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VERY nice setup, I was going to talk about pickup trucks, extended cab pickup trucks, and double cab pickups. With a box topper, all very useful.
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i have a particular fondness for older mini trucks. i had an ‘82 datsun 720 prior, which i also loved- it was a real mule, capable of carting up to a 1/4 ton (albeit slowly) but unfortunately only a 4 spd so not as conducive to long distance runs.
the sr5 is surprisingly spacious for its size. the first time i slept in the bed i was amazed at how roomy it felt; the raised roof makes quite a difference, and the camper shell is faux wood paneled inside, which lends it a bit of warmth. it’s 6 1/2’ long, so i can fully stretch out in there.
the only real downside was that when i went to look at the truck, i was so obviously slobbering over it that i could’t haggle the price (i had a legitimate angle- the carb needed a rebuild) but the money i coulda saved is insignificant to the expected value i have for it- the 22r is a million mile engine. if i can stay away from salt and avoid rot, i see no reason why i can’t drive it for a couple decades.
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That’s massively depressing. I weep for the future.
Yes, it is. I found it in the dirt in front of my house next to the car, shortly after I bought the car from my brother. It’s the best hood ornament ever.
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When I was in the USAF in WGer. in the early 1980s the Germans would sell them to GIs, which was a pretty good deal for both. The GI would get a cheap car that only had to pass US-style inspection, and the Germans got someone to pay private party prices, not trade-in or junkyard prices.
Plus some GIs, like me, would wreck the car on black ice and have to buy another one. So there was always a market wann der TÜV sie scheidet.
Ed. to add: There were 250,000 US service personnel in Germany at the time, plus a similar amount of their dependents, so the demand for used cars was constant.
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On the other hand, the Honda Civic Si does not have an automatic transmission available.
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I had a succession of extremely dodgy old motorcycles that were maintained on a minimal budget. If inspected to rigorous standards, they all would have failed on tyre wear alone.
The trick was to find a car mechanic and hit 'em up near closing time. The car guys generally had no idea what they were looking at, but wouldn’t want to admit it in front of a customer, so they’d pass anything.
Later on I had a very chill bike mechanic who would sign the inspection papers without even looking at the bike. To quote: “you wouldn’t ride it if it were dangerous, would ya?”.
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Mercedes will not make any more manuals, it seems.
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I’ve driven “scrap arn” almost all of my life and wouldn’t know how to drive a new car (or how to make the payments). My standard joke is that status seekers will drive thirty miles out of their way just to avoid being seen in the same lane as my car/truck. Unfortunately, meth monsters have given beaters a bad rep and a car thief made me permanently wary of having any vehicle with resale value.
Check the tire shops: they often know someone moonlighting as a mechanic in their side yards who can do the inexpensive work.
When the scammer with the fake auto warranties calls, I always want to ask “Do you want to renew the warranty on the '85 or on the 2000?”
I will also sing praises of beaters but there was that guy who always bought super cheap $100 cars and they were chronically unable to fulfill their obligations and mooching rides because the things were always breaking down.
A reliable beater is a thing of beauty, but otherwise a beater just means you’re poor and stranded half the time.
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I had a lucky conversation with someone back around 99-00 who told me about what a great value used Miatas were. Reliable engines that would go forever and very reasonable prices. Sure enough around 09-10 we needed a second car, and after patiently shopping we found a '95 garage kept creampuff with 90k miles, for 3k.
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I am absolutely in love with Miatas; how fun they are to drive, how awesome they look, and how amazingly long they live without issues. Probably the only thing I’d change is that little sprinkle of rain that pops in around the side windows in a heavy downpour, but even that is just amusing. The bonus is that it’s so dang easy to find a garage queen with low miles that has been meticulously cared for.
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