my first car

[CJL18]

well....

 

[Caoimhin]

And all that I can see.. Is just a yellow lemon tree..

 

[Jax]

 

[dice]

 

[spokenrope]

For that amount of money, you should be able to get a decent vehicle for a first car. My first one was an '89 Taurus that cost $800 USD and it wasn't pretty, but it did its job. And that was just fine, because I ended up running into a lot of things in that car.

 

[FAST6191]

I learnt in a bucket and it is not an experience I suggest you repeat. Some advice based on personal experience, being around vehicles for years and that of my friends/family.

Best advice is find yourself a ex-government car lot or a police auction and pick yourself up a car there, they tend to be well maintained with the only bad thing being aerials mounting brackets/holes (and come with a nice engine).

Failing that bring a decent mechanic with you, far too many people fall foul of bad deals first time around.

As for actual money to be wasted, I say use half or slightly more and bank the rest for parts, insurance, fuel and tax for all of it is going to be costly during the first few years: I have seen clutches destroyed, gears/transmission wrecked, electronics and everything get damaged that probably should not be (OK point and squirt seems to be standard around there so the first few probably will not apply), not to mention you will probably want to drive everywhere (fuel and tyres are not cheap).

Try and get a car with power steering, disc brakes and an AC, import parts tend to be expensive and a hassle to get a hold of on short notice so you may wish to avoid that route.

 

[friedchicken]

get your mechanic to go with you. screw your car affectionado friends, they know shit, unless he's a mechanic

4000 got me a 95 accord ex. works well, only changed radiator for long trip.
depending on where you live go with american/jdm
i live in souther california, so jdm is abundant and parts are easier to find. i dont know about kansas, etc but you get my point.

 

[Perplexer]

I could get a great used motorcycle for four grand

My first car was a '77 Oldsmobile for $2000. I drove that thing into the ground; it lasted a long LONG time and was lots of fun...

 

[bobrules]

Get a Hummer or a Corvette.

 

[spas]

get a yummer its a giant yellow hummer that runs on lemons!