I'm in the market for a used car. I originally had planned on spending near 10-12K for a used vehicle, but my truck continues to break down, and I need something relatively soon. Right now I'm looking for cars in the 5-7K dollar range. I've looked around and most of the stuff I'm finding isn't that great...but I see a lot of Neon's and J-bodies in that price range. The J's are usually newer though.
There's that option or buying a 97 GST Eclipse off my old man for 3K, putting 1K in it for AC and just being happy with that. It does need some body work and it has 117K miles on it.
So my option is J, something equivalent, or a 97 GS-T. I'm leaning towards the J honestly. My first car I ever really screwed with was a 1997 Sunfire GT. I never had any problems with that car, it was relatively easy to work with and I enjoyed it, but I only owned it for a year or two.
Given your experience with your J, and you had the chance to start over in a similar situation to me..would you go back to a Jbod?
The only way I would get back into one is if it was a 2nd car and not driven everyday.
Mr. Kleindl wrote:The only way I would get back into one is if it was a 2nd car and not driven everyday.
Can you and future posters please list your reasons behind your answers?
i know they are money pits. but i like the gst idea! as long as its a hard top tho!
WiGM-Tuners member.
Although I have had good luck for the most part & once really enjoyed my Sunfire, I for sure would NOT buy another one. There are so many other cars out there that are a lot more comfortable, better put together & safer. For example, for $7000 4 years ago I picked up my Outback, which is for sure way more comfortable (our official road trip car), way better built & safter, plus it gets through the snow & has TONS of options including heated seats, wipers & mirrors AND can carry dogs, bikes & luggage all at once without a Tetris degree. Hands down the Outback is far superior to my Sunfire & wouldn't cost much more than what you're looking at. That's just my example, but there have got to be other cars also far superior for a few bucks more.
Seriously? Another what should I buy tread?
It started with a want a new car should I sell my Miata or my truck, then it turned to should I buy a Fit/Yaris, then it turned into what car should I buy thats sporty and I can mod, then I think is was back to the Miata or truck again, then should I buy a VW, now should I buy another J...
No offense but it seems like your trying to please as many people as possible with what you buy. Come on man your a big boy, stop worry about what everyone else thinks and start doing some research on your own. Look up reliability rating etc and made your own decision.
The best advise for you is find anything that you like and can afford and buy it with a nice long extended warranty. Which in the case of this weeks thread means go buy an 04-05 cav with an extended warranty over an old eclipse.
I would have to agree with stargrrrl, and say no. I like my J's, but there is so much more out there.
Maybe it's because I'm older, or simply done my time with them.....
Now a J as a beater or project car, that might be a different story.....
I had 3 J's, and loved them all. They are as good of a starter vehicle as anything else in that category, and serve their purpose well. That being said, now that I am older, with a grown up job, there is just simply more I want out of a vehicle, and yes, sometimes "want" can be placed above "need".
So no, there is no way I would ever buy a J again.
**there is only one true love in my life... and my girlfriend has learned to live with it**
For 5-7k i think you can get a WAY better car than a J. i enjoy driving it but i would much rather have like a 95ish 300zx
Ok, the first year of owning my car, I got really into it. I loved it so much. But now, for my second year, I'm not as happy with it. I haven't done any mods to it in a while, and things have broken left and right with this car. Power window motors, a patch in the roof from a factory defect, replaced my headlight switch, tranny linkage cable, etc. Now while it would be extremely hard to part with my vert, I'd much rather have something new(ish). I doubt I'd get another J.
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I don't regret having 3 JBodies at all. They have been great vehicles and have taught me a lot about modifying and working on cars. I've moved on and don't ever see myself buying another economy car, but I would never discourage anyone for buying one if that's what they want or need. I have my 03 Turbo Cav for sale for not much more than you are looking to spend.
If I just needed transportation, I wouldn't hesitate to get the best, newest, lowest milage J I could find and pocket the difference. Even being an orphan, the mechanicals are still servicable and the service familiarity is still high. As with any used car regardless of make, model or price, your enjoyment is directly related to how much you can repair yourself. Nobody can afford to have a car regularly (ie: frequently) repaired by an independent or dealer. - Mark
If you lookng for plane basic transpiration you can buy a versa for under 10k with 0% for 3 years. Put as much as you can down get a 10 year 100k warranty and be left with with dirt low payments that your not paying interest on.
2000 civic si or something
I have been driving J cars since 02. My first was a 00, it had a "slight" brake booster failure and was totaled. My next one is my 02 (purchased in 04 with insurance check from the 00) and I have dumped way more money into it than I ever should have. In 06 I picked up my 98 when my mother purchased a SS S/C. If the 98 dies on me I will probably buy another J to replace it. For what they cost and the lack of problems (in stock form) i just cant really see looking elsewhere.
I've owned 5, about to be 6 (one was a total I bought for my Ecotec swap) and honestly, these have been some of the best cars I've ever owned. prime example - back in '02, I bought a '96 Cavi Z24 with 140k on it. all it needed was tires.. I paid $4k for it, and had it for 6 months until it was sideswiped by a Dodge Van 3500. until that point, it was the best car I had owned.. and even after getting plowed, it still ran. I had an '85 Cavi Z with 400k on it, and it was my "lets see how much abuse this thing can take" car.. it took the hell of muddin, off-roading, rally racing, and even vehicular vandalizm (I was 18 and a real @!#$ at the time).. rolling it 11 times is the only thing that killed it..
I dunno about some of these people who say they'd never own one again.. I guess I've just had better luck than others, and even if I was some high-paid employee somewhere, I'd still own a j-body... I'd own my BMW M3, but I'd still keep a j on the side for fun
if you're not big on the j scene, then my personal suggestion is VW.. for what you're lookin to spend, you can pick up a pretty nice Mk3 Jetta, GTi, Passat.. whatever your flavor might be. or for $5k-$7k, you can pick up a REALLY nice Mk2 and still have some cash to play with.. I had an '89 VW Golf in MINT condition with super-low milege, and it was right up there with my '96 Cavalier in terms of reliability, even after modifying it
I'd try to stay away from newer cars with prices in your range, 'cause they're gonna be ragged on and probably the brand's low-end model. my gf's dad has an '06 Nissan Sentra SE, and we're already having gas mileage issues, starter problems, and even wheel problems (a damn rock bent the rim.. no joke, a f*cking rock)
R.I.P. JessE Gerard 7.11.87 - 1.25.08
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Darkstars wrote:If you lookng for plane basic transpiration you can buy a versa for under 10k with 0% for 3 years. Put as much as you can down get a 10 year 100k warranty and be left with with dirt low payments that your not paying interest on.
This is what I would do in your case.
I would own another J for basic point A to point B use. I know how to work on them and keep them going.
FU Tuning
Depends on how much $$$ I had to spend.
I just bought one for real, real, cheap...... it was a good deal and came with maintenance records. Aside from the power window motors I am happy
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Answer-NO!
15.2@89mph 2.171 60ft. 9.830 1/8 R.I.P. "LULU"
I Wanna See You Suffer wrote:ok, if so many of you on here dislike, or even hate these cars.. why the f*ck are you people still here? especially those of you who have only owned one, maybe 2 of them..
Because many of us may have friends or gf's that have J's,whatever,my answer was an honest one to the OP.I honestly would not buy one,mine was free,for the main reason that I want something faster,imho you have to spend way too much money to achieve high hp.I'd rather get a Talon or Eclipse or something else that responds better to mods and has more of an aftermarket support.
15.2@89mph 2.171 60ft. 9.830 1/8 R.I.P. "LULU"
For everyday, reliable, affordable transportation I would certainly consider another J-body, if it meets your needs. For a single person or a couple with up to two younger children, I think that these are fairly decent cars. For your price range, you should certainly be able to find one of the newest ones available with the Ecotec under the hood - a nice step up from my car.
I wouldn't consider these to be especially "nice" cars compared to what else is available, but for the price (especially used) I think they're hard to beat. As long as you're willing to put up with the typical squeaks, creaks, and rattles these cars seem to develop (mainly in the interior) over the years, it will probably do you well.
Around here, I always try to find the newest vehicle possible for my money I can afford to spend (brand new if possible), largely because of what our local climate does to vehicles in a short time. If I was in a dryer location, my decision may change depending on the condition of what else I could find that was perhaps a little older, but nicer. Around here, I see obvious signs of the ravages of rust on anything more than a few years old, which is why I prefer to keep things simple.
My J has treated me very well since new. If you like the car, just try to find the newest, cleanest example you can and hope for the best. Regardless of reputation, no two used cars are the same - so just make sure you look closely. I always look at tire wear and the condition of the interior to try to get an idea of how the previous owner treated it. New tires already installed at a fairly low mileage is usually an indication of abusive treatment - and only two being replaced with the others still in good shape is often an indication of a lack of regular maintenance. Just a couple of simple things to watch for on any used car.
If you're really into "modding", then you may consider looking for something with an "H" on the front. I just think that they are a complete rip-off on the used market - demanding the money they do for their age and mileage. From what I've seen, they still rust just as well as any others. The only vehicle I've ever been under that seemed unfazed by rust was a Volvo XC70 - but that's in a slightly different class... Again though - it really depends on where you are. Here, it's a major issue. I've had to scrap 3 or 4 cars that I would have loved to keep driving if they would have stayed safely together.
Getting paged by the wife - gotta go!
Good luck.
John
NO! DONT BUY A J-BODY! PLEASE!
Working on obtainting an M-Class license... ?? Hint: 2 wheels.
personally id buy another, and another. i just bought my 4th the other day and im 21. they have served me well, ive still got my first car ever which is my green z, its only dead cuz it was rear ended, as well as my other cav. ive sold one because someone made a great offer and i couldnt refuse to sell it. ive had a good amount of experience with buddies cars and id still pick up another j.
