$3k budget daily driver; what you buying?

Whats your first pick at a daily driver car at about a $3k or less budget?

Hoping this thread can be a spinoff of the 'you hit the lotto, what car you buying' thread. Essentially, instead of an endless money scenario, lets dream on an extremely small budget. Whats your first pick at a daily driver car at about a $3k or less budget? Don't care your use case, if you want it to be a track car, drag and drive car, drift car, gas saver, etc; the only criteria is "runs and drives" and could be considered as a reliable daily.

I'll start it off. I'm infatuated with 90's JDM era of cars. Love the iconic supras, s-chassis cars, and I bled fast and furious growing up. Many many years back, you could buy some of these legendary icons on a budget, and now you're lucky to find a clapped out 90's Honda Civic in this range. I'd be between a few different options, but I think if I were to just buy a "fun" daily-capable car right now, it'd be a 90's Nissan 300zx. They come either NA or twin turbo from the factory, and while its really hard to find one that hasn't been abused in this price range, its still currently possible to find one that runs and drives, but may need a little (or a lot of) love.

That being said, my choice is a 90's 300zx, twin turbo w/ t-tops.




What you choosing? (bonus points for pics)

 

for 5k, it is hard to beat a good old crown vic
reliable donuts and drifting for days

 

So are we dreaming of what car we want that we make affordable.

I dont really know where to find a 3k 300zx twin turbo that isnt a rolling chassis, which would end up costing way more than 3k in repair efforts.

Im not sure i understand the premise of the discussion but I wanna play.

My realistic 3k, toyota corolla, easy pick. Can definitely be found for sub 3k price tag, mostly reliable into the 200k mi range....mostly.

My unrealistic pick, 1989 toyota celica alltrac, cause big tiddies

 

Definitely sticking to realistic! I'm with ya, a $3k running and driving z32 is really hard to find, and if you do, it probably needs some work. BUT, its not completely unrealistic. I'm not talking a buddy deal, I'm talking true market values you can find on Marketplace/craigslist, even if they take a few months to come across. I unfortunately missed out on one in the past week, and got me thinking this would be a fun thread to post. Guy had it listed for $3k, sold for $2500. It was incredible condition, touch of fade on the paint in areas, intact interior, low-ish miles, ran great, and just needed a clutch, which the seller had to include in the purchase. Now granted that'd be an expensive maintenance item if you weren't capable of doing yourself, you'd only have time and some shop supplies invested for this job, and was attainable for $3k out the door. So while rare, its still doable in today's market. And thats the goal of the thread, whats your (attainable) "dream" car on the opposite end of the spectrum (crazy low budget/not hitting the lotto).

 

Or do 1 better and get a toyota matrix. Same car but a hatchback.

Got one the day after christmas for $1500 that has 200K. Known issues when buying were some rust repair was needed, 1 bad wheel bearing, and a leaking heater core.

It was actually 3 bad wheel bearings but for another $1k for fixing everything and changing every fluid its a nice little daily driver with a ton of cargo room. Still gets 30 mpg and it is AWD.

The 1zz is a great little simple motor so I think 300k will be easy in this car

 

+1000000000000

 

Out in San Diego, if it runs, it's worth $5k, doesnt matter what a pile it is.....
I paid $3500 for a tricked-out badass 1972 Datsun 240z back in the early 90s...
Should have never sold that car, kicking myself now...

 

If you were here, I'd kick ya too

I missed out on a 300zx last week, and found another opportunity at a running/driving one that I'm hoping to scoop up this weekend. If it works out like I hope, it could be a huge score. Of course, its a 35 year old car, so I'm sure there's lots of money that will need to go into maintenance, but I'm excited to finally get the daily/project I want.

 

For something practical & useful it is tough to beat a Grand Caravan with stow & go seats.

4 x 8 sheets of plywood slide right in flat and the tail gate shuts.
10 foot lumber fits between the front seats.

If you like real cars clean a Crown Victoria offers V8 power & smoothness, reasonable fuel economy and anvil like reliability.

For a handy run around truck the late 90's early 2000's Ranger is cheap to drive, easy to fix and tough. Getting hard to find around here though.

If utility is more your needs the 97' - 01' Cherokee will run forever if maintained, rust always takes them out.

 

That's was my dream car as a teen & made it happen...
Sold it to move-on to the next latest & greatest thing, didnt realize how dumb that was till later in life...
Those were such great cars...
But at the time, still in highschool, had full time job, I got financed at the local ford dealership without a co-signer & bought a new 1991 fox body LX hatchback 5.0 mustang...
Another great car....
Ive been looking for both, just screwing around, prices are over-inflated for both....
Theres no cool affordable options out there anymore like when I was growing up.
I dont have the patients for the needle in the haystack finds!

 

I'll take "Volkswagen EOS" for $500, Alex







Bought it in December. 2008, 150,XXX miles. Put new tires on it, they cost more than I paid for the car. Changed fluids, filters, etc. I'm in it for less than $2K and getting 30-35 mpg driving 95ish miles a day.

Had a Honda Civic with close to 1/4 million miles on it, bought it a couple years ago for $2,800. Hit a deer doing 55 and totaled it last December which is why I'm in the VW now.

 

Cannot tell you how many times I get asked to find someone a "cheap, reliable car" for [insert next-to-nothing dollars here] for a friend of a friend, because I'm a "car guy."
Like I have a stash of them in my back pocket, or something.

Three grand doesn't buy a damn thing these days. Five grand doesn't, either. And no, I will not go with your cleaning lady's nephew to go look at cars.

 

Anything 80's/90's JDM is outrageously inflated. The needles in the haystacks are such a gamble, but I'm beating myself up over the one last week, and trying not to pass this next opportunity up. But its 100% stock. I honestly don't know that I'd every find another one in my lifetime, so I'm scheduled to jump on it lol. Hoping everything checks out with it! Its not my first pick in color, is an automatic, and NA, but granted its so old, I'm not really buying it expecting I'll get 5 years out of daily driving it without moving into that "project car" territory, as something catastrophic engine-wise is likely to occur. Thats when I'll consider turbo, and try to do it the right way.

 

Thats why I created the thread. My minds already made up on what I want; I'm curious to hear what other people browse daily on Marketplace, waiting for those needles in the haystack. The severely limited budget makes it more fun!

 

The problem with helping someone get "a cheap, reliable car" is that they then immediately begin running the wheels off it trying to drive 20k in a year with no maintenance -- and then cursing it when it breaks down.



It is a shame that being stupid isn't more painful.

 

Pretty sure @w.adventures is selling a Matrix. Maybe its manual too

 

Mines an auto, I drive pretty far for work and theres traffic 1/2 the time so a manual aint that fun. Before this I was driving my 01 jetta tdi thats a 5 speed and the traffic was super annoying.

Gunna sell the jetta and just keep the matrix

 

For me, i was torn between an older 1st gen tacoma as a DD or a Camry. My inlaws are also Toyota fans, and they're giving me a 97 Camry 4cyl, 2 owner car, when they find the title. Pretty sure my wife learned how to drive with it. I don't have any pictures, but they used to be a dime a dozen. Imagine tan/tan and of course the dented rear bumper.

I just want to go to work and back and not have to get gas every 4 days

 

Maybe its me, but after driving my truck for 10 years, and only having manual motorcycles, I actually want a manual DD. All my vehicles before the truck were manual, and I miss it. I don't really drive in that much traffic though

 

I picked up a 2000 accord for 1500 over a year ago dropped like 1000 into it. After 300mi of driving the engine block cracked now im out 2500. Yup straight to the junk yard with that car. My area trying to find a reliable 3k car is a hard find. You'll get that good ol I know what my car is worth bs.