what car to buy

[harry]

ok, friends,
our son just arrived here with his jeep Cherokee, an early one, about 95.
its run into the back of something and is a write off for what it is.
dilemma!
he is a plumber, needs a car to work and will be unemployed if no car.


so dickhead dad is going to try to bail him out again,
for under 2 grand what do we replace it with?
must be a wagon and lockable, a ute or tray back won't do.


any help will be appreciated.

[Kev the Fridgy]

Falcon or Commodore .... K Mart cars we call them, plenty around, cheapish and easy to maintain etc etc

[pop058]

Hi Ace or Kia Van. plumbers seem to like them

[ramblingboy42]

the joys of parenthood Harry.

we have now financed 5 vehicles between my 3 'children'.......

but yeah , I would look at a Falcon wagon.

[harry]

Thanks Dennis,
Yep, been supplying cars, engines, and money for years.
Falcon would probably do the job, thanks.
Just have to convince him!!!!!!!

[Mammalalien]

I second the Commode or Millennium Falcon vote with a side of what ever road-side assistance membership is popular in QLD.

Mainly for the cheap and plentiful arguments others have noted but also because I feel that if he can't look after a car, he doesn't deserve anything more pricy. :D

[UncleHo]

G'day Harry :)

Don't overlook a Camry Wagon,reliable and economic and possibly not as high on the to steal list ;)

[pop058]

G'day Harry :)

Don't overlook a Camary Wagon,reliable and economic and possibly not as high on the to steal list ;)

A freind of mine used to have a 4 cyl camry wagon and it had horrible fuel economy. Cannot speak for the crumpledoor, but a 6 cyl Falcon does not have to work real hard and gets good economy. Heaps of 2nd hand wagons (and bits) around as well.

As far as the "steal list" goes

Most stolen cars for 2010/11 - Allianz Australia (http://www.allianz.com.au/car-insurance/news/most-stolen-cars-for-2010-11)

puts the Camry in the top 3 :(

[Sue]

You're a good Dad Harry.. :)

[harry]

wow, thanks, I guess the steal list wont be much of a problem as the thing will look like its crap in five days after he gets it.
fuel economy would be good as the jeep was a piece of crap and so bad on fuel.
its an ill wind that blows no good.


insurance would be a good thing too!!!!!!!!!!!
grump...


how many times have I said that to him?


now to await the rear ended party's claim.....

[UncleHo]

Were the Plods called?? as a rear ender usually got done for neg driving :(

[jerryd]

These are great little work vans and you might just find one in your budget :)

1986 Suzuki Other Van/Minivan | Cars, Vans & Utes | Gumtree Australia Gold Coast South - Mudgeeraba | 1051448976 (http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/mudgeeraba/cars-vans-utes/1986-suzuki-other-van-minivan/1051448976)

I've got a 1999 model and it's abused on a daily basis :D seems to be indestructible, very cheap to run, cheap to insure, cheap rego, and a big interior for tools, materials etc.

[bee utey]

AU Falcon wagon on gas, simple and robust and capable of towing decent loads, something like this one:

2000 Ford Falcon Wagon | Cars, Vans & Utes | Gumtree Australia Brisbane South West - Salisbury | 1051083218 (http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/salisbury/cars-vans-utes/2000-ford-falcon-wagon/1051083218)

[Chivalry]

My dad is a plumber and went through about 4 Volvo 200 series wagons, they were great plumber cars but they also use to be cheap, most wagons are now stupidly overpriced. I would have thought a VR V6 wagon would have been better then a Falcon, the Buick motors are pretty impossible to kill.

[101RRS]

What about another Cherokee - cheap as chips and can use the parts from the wrecked one to keep it going.

Garry

[harry]

thankfully no plod, yep another cherokee is first on the list for that reason, but i don't need another wreck sitting around.

thanks all.

[Bigbjorn]

but a 6 cyl Falcon does not have to work real hard and gets good economy. Heaps of 2nd hand wagons (and bits) around as well.

:(

You have to be joking. I complained loud and long at Bryan Byrt Ford about fuel usage in mine. It consistently used 14-15 l/100k. The service dept. would plug their diagnostic machine in and with a straight face tell me it used 11-12 l/100k which was "within guidelines". If I was only buying 11-12 then I wouldn't have been there bitching. I took it to an electronic and fuel injection technician to be told 14-15 "normal", 11-12 'impossible".

If you only plan to spend up to $2000 you are going to get a beater. An RWC, good enough tyres to get one, and a few months rego. are worth $2000 to a dealer plus the value of the car as a wrecker or scrap. Plenty of cars for sale cheap unregistered because the work required to get an RWC for a low value oldie is greater than the worth of the car. Only consider a Holden or Falcon. Jap and Euro parts prices will kill you if you need any. That is if still available in the face of ruthless obsolescence policies.

[vnx205]

A freind of mine used to have a 4 cyl camry wagon and it had horrible fuel economy.(

How did he manage that?

My SV21 Camry wagon uses 8.25 litres/100km. I wouldn't describe that as horrible. :)

[rangietragic]

I have gotten sub 9s from my L322 rangie, but a falcon or dunnydore would be better for work;)

[Bigbjorn]

G'day Harry :)

Don't overlook a Camry Wagon,reliable and economic and possibly not as high on the to steal list ;)

Kev, in 2011 I put 5000 miles on a near new Hertz Camry in the USA. I was not pleased with the fuel usage. I reckoned a little four banger Jap ****pot should have done much better. In 2012 I put another 5000 on a Rav4. Same. Drank like a drunk on pension day. The four pot Chev did better and was a bloody sight nicer car to drive. Trouble is, with car hire companies at peak holiday times, you have to take what is in the yard not what you reserved months before. I had requested a V6 Impala. None available.

[pop058]

You have to be joking. I complained loud and long at Bryan Byrt Ford about fuel usage in mine. It consistently used 14-15 l/100k. The service dept. would plug their diagnostic machine in and with a straight face tell me it used 11-12 l/100k which was "within guidelines". If I was only buying 11-12 then I wouldn't have been there bitching. I took it to an electronic and fuel injection technician to be told 14-15 "normal", 11-12 'impossible".

If you only plan to spend up to $2000 you are going to get a beater. An RWC, good enough tyres to get one, and a few months rego. are worth $2000 to a dealer plus the value of the car as a wrecker or scrap. Plenty of cars for sale cheap unregistered because the work required to get an RWC for a low value oldie is greater than the worth of the car. Only consider a Holden or Falcon. Jap and Euro parts prices will kill you if you need any. That is if still available in the face of ruthless obsolescence policies.

I get low 9s on trips from my EL Ghia and average about 12 in my XH tradey around town (Bundy).

Given that you said you have had (and still do IIRC) only ever 1 Falcon, you don't seem to be having much luck with them (it :D)

[harry]

Well, thankfully i don't have to buy a car, they went and bought a falcon tray back
Great news!

[Bigbjorn]

I get low 9s on trips from my EL Ghia and average about 12 in my XH tradey around town (Bundy).

Given that you said you have had (and still do IIRC) only ever 1 Falcon, you don't seem to be having much luck with them (it :D)

I now regard Falcons as piles of pus. Most troublesome vehicle I have ever owned. Thirsty, unreliable, rusty, grossly excessive parts pricing. I doubt I would ever buy another Ford and will tell anyone who might want to know what crap cars they are.

[vnx205]

[QUOTE=harry;2190161]Well, thankfully i don't have to buy a car, they went and bought a falcon tray back
Great news!

So they found a lockable tray back? :D

[pop058]

I now regard Falcons as piles of pus. Most troublesome vehicle I have ever owned. Thirsty, unreliable, rusty, grossly excessive parts pricing. I doubt I would ever buy another Ford and will tell anyone who might want to know what crap cars they are.

Yet others have had many (over a dozen Falcons personally and still the EL & XH) and had a great run out of them. Like all cars makes, you have good, bad and evil and it appears all your Fords (all 1 of them :D) have given you grief.

If the one you have is so bad, get rid of it.

[Bigbjorn]

Yet others have had many (over a dozen Falcons personally and still the EL & XH) and had a great run out of them. Like all cars makes, you have good, bad and evil and it appears all your Fords (all 1 of them :D) have given you grief.

If the one you have is so bad, get rid of it.

I last had a Ford in the early 1960's, a Zephyr. I never had another for forty years and had forgotten what a **** car the Zephyr was. Time obviously mellowed my memory and I was foolish enough to buy another Ford. I replaced a Valiant CM with the Falcon. Like most Valiants of that body, it was chock full of rust otherwise I would still be driving it. The Falcon uses more fuel than the Valiant with Hemi 265 and they were reputed to be gas guzzlers.