Project: The Anal Probe

[Sven7]

While I'm procrastinating...


Probe by Tyler Linner, on Flickr

The crease in the bottom of the air dam allows it to fold under at speed. Here, I'd pulled it back out. That's dirt on the grille block, but the rest of the car got some pretty good knicks and dings that show the red paint underneath.

Probe by Tyler Linner, on Flickr

There's a 1988 Corolla 5spd on CL for $800 near here...

...a 1990 Geo Metro XFI would get 70mpg in my hands...

[slowmover]

Beer-drinkin' and hell-raisin'.

[arcosine]

May the old Anal Probe rust in pieces, I mean rest in peace. I guess it would be time to give it up when it starts cracking in half and sags when both doors are open. sc1 has a plastic gas tank. Only if its the hatchback corolla, the boat tail might fit with some "adjustment". Humm 70 mpg...

[Sven7]

Originally Posted by slowmover

Beer-drinkin' and hell-raisin'.

Quite a bit of the former... not much hell-raisin' though

Originally Posted by arcosine

May the old Anal Probe rust in pieces, I mean rest in peace. I guess it would be time to give it up when it starts cracking in half and sags when both doors are open. sc1 has a plastic gas tank. Only if its the hatchback corolla, the boat tail might fit with some "adjustment". Humm 70 mpg...

I love having the Probe's cargo room but it's just a freaking gas guzzler when not on the highway. I guess the Corolla, even being a 5spd, wouldn't get much better than the Probe though. Don't have money for a "new" car right now... a few weeks ago they cut my hours down to 20/week.

Might take the Probe in to the shop and tell them to fix the gas leaks and wheel bearing.

Gotta get a real job and get a real car. TDI wagon, anyone? I wish they had Chevy Volt wagons- that would be the best of both worlds.

[ps2fixer]

Just a heads up on the 92 and older corollas, they did have some rust problems (Michigan viewpoint), not as bad as Hondas though. The 93+ model was a solid body which is the same body style I have. With just a grill block and wheel covers I can pull 40mpg no problem unless I'm racing to work @ 60mph, then I get around 38-39mpg lol.



I have done a little research on Geos as well, they have more of a problem with rust in the main structure of the front end. The engine bottom ends are a bit weak, but rebuild able with the engine in the car. I never owned a Geo, so I can't say a lot, but the guy next door had one, and he had no problem getting 45-50mpg out of it going the speed limit. Just to note, max cargo weight for the car is something like 1000lbs, so don't expect it to hull much.

Don't forget about the little VW cars, they were good on gas/fuel as well, and didn't have a lot of problems besides rust like 99% of cars in Michigan.

If the corolla for $800 is in good shape, it seems to be a good deal, mine was $650, and I and to put about $500 worth of parts into it to make it safe/reliable. Good luck with what ever you pick.

[MetroMPG]

Yeah - rusty Geo's suddenly "turn corners" with no driver input. You've got to watch out for punky control arm mount points - it's the achilles heels of these cars. (Search the web or this site for lots of examples - they can be fixed if you're handy with a welder).

The Metros also aren't particularly good at high speed (e.g. over 55 mph) MPG. Mine, in stock form, only achieved its 49 mpg EPA highway rating at just 60 mph in flat cruising (Speed kills: testing MPH vs. MPG in top gear - MetroMPG.com ) . (Whereas my parents' Camry can go 75+ MPH before it drops below its highway rating - http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...2-a-23818.html )

But when you gear them up, drop them down, swap the cam & aeromod them, it's not hard to boost the little cars' cruising efficiency. EG: with the boat tail 64 mpg @ 56 mph (level road, cool weather).

[arcosine]

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/Power...la&srchtyp=ymm

[Sven7]

Thanks guys. I'm not actually going to sell the Probe just yet. Looking at CL is a sort of coping mechanism- I got the car for $400 and look how comparatively nice it is. Ya know?

I don't want another old VW just yet... I'm actually thinking about selling the Rabbit for an S30 Z.

Good to know on the rust front. The Metros seem to get much better mileage than Corollas, and EG Civics close the gap. CRX's are next to extinct here though the HF looks enticing. I'll feel endlessly guilty driving a non-rusty old car in the winter, even if it's just a Civic.

If the gas leak costs more than $300 I'll probably buy a new car. It really shouldn't be that much.

[arcosine]

This is a rust bucket:



1988 toyota corolla

This is cool:




Hey get this car!:

http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/cs...374690298.html



OR This car:

http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/cto/3375642309.html

[Sven7]

That CRX is tempting. Wonder how much I could get out of the Probe. $500?

That guy has some really cool stuff on his photobucket.
http://s724.photobucket.com/albums/w...cpZZ1QQtppZZ24