A week after I bought my L I found the perfect winter cruiser!!! It's an 1988 Oldsmobile Cutlass Calais. Ride on man! I picked it up for a mere $600. And the only thing wrong with it (mechanically) is that the rear main seal leaks alittle bit. I'm working on easy cheap methods of getting that fixed though. (Oil additives)

 

Thanks for the replys.

ThePawn - My neighbor offered me his 97 STS with 100k miles for $9,000 that's why I was thinking of the STS...there are a couple out here in nice shape in that price range...american cars are cheap as hell in detroit.

As far as all the truck/SUV suggestions...thanks but no thanks. I don't like trucks (Lightning/Scyclone excluded) and I dont really like SUV's. I'm also steering towards a Honda because I want something reliable. I dont really trust a ford or GM etc with 100k miles on it. 4WD systems can be complicated and expensive to fix when something goes wrong, plus I don't really need 4wd.

The SHO would be cool..but it's an auto and again..reliability of a 100k mile SHO would be questionable at best.

I want something that gets great gas mileage (The lightning is my most efficient at the moment at 14 mpg) and something I would not worry about taking to party's and parking in crappy places (thus the typhoon is out)

 

SALEEN! Your contemplating getting a japanese car *sniff**sniff* I think I can actually FEEL my heart.....breaking.... GOOD GOD BROTHER!!!! SNAP OUT OF IT!!!! Yer killin' me!
Would you like an egg roll with that?

 

Yeah I know..I hate to have to do that...but let's be honest with ourselves here.

I need something reliable...that won't cost thousands in repairs and won't break down all the time. I'm looking at higher mileage vehicles.

I'm pretty much stuck with Toyota or Honda. Sorry but reality is reality. I've had higher mileage american cars (over 60,000). I won't make that mistake again. They just fall apart.

I would LOVE to get a 97 Mark VIII, and they can be had cheap. But the reason that they can be had cheap is because they are going to fall apart. Same with most american cars I'm afraid....our quality/durability is not up to snuff.


BTW egg rolls are traditionally considered more of a chinese food than japanese.

 

Oh man it's Barnaby Jones



Like that parking sign you got Daniel.

 

Saleen -

Don't get to caught up in the Honda reliabilty myth. I had an accord and it had its issues. Furthermore you will pay a premium because it is a Honda and you will also find your insurance will be higher cuz it is one of the most stolen cars.

 

I wouldn't say its a myth...unless all the statistical data is completely wrong. Of course there are exceptions, your accord may be one, but overall Hondas and Toyotas are Far far more reliable. Sorry...I for one hate to admit it but it is true. They are more durable. Look at any of the JD power analysis reports. Toyota is by far the best...followed by honda. Everyone else is...well everyone else.

Making a honda my daily driver will reduce my insurance because the lightning is now my daily driver.

After going through 3 transmissions in my Mark VII in 2 years (with about 72,000 miles) I have realized it is wiser to pay a little more for some peace of mind (not to mention a car that won't leave you stranded in kentucky.

 

LOL Good call on the egg rolls

 

Sometimes I forget I live next to NYC which adds costs to anything. :) lol. That's not a bad deal on the '97.

The STS's are -very- comfortible, first car Ihave had that the REAR adults have legroom sitting behind me driving. :) The heated seats rock, digital climate control, suspension is soft, very nice... I like the interior of the 97 better then my 93, if there was one around here for $9k, I would have gotten it.

The only thing I see not working for you is MPG. :) My STS gets 13.7mpg ... of course, I drive with a NASCAR foot (my truck gets 11)...so you might squeeze 17/18 out of it if you have 14 in your truck. The STS also requires PREMIUM gas only too, so forget about "saving" on regular. :)

There is really alot more room in the STS then a Honda... so its a trade off. :)

 

Dude, you live in Detroit. I didn't think Honda's were even legal over there. Won't you get your azz kicked at the local watering hole or something?

 

Thanks pawn...I'm from NY originally so I can understand.

Flord - Yup. Of course if I were going to try to drive a ford or GM with 100,000 miles on it to a "local watering hole" it would break down on the way there....thus defeating the point.

Trust me all...I have NEVER owned a japanese car...and always thought that I never would. In general, I don't like them. But I can't ignore reality/statistics/ and my wallet. A used american car may be a good deal now..but will cost me a fortune in the long run(repairs), might very well leave me stranded in an awful place (like kentucky), and will be worthless when I am done. So I will suffer through some POS honda if it means that it won't break down and will get me where I need to go without lots of expense or hassle.

 

Mine may not be as nice as "Uncle Buck's" but I just bought a 94 Mercury Tracer wagon with 55k miles for $1700 triple my milage( I commute 75+ a day) and everbody at work thinks its so funny to go from the L to a wagon. They named it the ******* Waggin

 

Woohoo! I used to have a ******* Waggin:

 

Pawn - How's the durability/reliability on the caddy? That is my biggest concern with that (that and its an auto )

Any problems? Are there any good forums/sites for the STS that I can look at? I've done tons of searches online and can't find anything.

This one I'm looking at has 100k miles and I'm just afraid of it falling apart.

BTW yours looks awesome. Interior looks new!

thnx

 

I have not had any problems with mine, but I've only had it 2-3 months so far. From what I've read, the only thing to really watch for is some have the sensor for the air-struts go out and they're not cheap (though you can go to fixed struts and scrap the air ride).

I wanted an auto, because I fight 45-60m of traffic both ways everyday. Stick would suck.

I visit www.caddyinfo.com and www.gmforums.com for caddy info. There dosn't seem to be too much bad news about them. The Northstar systems were designed to last, seem to do it well.

I was lucky, literally, a little old man owned mine, he passed away, his daughter garaged it, and then sold it to my mechanic a year later...my mechanic drove it for a year and a half as his personal car (it had 40k when they got it, they put on 19k)...

Daniel