Need opinions
 

Okay, so some of you might recall me owning a an old police cruiser? A '97 to be exact. Well, I still own it, and its come a long way since its been purchased, but, it still needs a lot of work. The majority of the suspension needs to be replaced, the transmission is starting to slip, and a few engine parts are on their last legs. None of this would really be a big problem, except for the fact that, thanks to this economy, and taxes, I'm pretty broke.

I need a reliable car, because I start school next month and I need to travel 30+ miles to get to school from where I live.

I found an ad online from a guy selling a '92 Nissan 240sx hatchback in excellent condition. I'm considering taking out a loan to buy this car and use it as a daily driver, and parking the Vic till I can afford to sink money into it. Once the Vic is fixed, Ill use that as my daily driver and do a SR20T swap on the 240sx and build a drifter.

So what do you guys think, fix the Vic now, or park it and buy the 240sx?

How old are you?
Do you have any credit issues?
Why not buy a new small car... Cobalt or something... base model is only like 11K now so if you have a job and will be working during school time why not see if you can get a loan for a car that won't break down on you.

Buying an old 240SX just seems like a waste as it will no doubt need money putting into it which puts you further way from fixing the cop car....

I'm 19, and have no credit issues. I know the 240 will have issues eventually, I'm prepared for that, but hopefully they wont be as bad as the Vic. I can't really afford a loan for a new car, and I want something that I can actually turn into a project later on, seeing as I am going to an automotive school.

Oh man the Anti-Rice falls for the Ricer-dream!

Just kidding. Park the vic, find an S10 (their dirt cheap) and drive the wheels off it. Cheap to fix, dead-on-reliable, tough as hell, and cheap parts to make them look fairly good.

Haha, I'm not completely anti-rice, there are a few that I actually like, the 240sx hatch is one of them.

If I were to get a truck, it'd have to be something with towing abilities. Id prefer a sporty car.

Edit: I forgot to mention, the reason I can't afford a new car loan is because I already have student loans and don't want to pay both student and car loans. If I can get a car loan for a couple thousand, then I can have that paid off before schools over.

How much for the 240?

Any pictures?

Hes taking offers, hasn't named a specific price.

http://images.craigslist.org/3n73mb3...0454f5185f.jpg
http://images.craigslist.org/3n23m33...d731871043.jpg
http://images.craigslist.org/3nd3od3...45bf891988.jpg
http://images.craigslist.org/3n63pf3...e53a2f1cc5.jpg

Car is mostly stock, except for a K&N filter and new brakes.

Aren't cop cars pretty cheap to buy? You could just buy a new one and swap out everything...


But back to this more realistic situation. I'd say buy the 240 now so that way your Vic won't die on you when you need it the most. However, I do have one question, are you going to insure both of these cars? Or just one? Being only 19, and probably not on your parent's insurance anymore, it'll be kinda expensive to insure both cars.

Cop cars aren't that cheap here in Mass. Back in Florida they were, but they are kinda rare here, plus mine is the last year of the previous body style (Current body style started in '98) which makes it even harder to find.

Actually, my insurance is really cheap, since Ive been driving for three years and have a (mostly) clean record. I'm not going to say how much it is, but its almost half of what some of my friends pay. I'd have to talk to my agent to see what it would be to insure both cars, but I don't think it will be unmanageable.

for the cop car, if you arnt going to drive it due to the condiction, why would you insure it?

Hmm... I see. Well, in this condition, buy the 240 in order to have an operating car. You don't wanna be halfway to Boston or something like that and have your Vic die on you.


If someone stole it. Or if it got hit by a drunken man who somehow hit it.

lol who would steal car that didnt run? and if they did im pretty sure you would hear the tow truck pulling up beside your house at 2 a.m. lol

The Vic does run, it just has a lot of worn out parts that I can't afford to replace right now. I want to have the Vic on the road just in case something does happen to my other car.

4.3L V6 tows 5-6k lbs if I recall right in our 98 GMC Jimmy. Their tough trucks, and that's enough towing power for just about anything you'll ever need unless you plan on hauling cars on a full car trailer all the time.

I have a hard time believing a 17 year old nasty Nissan is going to be a reliable car. Parts for those cars are an arm and a leg.

Well, I work at Advance Auto, so I get a 20% discount if I buy there. Plus it looks like most of the parts Ive looked at are pretty cheap, compared to the parts for my Vic.

I say go for a Metro/Prizm/Omni or some other cheap efficient car. You can buy them for $500, they're efficient, and they dont cost anything to repair. Plus I'm sure someone else would want it when you sell it, and so you could buy a car for your class. Sure you cant do anything to it, but it'll be cheap, you wont need to make any payments, or pay too much for gas, and its about ask simple as it gets. And the cheaper the car, the quicker you can throw money into the Crown Vic.

i say just get the 240 now and when you can afford it fix the vic

From what my tuner friends say, I'd be weary of any used 240... you can figure why.

Won't be cool, but score a 90s honda, or toyota. Dirt cheap and dirt simple, and reliable to a fault. When they do break down, you can trade food stamps for parts. The goal on the 2nd car is to have something that's not going to be any trouble. And who drive's a 90s Carolla hard?

If I wanted a Metro, I could buy my cousins. It needs a new clutch because the dumb*** killed it.

I am weary of used 240s, I'm weary of most used imports. The only reason Im considering this one is because its been kept stock, and owned by adults, no stupid teens like me. I'll keep my eye out for something like that, but I'd still prefer the 240. At least I can do something with it when I'm ready to...

Edit: The guy also is willing to obtain a CARFAX report, so he doesn't have much to hide.