Just wrecked my car, need a new one @_@

So, are you ferrying around kids or animals, want to load it up with heaps of stuff, or is this a 98% of the time a single person commute vehicle?
 
It should be the other driver's insurance paying, or if they don't have it, he should be paying out of pocket. At least that's how it works in the US.

EDIT: Didn't see that you got blamed. That's seriously not right, given what you've told us. I would fight that tooth and nail.

I'm probably going to go to court for it, even to just get the points removed or something, but it's pretty much impossible to prove anything, there were no cameras pointing at the road (I asked).
 
So, are you ferrying around kids or animals, want to load it up with heaps of stuff, or is this a 98% of the time a single person commute vehicle?

98% of the time it's just me (hence the basically 2-seater trend so far).

I'm not against having back seats though, haha. I'm sure someone will appreciate me being able to fit them in the back occassionally.
 
I'm probably going to go to court for it, even to just get the points removed or something, but it's pretty much impossible to prove anything, there were no cameras pointing at the road (I asked).

Witnesses? Exact time of accident (check against light cycles)? If you can prove that you didn't run a red then that proves he did.
 
Witnesses? Exact time of accident (check against light cycles)? If you can prove that you didn't run a red then that proves he did.

Nobody that I know of saw anything, and I was a little shook up afterward, so it took a while to think about what just happened.

I was about 30 meters or so from the actual intersection where I believe he ran the red, so there wasn't any light running on my part. It's complicated to explain, heh.
 
Volvo 240!

The true tank of a car. And there are tons and tons of parts for them. Many of them have mechanical windows, etc., which is nice when you have an older car -- just fewer things to go wrong, really. And they pretty much run forever.

Steve
 
You must have different Civics in Belgium :lol: Torque steer? From a stock Civic? :lmao: Rust and leak? My friend just picked up another 88 CRX and its completely rust-free :dunno: Suspension and tires are terrible on most stock cars but luckily those are easy to remedy. Also, I know from experience that a CRX (albeit with aftermarket suspension) does just fine at triple-digit speeds.

Hang on you are in Mass and you are saying Civics, well all hondas, from the 80s through mid 90s don't rust?

Oh come on every other Honda driving around here from that time span has the wheel well rust in the back quarters. Don't tell me you don't see the same.

Rusty Civic wheel wells
 
Hang on you are in Mass and you are saying Civics, well all hondas, from the 80s through mid 90s don't rust?
No, they do rust, but the problem isn't nearly as bad as some members make it out to be :p All old cars rust but Hondas aren't ones to fall apart from it.
 
No, they do rust, but the problem isn't nearly as bad as some members make it out to be :p All old cars rust but Hondas aren't ones to fall apart from it.

Tell that to the rear bumper on my old Civic.

And the rear fenders.

And the hatch.

And the doors.

I loved that car, but to say the rust wasn't that bad isn't entirely accurate.

Though I suppose it actually is better than pretty much any J-body from the era I've seen, along with the platform the Chevy Celebrity was based on.
 
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I fear I may have started an e-war @_@.
Hahaha no, I spent a while cleaning up a major flamefest on my forum last night and I'm not in the mood to deal with another one.

My experience with Hondas has been that they do rust but the rust isn't all that terrible and I don't think it should turn a prospective buyer away. Just my two cents.
 
Don't we have some 900 owners that have rust issues?

That said, Saabs are nightmarishly bad to work on and parts are anything but cheap.
Hell, the engine in a 900 is backwards - flywheel first.
 
I always suggest W201 190E's- which can be had with manual transmissions. There's also your typical E30 318i's that get good mileage, CRXs (if you can find decent ones), older model Ranger and Nissan pick ups, Saab 900s, some vintage diesel W123 240D's had sticks...there's quite a variety out there in addition to what you already have listed.

RWD and Canadian winters don't mix that well...

For 3K Canadian you can find a Ford Focus that is in fairly good shape, and one that has the 16v Zetec motor. They are fairly fun to drive, good on gas, and parts are cheap if anything needs replacing.

Things to look out for, at that price range, you are looking at Focus's with around 100-120k km's. Waterpump, timing belt has to be done at 125,000 km's MAX. Check for rust under the doors, and the axle seals. Other than that, you should be good, and never have any problems.

You should be able to pick up a loaded one with A/C, power windows-mirrors-locks, keyless entry, cd player, and maybe even leather (won't be nice in winter though)
 
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Wait, what?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saab_900

Like its predecessor the 99, the 900 contained a number of unusual design features that distinguish it from most other cars. Firstly, the engine was installed 'backwards', with power delivered from the crank at the front of the car. Secondly, the transmission, technically a transaxle, bolted directly to the bottom of the engine to form the oil pan (albeit with separate oil lubrication). Power from the crank would thus be delivered out of the engine at the front, then transferred down and back to the transmission below, via a set of chain-driven primary gears.

Note the lettering on the valve cover:
800px-1993_Saab_900T_Convertible_B202_engine.jpg


Now, look where the lettering on the cover is, and what's peeking up over the radiator support.
engine_in.jpg


I thought everyone knew this, that bass-ackward engine is bloody infamous. You don't have an excuse for not knowing it, you're up in Saabland in MA.
 
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Don't we have some 900 owners that have rust issues?

Yep, control Arms, front wheel arches (of course the front fenders are welded on, not bolted), that lovely little heat shield that protects your highly flammable ignition wiring from the hot-as-hell catalytic converter? Yea that rusts out too.
 
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Don't we have some 900 owners that have rust issues?

That said, Saabs are nightmarishly bad to work on and parts are anything but cheap.
Hell, the engine in a 900 is backwards - flywheel first.

I see a ton of 900s, oldest SAAB dealer in the US continiously owned by the same family remember, and rust is a little unusual on them.Sure they rust but not as bad as people think. Back at the end of the year I took in a first gen 9-3 that had both strut towers rusted out completely. It was so unusual everyone in the shop had to come and look at it cause that just never happens.

Still the 900s are not easy to work on and not easy to find parts. You need to have someone who knows what they are doing to fix those cars. Even the most the simple things are backwards. Like the engine. :lol: I would warn the new guy at my shop when a 900 came in for an oil change to make sure they dropped the right plug.

People remove the transmission drain plug so often on the 900 that the engine oil drain plug is labeled with an arrow that says next to it "ENGINE OIL." Even with the warning and with the label still probably a third of the new guys would drop the trans drain plug the first time doing an oil change on one.

Wait, what?

Hhah you are in Mass and you have never at least opened the hood on an old SAAB? Have you lived there you whole life or are you a transplant like me?
 
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I would say that the biggest issue with Saabs of that vintage would be the gearboxes. They are not particularly strong and with the turbo models in particular they are overworked and tend to wear out long before the rest of the car. The engines on the other hand are quite strong, durable and if well maintained manage several hundred thousand kilometers, despite being installed back to front.

I don't know nothin' 'bout no snowy weather climates because I live in Australia but I imagine that all cars which are old enough to have depreciated to a value of around three thousand dollars or less would almost certainly have some rust, especially if the roads in the area are treated with salt. Although I have no first-hand experience with harsh snowy winters, Saabs are known for holding up well in those conditions and for being reasonably easy and safe to drive on snow and ice.

Here in Australia they were usually bought new by doctors and lawyers and such and they were usually very well looked after. And then as second-hand they were usually bought by enthusiasts who also looked after them. Here it's easy to find good ones but I'm really not sure how widely available they are in Canada or what condition they might be in. I had a look on AutoTrader or whatever it was and they seem a bit thin on the ground. I dunno... but if you find one in good condition you should certainly buy it over whatever it is that Spectre is recommending. :mrgreen:
 
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