Car buying opinion

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Car buying opinion

May 03, 2012, 01:36:51 PM

OK so Basically got married this year and my wife go super sick and did a short stint in the hospital.
Being newly weds we were alrdy broke as could be.

I pulled some strings, sold some thing and now I'm down 1 car and killed 60% of our debt so I have a ton more money a month again (off the ramen diet)

So I have a little money left to try and find another car, my sister wants to get rid of her 99 Chrysler 300m. It is in pretty good shape (I did most of the maintenance on it) but has 195k miles on it.

That may be the deal breaker. I think I can pick it up for 1800 ish. Think I should pounce on it, or look for something else?

Car buying opinion

Reply #1 – May 03, 2012, 01:48:19 PM

My problem with new cars is that repairs are expensive. Personally there is no way I would spend $1800 on a Chrysler with 195k on it. But if it is a car that you like, has no issues, and has had the proper maintenance done I guess you could take a gamble on it. Just my opinion though. Good luck with whatever route you go!

Car buying opinion

Reply #2 – May 03, 2012, 02:13:38 PM

Just my opinion, if you want a cheap nice looking family car, look for 91-93 Cadillac Devilles. The 4.9l V8's last forever, get great mileage for a V8, and parts don't cost anymore than a SBC. I have four of these cars and I love em, the most I paid for one was 1400. you can even find nice low mileage ones for 1800 if that's what you're looking to spend

Car buying opinion

Reply #3 – May 03, 2012, 03:24:43 PM

The 300m isn't all that hard to work on, I've done some repairs on one and is been pretty straight forward. As far as the mileage, newer cars are lasting up and over 200k but with it being a Chrysler I dunno.

Car buying opinion

Reply #4 – May 03, 2012, 03:40:25 PM

Quote from: Sinista Chicken;388864

Just my opinion, if you want a cheap nice looking family car, look for 91-93 Cadillac Devilles. The 4.9l V8's last forever, get great mileage for a V8, and parts don't cost anymore than a SBC. I have four of these cars and I love em, the most I paid for one was 1400. you can even find nice low mileage ones for 1800 if that's what you're looking to spend

You can argue the exact same thing for any 85-88 cougar/bird with a v-8. When I was driving my bird freeway, I washiznitting 25-27 average doing 80+mph, and 30-35 at 65-70mph. it was also the worst running car I had. I put over 40k on it without an oil change trying to blow up the motor so I could throw in my new one. I paid $400 for the car, threw a set of tires on it and drove for 60k miles.

My sister has a chrysler 300. They had to replace a couple of abs sensors ($400 a peice), the steering colum extender thingy, and the thing that moves the pedals.

I know its not the same car, but after the $5k I put into a neon the wife had a loan on when we married, I will never again own a dodge, mitsubishi, chrysler or benz. It got horrible gas mileage (worse freeway then the bird, and about the same city), ate camshaft sensors, head gaskets, 2 heads, taillight bulb kept melting the tail light, the turn signal stalk went bad about 4 times, dash wiring was garbage, and went through two timing belts, two water pumps, and other things I have forgotten about, and that was in about 12k miles.

I'll stick to my $500 fords.

Car buying opinion

Reply #5 – May 03, 2012, 03:42:09 PM

a few St. Louis cars from CL in your budget range and low miles and super clean. Good luck!
http://stlouis.craigslist.org/cto/2976114672.html
http://stlouis.craigslist.org/ctd/2967564637.html
http://stlouis.craigslist.org/ctd/2952920164.html

Car buying opinion

Reply #6 – May 03, 2012, 03:51:49 PM

Thanks for all the input, think I will avoid this one. Thanks for the CL listings. Might see if I can't pick up a later model mustang or another bird (I have parts for those on hand).
The chrysler was tempting though, fwd v6 auto and irs

Car buying opinion

Reply #7 – May 03, 2012, 04:26:14 PM

Quote from: Haystack;388868

My sister has a chrysler 300. They had to replace a couple of abs sensors ($400 a peice), the steering colum extender thingy, and the thing that moves the pedals.

I've got a Chrysler 300 (the RWD one, not the shortened Intrepid), have owned it for two years, put 40k miles on it over those two years (actually over one year as it was parked through the winters), and have never had a problem with it.

I have never owned an Intrepid based car, but I can say I've worked on a lot of them that have been used as taxis, and I've seen 'em go for over 500k miles. Not with the 2.7 of course...

Car buying opinion

Reply #8 – May 03, 2012, 05:04:53 PM

making me want it again lol.

I did find a v6 mustang for 3500, its a 2001.

The 99 300, my sister has had it for 60k miles, and I've been the sole mechanic. I don't think anything is wrong with it, I"ve changed the shifter cable, heater core, radiator (she ran over something or other) and other than that its been relaiable.

Car buying opinion

Reply #9 – May 03, 2012, 05:15:28 PM

Forgot there was the 300c and the 300m. I have seen a ton of the 2.7's with cams ripped out at the junkyards. Don't know if its an issue or not.

My sisters is the v-8 with awd, and she does not take very good car of it, but I do know its under 100k. She's one of thoes types that doesn't know how to pop the hood and sells a car over a dead battery. Her boyfreind at least acts like he knows some about cars, but I have no idea how it is maintained. If you know the history of the car, you know better then we do.

Good luck either way.

Car buying opinion

Reply #10 – May 03, 2012, 05:24:34 PM

I did some research, seem to recall chrysler having tons of trans issues. The 300m for 99 had the least complaints, major ones were heater core (fixed that alrdy), cracked dash (has that), random shut off issue (thinking electrical or security related). Nothing knocking the motor or trans though. The motor is a 3.X something, puts out some power if I remember right. It has every option, white with brown leather inside. downer is she smokes so that may turn me away also

Car buying opinion

Reply #11 – May 03, 2012, 06:57:11 PM

personally I wouldn't buy a 1st gen 300 for anything :barf:

Car buying opinion

Reply #12 – May 03, 2012, 09:02:58 PM

My mom has a 03 intrepid SXT with the 3.5l HO its a decent car.... IF you dont work on it yourself per say. Now, on the other hand being the broke people we is... and me being a mechanic... I hate this effin car. It chews front tires. eats serp belts, the sunroof used to gurgle.. it'll die at random.

Driveability wise its a great car! weve had it since 05 and got it with less than 10k on it. it has 90k on it now. its been great for 80k. now all the stupidest problems are arising (of course its no spring chicken anymore) but Ive noticed that once it starts getting up there in miles, it is becoming more of a task to maintain.

6,1, half a dozen personally If I had the money and or the choice the car would not be here but atleast its paid for and its running and driving.

Car buying opinion

Reply #13 – May 04, 2012, 03:35:41 AM

Quote from: Haystack;388868

You can argue the exact same thing for any 85-88 cougar/bird with a v-8. When I was driving my bird freeway, I washiznitting 25-27 average doing 80+mph, and 30-35 at 65-70mph. it was also the worst running car I had. I put over 40k on it without an oil change trying to blow up the motor so I could throw in my new one. I paid $400 for the car, threw a set of tires on it and drove for 60k miles.

My sister has a chrysler 300. They had to replace a couple of abs sensors ($400 a peice), the steering colum extender thingy, and the thing that moves the pedals.

I know its not the same car, but after the $5k I put into a neon the wife had a loan on when we married, I will never again own a dodge, mitsubishi, chrysler or benz. It got horrible gas mileage (worse freeway then the bird, and about the same city), ate camshaft sensors, head gaskets, 2 heads, taillight bulb kept melting the tail light, the turn signal stalk went bad about 4 times, dash wiring was garbage, and went through two timing belts, two water pumps, and other things I have forgotten about, and that was in about 12k miles. I'll stick to my $500 fords.

I agree with you on the (newer) chrysler products (slant sixes never die, lol). I fell in love with these caddy's for the same reason as my Bird, cheap and they don't break. As far as the Caddy, these cost near 40k new, now you can pick em up for 1k or so in nice shape, and stock for stock they spank (read: embarass) fox Stangs in the stoplight drags. they also don't have a torque curve, it's a straight line, makes em feel like they have 100 more hp than they actually do. Oh and for the 5k you put into that Neon (which is supposed to be a 'cheap' car). I paid less than half that for all for of my Caddy's combined, including parts! The only bad thing is there is literally no aftermarket for a 4.9l Caddy V8, nothing, nada. I did however see someone swap a 4.9 into a Geo Storm with an Isuzu 5spd. Instant race car. The best part was that the 4.9 weighed 20 lbs less than the stock 4banger being it is aluminum block, in a car that weighed half as much as the caddy it came in....*end rant*

Car buying opinion

Reply #14 – May 04, 2012, 01:51:29 PM

I understand what your saying. My first 86 v-8 was $110, second was $400, 87 v-6 was $550, next 87 v-6 was $300, next 87 v-8 was $400 and the last 87 v-8 was $400. Up until my crownvic that I have been driving, I have only driven cougars/birds since I was 16, and I'm 25 now. Everytime an expensive repair came up, I ditched the car and bought a new one cheap. Now I wouldn't do that, and I would just stick to the same car. It gets old fixing the exact same thing on every car you've ever owned.

Overall it really doesn't get cheaper then that, and they get really good gas mileage for what they are. I'll bet the repair parts are about half that of a caddilac, and if you want to make one fast for cheap, its as easy as drag and drop. Plus I think they look way better.

The only reason I put any money into that neon, wife had a $5k loan on it, and her dad was a dodge man. He picked it out, bought it off a neighbor. He had it torn apart and the head in the machine shop before I knew it was even broken. Then I had to foot the bill and put it back together.