Cheap Available Platforms?

[McTimson]

Tercel's are pretty cheap, and they're easy to maintain. You should be able to pick up a manual Tercel for less than $1k, I think I paid $900 for mine with 130k miles about 4 years ago. They're not the most aerodynamic though - .36 cd.

Corolla's usually have a lower cd, but they're usually a bigger engine, and weigh more. The Tercel is less than 2000 lbs stock, I think the '93-'97 Corolla's come in at somewhere around 2400lbs.

Personally, for pure MPG driving, I would go for a Metro. Although the CRX's just look so cool.

[Wonderboy]

The tercel is a great suggestion. 7th Gen corollas are 2300lbs. I had a 93 that still sits in my EM garage if you want to see some baseline MPG numbers. It was just a stock 5 speed sedan, and I eventually took the mudflaps off. Not too much else in physical mods. I've been hunting down light-bodied cheap cars for an EV conversion (definitely in the sub $1000 range) and in the process I bought a metro XFi to fix up as my regular gas car. If you don't want to go with a metro, and don't want to deal with $1000+ pre-riced CRXs (CL is chock full of them), then you may want to look in to the civic hatchbacks of the same era. In terms of finding parts though, Honda parts (especially CRX) are sometimes prices as though they are made of gold. If you can find a good working honda and nab a cheap parts car to go with it, I think that would be the best way to go. In terms of being able to find parts ANYWHERE, get a metro/swift or a corolla/prizm. Junkyards around here are littered with them. Other neat little cars that could be nice are a little harder to find like older VW rabbit/cabriolets, mazda 323s, colt/summit/mirage (a few of these with the 4G15 engine had mitsubishi's version of lean-burn). I'd like to see someone take a super reliable and reasonably safe and light body like the tercel or 7th gen corolla and drop a smaller engine like a 4G15 or a swift engine/drivetrain in to make it a little less hungry. Now I'm rabling away from topic... Good luck!

Oh yeah, I payed $1300 for my 93 Corolla. The only work it needed while I had it was the master cylinder - the clutch would stick to the floor and I had to pull it back out with my foot to disengage it each time. This became pretty dangerous.

[cfg83]

rs899 -

I'm obviously a Saturn (S-Series) junkie, but cars like the Tercel are good choices. I would pick any base 1996+ HondaNissanSaturnToyota compact car + stickshift so that you can get the Scangauge OBDII compatibility. For keeping your Saturn happy, I heartily recommend saturnfans.com, because they have Saturn Master technicians telling you everything you need to keep your S-Series truckin' along.

PS - The Geo Prizm is a Toyota Corolla, so that's another option.

CarloSW2

[blownb310]

All this talk about cheap small cars is getting me all worked up. I'm starting to desire a Tercel and maybe a Metro now too. I've never had a three cylinder car.

Please stop tempting me, I have too many cars already!

'77 Datsun B210
'81 Datsun 210
'85 Sentra
'89 Sentra wagon
'93 Sentra SE-R
'93 Paseo
'00 Protege

Mike

[2000mc]

of course im biased...

but in the process of buying the saturn, cost of course was king. the only less expensive vehicles of similar age, and miles i could find were neons, caviler/sunfires, and metros

i liked the saturn best, i think the next more expensive cars were almost all older japanese.... there seemed to be a lack of slightly newer domestic cars i was interested in, and imports of the same age seemed ridiculously more expensive than the saturn.

[Frank Lee]

Originally Posted by shovel

it's been my observation that 90's Ford sedans are damn near free.... Tempo/Topaz/Taurus/Crown Vic/etc - perfectly serviceable examples are all over craigslist in my area for $400-1500

Damn near??? Try really, truly free!!!

I've scored two free Tempos, privately, and one $75 Topaz from a Sheriff's auction. Of course they have all proven to be awesome. I think they are more durable than the typical import box- they're somewhat heavier (thicker steel I think?). But, even so, the Rust Belt conquers all and after 10-15 years of bathing in it there will be holes.

Don't forget the Escort/Tracer/Lynx/EXPs!

One of the good things about them is the ready availability of cheap parts. That is showing signs of coming to an end, however, as the scrapyards around here crush everything after a short period.

P.S. Wonderboy: There's definitely a "regional" thing to what cars are common and where. I know California has a completely different mix than the midwest. Metros, Tercels, and Hondas basically don't exist in my area.

Would I love a CRX? You bet! But as someone noted when you do find one (and I have to go out of town to even find one) many little hands have been busy all over it, and usually they are unskilled hands at that. So even after years of looking I had to say: Noooo thanks!

[TOOQIKK]

I know im trolling abit but ...the 91-94 sentras are a great value and can get great results with them and parts are still a plenty! I bought my current one for 260 bucks and the previous one for 300....I am partially bias to nissan sentras but my first one in bone stock condition netted 48mpg on the high way(had to drive to Maryland from Ohio for work a couple o times) ....and my current one I have pulled 51.2 mpg with mixed driving!!

[Martin Steve]

Friend i think you are new here and have not checked all the forum yet.Just check it out then later you will recommend us to use etc etc threads here.
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