power, while Mazda is normally in the middle to upper middle of the pack. If they are the same car in every other way I would much rather have the one with a Mazda engine than a Fiat engine, that is all I was getting at.

 American cars are also normally ranked near the bottom, so no argument there. ;)

jinga nation

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Re: Buy a terrible old car to try and look rich!
« Reply #51 on: April 15, 2019, 10:10:05 AM »
If you're going to buy the real thing, get the MX-5. not the Fiat aka Fake-Miata.
The enthusiast community is bigger for the MX-5, at least in UK and USA.

Metalcat

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Re: Buy a terrible old car to try and look rich!
« Reply #52 on: April 15, 2019, 10:13:46 AM »
How the fuck did my thread about "terrible old cars" turn into a thread about Miatas, arguable some of the consistently least terrible cars in history???

jinga nation

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Re: Buy a terrible old car to try and look rich!
« Reply #53 on: April 15, 2019, 10:23:41 AM »
How the fuck did my thread about "terrible old cars" turn into a thread about Miatas, arguable some of the consistently least terrible cars in history???
I responded to @PDXTabs's post on Lotus Elise (w/Toyota engine) and thread went uphill from there on. Sorry, not sorry.

Just Joe

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Re: Buy a terrible old car to try and look rich!
« Reply #54 on: April 15, 2019, 10:25:15 AM »
Actually - Fiat has made some really great engines over the years. I've thoroughly enjoyed wringing out every horsepower from some of their smallest engines. They were building dual overhead cam engines that were efficient and full of technology long before American car companies who have hung onto pushrod valvetrains for decades longer than everyone else.

Fiat and it's subsidiaries are constantly found near the bottom of the rankings for reliability by Consumer Reports, and JD Power, while Mazda is normally in the middle to upper middle of the pack. If they are the same car in every other way I would much rather have the one with a Mazda engine than a Fiat engine, that is all I was getting at.

 American cars are also normally ranked near the bottom, so no argument there. ;)

The Fiat cars as a whole may have problems but the Fiat engines I had the most experiences with were quite alot of fun and good. The cars themselves (1990s and 1980s) were very simple and light construction so things broke from time to time. They were easy and inexpensive to repair when this happened though. Not difficult at all to work on. And second gear always grinded a little once it had some miles on it if the driver didn't finesse the transmission and clutch a little.

Yugos (a Fiat licensed copy of a Fiat 126) were universally ridiculed here in the USA because Americans thought they ought to be able to buy a car that cost $4500 new that would survive twenty years of neglect - seriously - cheap cars often attract cheap owners. Cheap owners do not worry over the maintenance schedule, the best lubricants or quality repairs. They use whatever cheap temporary materials they have on hand and bitch about the car when the next thing breaks. Duct tape and bailing wire do not make quality repairs.

Yugos had alot of potential as long term local cars - not long distance family haulers. Cheap to buy, cheap to repair, simple to repair. Requires an owner with expectations in line with the cost of the vehicle. An owner who knows how to replace a starter or window regulator is a bonus.

I marvel at the number of cars Americans sent to the crusher due to an inability to make repairs themselves and thus repairs made economically. I've owned upwards of 40 cars over the years. Many of them purchased for little and then I made the necessary repairs cheap and drove it for a year or several. Sold it and recouped most or all of my expenses and thus drove for free or nearly so.

I look at Mercs, BMWs, and other "luxury" brands and know I could make one last but I'm not sure the cost of even used parts would be affordable. Swapping parts out shouldn't be that much more difficult than any other modern car.
« Last Edit: April 15, 2019, 10:30:57 AM by Just Joe »

Indexer

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Re: Buy a terrible old car to try and look rich!
« Reply #55 on: April 15, 2019, 03:49:30 PM »
How the fuck did my thread about "terrible old cars" turn into a thread about Miatas, arguable some of the consistently least terrible cars in history???

Sorry, that would be my fault. 

Metalcat

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Re: Buy a terrible old car to try and look rich!
« Reply #56 on: April 15, 2019, 04:04:40 PM »
How the fuck did my thread about "terrible old cars" turn into a thread about Miatas, arguable some of the consistently least terrible cars in history???

Sorry, that would be my fault.

No worries, I just find it hilarious.

Xlar

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Re: Buy a terrible old car to try and look rich!
« Reply #57 on: April 16, 2019, 05:10:14 PM »

I love the Miata, esp the 2nd gen with the pop-up headlights.

2nd gen Miatas (the NB) had fixed headlights. The 1st gen (NA) was the only Miata that's ever had pop-up headlights.
Thank you for correcting. I meant to refer to the 94-97 mid-cycle refresh, with the tan seats and LSD.

After I posted I realized that maybe that's what you were talking about; those 1.8L NAs were nice indeed. I had a 2000 model and really enjoyed it. Wish I could have gotten a six speed though. It was geared so low that it was screaming in fifth on the interstate (I know they're not GT cars but 4000 rpm gets old after a while).

Fun fact: 6th in the 6 speed is basically the same RPM as 5th in the 5 speed miatas!! You just get more gears in between, hahaha. (The 6vs5 speed have different gear ratios. But they have a different rear end that gets the highway RPM to even out!)

PDXTabs

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Re: Buy a terrible old car to try and look rich!
« Reply #58 on: April 16, 2019, 08:19:13 PM »
Fun fact: 6th in the 6 speed is basically the same RPM as 5th in the 5 speed miatas!! You just get more gears in between, hahaha. (The 6vs5 speed have different gear ratios. But they have a different rear end that gets the highway RPM to even out!)

But you could change the rear end (in your 6 speed) at the same time you pop a Torsen in. But that might not be very mustacheian.


redwood_canyon

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Re: Buy a terrible old car to try and look rich!
« Reply #60 on: April 19, 2019, 07:02:42 PM »
Hey my dad kind of did that.

He bought himself a 2008 Maserati Quattroporte a few years ago. Did it in a somewhat Mustachian way, paid in cash in full ~$20k.

I know some people are going to bag me for this statement.  It really is not that bad though in all honestly. He did not buy it to show off, it is his daily driver, to some people's disbelief. In all honestly some people like cars and if they do it right, buy when the car has already depreciated to its lowest, what is wrong with that? He has clients who have bought brand new cars and driven them off the lot, depreciating quickly. And honestly everyone has their "thing", his is cars. I am sure someone out there understands this point of view. But I am already bracing for the hateful replies, because I know this is an uncommon opinion.

I'm just curious about the Maserati quality. Has it been a good car? I really like the looks of them.

I heard a story about a vehicle that a guy bought to suprise his wife who hated it and he was forced to resale and replace with a more MMM type car of some sort. Anyhow my friend bought the cast off vehicle at much less than new even though it was not quite to its first oil change. Seller was grumpy about it as you might expect. Was a good car for friend.


It has been a great car. Gets decent mileage, its his daily driver. and his office is really close so no really long commutes. He's had it for 3 going on 4 years now, which is more than he though it would last. And he could sell it for pretty much what he paid for it, maybe a few thousand less. It only had one owner, then the used car dealer drove it for a bit, but due to a young son he decided not to keep it for himself. It has the occasional odd thing happen, but it has not been too expensive to fix: New battery, faulty windows for a bit, trunks electric latch doesn't work anymore. But besides that its a great car. And since its a Maserati the exhaust sounds amazing!!! And since Maserati is owned by Ferrari they have 400hp Ferrari-Maserati Engines, which are fun!!

Turnbull

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Re: Buy a terrible old car to try and look rich!
« Reply #61 on: April 20, 2019, 04:52:07 PM »

I love the Miata, esp the 2nd gen with the pop-up headlights.

2nd gen Miatas (the NB) had fixed headlights. The 1st gen (NA) was the only Miata that's ever had pop-up headlights.
Thank you for correcting. I meant to refer to the 94-97 mid-cycle refresh, with the tan seats and LSD.

After I posted I realized that maybe that's what you were talking about; those 1.8L NAs were nice indeed. I had a 2000 model and really enjoyed it. Wish I could have gotten a six speed though. It was geared so low that it was screaming in fifth on the interstate (I know they're not GT cars but 4000 rpm gets old after a while).

Fun fact: 6th in the 6 speed is basically the same RPM as 5th in the 5 speed miatas!! You just get more gears in between, hahaha. (The 6vs5 speed have different gear ratios. But they have a different rear end that gets the highway RPM to even out!)


I guess the answer is to get the six speed and just stay on twisty back roads like you're supposed to, huh?