Do you have one? If so why do you keep it around? Why is it useful? What are it's pros and cons to you?

My beater is my old primary vehicle, a 1992 Integra GS-R. I've kept it around b/c I didn't see the value in selling it off for around $1,000 when I bought a new car. To me it's worth more than that to keep around. While it's a beater it is still a fun car to drive around. Good handling, fun to toss around, and 0-60 in less than 7 seconds isn't bad for a beater. This car is a constant reminder of how well Honda used to make cars.

Pros
-seats 5 people and has a lot of cargo space (given it's size)
-allows me to have a fairly impractical car as my primary vehicle
-insurance is very cheap
-maintenance is cheap as the car is not driven often
-fun to drive
-keeps some mileage off the newer car
-drives well in the snow, thus allowing the primary vehicle to avoid road salt as well as allowing it to wear tires with no design thought to snow and ice
-if something breaks on either automobile you have the luxury of another car to get around while you take your time fixing the problem on your own (if possible)

Cons
-owning 2 cars is still more expensive than one
-the overal exterior look of the car is horrible
-something expensive could break at almost any time, technically totalling the vehicle
-kind of weird/impractical to have a beater that requires premium fuel and doesn't get over 30mpg

Now someone else describe theirs

8/5/2010 3:15:11 PM

My last "beater" was the 89 BMW 325i that I used for Cash for Clunkers.

My current extra vehicle is a 2000 4Runner Limited. I wouldn't really call it a beater just because it is a relatively nice vehicle (Leather, Cold AC, Sunroof, Power Everything, 4x4, eLockers, etc.) and I take pretty good care of it. It sleeps outside while the new car gets the garage though. This was the nice car before I sent the e30 to the crusher.

Pros:
It tows. If I didn't "need" a tow vehicle I would probably sell it.
It's big. I can fit stuff in there that would never fit in my Civic.
4x4. I never would have made it to Snowshoe in the huge blizzard last winter without it. It took 12 hours and there was well over a foot of snow on the ground when I got to the cabin, but she kept chugging along the whole time.
It's actually nicer than my Civic in nearly every way. Better AC, Leather Interior, etc.
Great for hauling friends and visiting places with iffy parking. It's 10 years old, so I don't fret too much if some asshole dings my door.

Cons:
Bad gas mileage (~18 MPG avg.)
Requires more maintenance and sees less use than the Civic.
Handles like a truck. It's got new shocks (thx Jeepman), but it's still a truck with 150k miles.

I really should sell it and I could probably get around $8k for it, but there are times when it really comes in handy. I could get my boat in and out of the water probably four out of five weekends just by asking neighbors to drop me in, but there really is no substitute when I want to drop it in and nobody else is around to do it for me. Maybe I should sell it and roll that money into a boat lift.



[Edited on August 5, 2010 at 3:38 PM. Reason : l]

8/5/2010 3:30:33 PM

84 f150.

Pros
I'm always working on it

Cons
I'm always working on it

8/5/2010 3:59:45 PM

I think at some point I may buy my dad's '99 Corolla and he will get a new car. It's got 183k on it right now and everything works on it, although the body isn't in the best shape. I've gotten 38mpg on road trips in that thing with two passengars.

8/5/2010 5:33:30 PM

'97 Civic LX
(2000 S2000 "nice" car...man even it is 10 years old now hah)

Technically my primary vehicle. Didn't want to sell it when I bought the S2000 because it already wasn't worth much and it seemed logical to have a more practical alternative.

Pros
-seats 5 people and has a lot of cargo space (given it's size)
-allows me to have a fairly impractical car as my primary vehicle
-insurance is very cheap
-maintenance is cheap
-fun to drive
-keeps some mileage off the newer car
-drives well in the snow, thus allowing the primary vehicle to avoid road salt as well as allowing it to wear tires with no design thought to snow and ice
-if something breaks on either automobile you have the luxury of another car to get around while you take your time fixing the problem on your own (if possible)
(Hey, you stated it well )
In addition to what Teg said:
-Great gas mileage on regular gas (42mpg on my last round-trip to Charlotte and back, have measured around 45mpg before)
-Can drive it like a bat out of hell without looking overly noticeable or going too fast

Cons
-looks like ass, paint is wearing out from being outside for most of its life, plastic hubcaps look horrible after all these years
-Underpowered as hell, not really capable of carrying 4 people + luggage in mountains (ended up in 2nd gear at about 20mph going up to Boone one time)
-No ABS, which isn't a big deal except if I drive the S2000 too much I tend to forget to pump the brakes in an emergency stop situation

Living in TN is great for beaters, no inspections to worry about so my Civic has had a CEL on for stupid emissions crap for like 2 years now.

8/5/2010 6:33:46 PM

1995 ford windstar
got it for cheap from a guy at work when I was looking for a vehicle to haul my bikes to the track. my beater is NOT my primary vehicle (that's between a 2001 RC51 and 97 BMW 540i).

pros
- can seat 7+ and has a fuckton of cargo space
- I can fit my motorcycle in it
- its a 95 so CEL and other bullshit on other cars that costs money doesn't effect me
- insurance is cheap
- the back seats provide auxiliary couches to my house most of the time
- very easy to work on
- it was so old and cheap I don't mind drilling holes in it to put in my winch or wheel chock
- has power everything and it all still works except the front windows, including rear AC and rear power windows
- works as a hotel room at the track
- I had a backup to drive when I threw a rod on the bmw
- could sell it and double my money

cons
- I look like a rapist/serial killer driving a minivan with an air mattress and no seats in the back
- extra insurance/taxes/registration/maintenance
- terrible gas mileage
- I just drilled a fucking hole in the gas tank putting in the wheel chock and have to seal it now

[Edited on August 5, 2010 at 9:10 PM. Reason : $]

8/5/2010 9:10:32 PM

My last extra beater was a 99 Cavalier. First gear just went out a few weeks ago in the trans so its toast now. At 260K miles its just not worth trying to fix. I kept it mainly for the nearly double gas mileage it got over my primary. We called it anything from "old faith-full" to "rainbow brite" Ive owned a lot of cars and its one of the few that ill miss.

Pros
-fun to drive
-small and very easy to park (didnt realize how easy till i started parking my other car)
-extremely reliable: only gave a few problems over the 180K miles where i drove it like i stole it 1. idler pulley 2. transmission 3. occasional overheat covered in cons
-could drive the crap out of it since i didnt really need it and it is basically worthless cause of mileage
-able to carry a 6' beer pong table with the back seats laid down
-Insurance was much cheaper with it listed as my primary car
-No trunk button I liked this because it made my trunk much more secure in the event of a break-in (there were 1 or 2 and nothing was ever stolen from the trunk)

Cons
-It was 4 different colors: Red car, blue front passenger quarter panel, green passenger door, grey vinyl bumpers
-no passenger space
-base model: manual everything, before i added a light sound system i couldnt hear the radio if the windows were rolled down
-radiator fan didnt work. I know this sounds bad but it would only overheat if it was really hot outside and I was stuck in dead traffic for a while
-No AC. Technically it worked but it had issues that caused an undo amount of stress on my motor. this combined with the lack of radiator fan caused me to avoid it

[Edited on August 5, 2010 at 11:09 PM. Reason : i somehow managed to bold half the post]

8/5/2010 11:08:00 PM

Beater is a 1995 Dodge Ram 2500, 4x4, extended cab, V-10, 5-speed, heavy-duty (1-ton) axles and steering components.

Other vehicles are 2000 Honda S2000 and a couple of motorcycles: 2002 Suzuki SV650 and 1983 BMW R100RT

(also have a project '66 Chevy pickup)


Pros:

Will tow or haul almost anything (brought 10k lbs from coastal WA to coastal NC, and pulled it with authority, even through all the mountains), with only a 2-2.5 mpg penalty over normal driving.

Seats 5

4x4

Has been dependable

Don't have to worry about scratching it, denting it, etc. It's already scratched and dented everywhere.


Cons:

More expensive than you'd think for liability insurance (probably because if I hit anything smaller than a Peterbilt with it, I will utterly demolish the car in question)

Drives like a 15-year old heavy-duty truck

Is a pain in the dick to load a motorcycle into, due to the bed height.

Is a pain in the dick to maneuver in tight spaces, due to the length/wheelbase

It's kind of ugly, with some scratches and dents, stains on the carpet, and some rust in the body panels.

Oh my God, it drinks gasoline like you read about (10-10.5 mpg). Not a big deal if I'm just towing the jet ski to the marina, or going to pick up stuff at Lowes...but it's terrible if I need to drive it any significant difference.



My stable (minus jet ski)

Quote :

"something expensive could break at almost any time, technically totalling the vehicle"

I don't know what you could sell it for right now, but if it's $1000 like you say, even if the engine or trans blew up, you could sell it for a few hundred bucks as-is, or probably part if out for more than that if you wanted to put in the effort. At any rate, even if it wasn't worth it to you to fix it, the difference in what it's worth now (if it's truly only $1000) and the salvage value isn't all that much.

[Edited on August 5, 2010 at 11:31 PM. Reason : ]

8/5/2010 11:30:11 PM

^both the tranny (YS1) and engine (B17A) are highly prized by ricers. I could probably sucker them into paying a lot for either component if the car went caput

8/6/2010 8:54:57 AM

Both of my cars could be classified as beaters.

One has 192k the other 171k.

The explorer has eaten me up with maintenance over the last year but the thing that made me stop driving it was the cost of gas, it got shitty gas mileage before it had almost 200,000 miles on it, now that its starting to wear out its fucking horrible. I still do not plan on selling it unless I can turn around and put the money toward another Jeep Wrangler or a boat of some sort.

I would rather have two old cars and no car payment than a newer one and having to pay on it every month.

8/6/2010 9:02:12 AM

1993 MX-3 RS

Pros
-Deep hatchback trunk with fold down seats
-insurance is very cheap
-keeps some mileage off the newer car
-30 mpg city, up to 40 hwy
-Decent sounding audio system in it
-Tight turning radius
-compact design means I can fit in a lot of tight spots, also making parallel parking very easy.
-COLD blowing AC
-Very reliable in the past 5 years.
-Can drive it like a bat out of hell without looking overly noticeable or going too fast.
-Extremely easy to drive.
-About $1000 to own and maintain (gas, insurance, oil changes, taxes, etc...), which is very cheap.

Cons
-It's a "cute" car... More of a girl's car than a man's...
-something expensive could break at almost any time. Mazda parts are expensive
-Compact design with early 90's safety features... No ABS, no traction control, no airbags. Just a steel cage and a seatbelt...
-Braking is horrible compared to today's vehicles. Even after the brakes were replaced all around, the car still doesn't stop on a dime compared to modern cars.
-88hp means that this car is SLOW. I'm talkin ~15 sec 0-60. It's pathetic, and it's sometimes a safety concern when I try to merge onto the highway or make that right on red as not to piss off the impatient people behind me who otherwise could have made it in their more powerful vehicle.
-Only worth about $1300. Probably would get $900 if I were to sell it.

[Edited on August 6, 2010 at 9:44 AM. Reason : .]

[Edited on August 6, 2010 at 9:44 AM. Reason : .]

8/6/2010 9:43:53 AM

I've got 2 beaters

'85 Toyota 4runner SR5 4x4

pros
seats 5
never have to wash it
removable top
cheap to work on
simple
rugged
very buildable
parts readily available in junkyards and from other toyotas

cons
fuel mileage sux with the 22RE, 33's and 4.10's


'96 Subaru Impreza Brighton

pros
decent fuel mileage
AWD with snow tires
full 2.5RS swap, about 250 lbs. lighter than a 2.5RS
cheap
easy to work on
parts readily available in junkyards and from other subarus
partially caged coupe
seats 2
excellent weight distribution
really shines in the turns
fun to drive on and offroad
very buildable platform
many spare parts from doing the swap myself
has been pretty reliable, considering what i use it for (dd, RallyX and AutoX)

cons
swap is from a '98RS, which has the DOHC engine (but i have a spare)
old chassis from up north can have rust underneath and make installs / swaps difficult

8/6/2010 10:46:08 AM

My beater = 1999 Saturn SL1 5-speed

Pros:
40+ mpg
Bluetooth stereo
Power everything
A/C works like a champ
It's paid for
Cheap to insure
Keeps the miles off my d/d

Cons:
Small trunk
Not comfortable for more than an hour
Doesn't have LATCH system for baby seat
Wife can't drive manual transmission

My d/d is a 2009 Accord EX V6, and the wife's car is a 2006 VUE V6 (both cars have the same 3.5L engine/5 speed auto). The SL1 was my first new car.

8/6/2010 10:32:12 PM

i dont understand the point of your beater when your accord isnt exactly impractical

8/7/2010 9:23:05 AM

^I see your point, but it does come in handy. Like all these snowstorms we got this year-the Accord stayed in the garage-didn't want some dumbass hitting me that didn't have insurance.

8/7/2010 9:45:31 AM

1990 Jeep Cherokee Laredo

Pros:
It's an XJ that runs....good. There's a huge market for for XJ's in the off-road world.
Interior is perfect. Plus, I ripped out the carpet, applied truck bedliner, and drilled 2 holes on each side so now I just hose it out.
It's got 402K miles on it so no big deal if I decide to take out some traffic cones or barrels or even a home for sale sign on the street corner or in somebody's front yard.

Cons:
It's got 402K miles on it. Something has to break at some point in it's life.

8/7/2010 12:23:42 PM

My primary vehicle is a '97 Ranger. The clock just turned over 90000 miles last week. On to the beater. It's my wife's old '99 Cavalier. Now she's got an '09 G8 GT. One good thing about the wife having a new car is that I get more cash to spend on my projects I'm thinking about picking up an NA Miata sometime soon. It's really funny that there are only two of us and we have 5 cars -- '97 Ranger, '99 Cavalier, '09 G8 GT, '77 New Yorker, and '70 Charger. The Charger is the only one that doesn't run, and the New Yorker will be donating its engine and some other parts so the Charger can have a big block.

PROS
*It's the dog car. We haul the dogs around in it and don't worry about it.
*It gets decent mpgs, but not a lot better than my truck. It's that 3-speed automatic.
*It keeps miles off my Ranger.
*If something major breaks, I don't have to worry about fixing it. I'll just scrap the whole car.
*My wife drives it when she has to park in tight parking decks, thus saving the G8 from damage. And I drive the G8 when she does this.
*I can drive it and leave it anywhere and not worry about it.
*It's still reliable with about 165K on the clock.
*The A/C still works fairly well.
*It's better in the snow than my truck.

CONS
*It's the dog car -- and it smells it.
*It's been wrecked 3 times, and this causes some issues.
*It leaks and burns oil, but not too much.
*It leaks transmission fluid, but not too much.
*Clearcoat has almost completely peeled off the hood.
*It's not worth anything -- when we were shopping for a new car for my wife, the dealers asked what we were currently driving. We pointed and they said, "Is it paid for?" Affirmative. "Then keep it," was the response.
*If it breaks, I have to get a replacement dog car.
*It costs more to insure than my truck!
*It has decent cargo space (rear seat folds flat).
*It's slow as balls.
*The fuel gauge is broken. At least the tripometer still works.
*The CD player is broken.

Why does my Cavalier have a trunk release and ghost613's doesn't? Was this really optional?

8/11/2010 11:12:07 PM

^ Thats funny my fuel gauge didnt work either. I had forgotten till I read your post.

8/12/2010 8:04:36 AM

ok,




I will more fully answer mine:

84 ford f150 standard cab, 300 straight 6, 4 speed on the floor 2wd.

Pro's
I paid 900 for it from a guy at work that only used it to haul around yard waste.
It sat for many years, never towed anything
only has 155k
tight clutch and tranny
Engine is tight too burns no oil, just leaks it
Has AC, Just need to recharger it
Very very easy to work on the plethora of information on these trucks is great
I did the body work and mechanical repairs myself up to this point, which has proved fun.

Con's
The emissions equipment is bs. and you cant even buy new stuff to replace it
it has a feedback carb, when the emssions stuff goes and you plug everything off the distributor does not like this
luckily I am swapping to DuraSpark II ignition system in the near future.
Rusty, not too bad but the frame does show signs of rust, yet, I might grind this off and paint over it.
gas mileage, (duh), probably will get better with ignition swap

All in all it has been a fun project, No one cuts me off, and I always get Red neck hoots and hollers with it and I enjoy driving it. Also previous owner had the steering tightened up and old tie rods replaced. He also had it recently pass inspection before selling it to me.

Sure I could have bought a newer truck, but this one has proved to be pretty fun

maintenance done so far since i've had it:

-replaced brake booster/master cylinder
-radiator hoses
-throttle cable
-Rebuilt Carb
-plugs, all oils on truck air filter etc.

[Edited on August 12, 2010 at 9:20 AM. Reason : .]

8/12/2010 9:18:13 AM

None of my gauges work bitthe speedometer and battery charge on

8/12/2010 12:18:15 PM

my primary vehicle is well on th4e way to being classifiable as a beater

its got leather seats and keyless entry so who tives a shit

8/12/2010 10:31:43 PM

i miss my jeep

8/12/2010 10:37:36 PM

Quote :

"how well Honda used to make cars. "

Not a genius when it comes to cars by any means, but why do you say that?

I'm driving a 97 accord with 160,000 miles on it and when it dies I'll probably get another Honda unless you talk me out of it....

8/12/2010 10:52:17 PM

I dont see why some of you need a "beater".. unless you have something that is worth 50k+ or is very impractical, why?

its not like we get alot of snow... and if we do, you cant stay home for the 6 hrs it takes to melt or just walk?

I have a gutted, no ac, loud, low, rough 240sx and got tired of driving that around so i bought a civic..
1996 civic HX

~36 mpg mixed on cheap gas
reliable
easy to fix if it ever does break
cheap to buy
cheap to fix if it ever breaks
durable.. with 200k miles the seats are mint, the dash is mint, there is no wear anywhere on this car
insurance is cheap

cons:
none

8/16/2010 7:27:05 PM

I have 3 fullsize pickups, and one Jeep comanche around my driveway...... I guess the beater is the '96 cummins. Not all that useful since my main ride is just a newer version of the same

I just hated when i only had one functioning ride, i would get paranoid about it breaking and having to find temporary transportation. That alone is enough reason to me to keep a beater of some sort around.

8/16/2010 7:40:53 PM

^^^b/c Honda isn't technically innovative anymore, doesn't over engineer their cars anymore, and has been lazy the last 10 years by just taking their reputation for granted while letting everyone else in the industry catch up.

8/16/2010 8:52:31 PM

Quote :

"I dont see why some of you need a "beater".. unless you have something that is worth 50k+ or is very impractical, why? its not like we get alot of snow... and if we do, you cant stay home for the 6 hrs it takes to melt or just walk? I have a gutted, no ac, loud, low, rough 240sx and got tired of driving that around so i bought a civic.. 1996 civic HX"

Don't you have a boat? What do you tow that with?

8/16/2010 9:33:43 PM

If you don't see the need for a beater... or even a secondary vehicle then you have no business being in the garage.

That being said, my current beaters are a 2000 Z28 for commuting to work / fun sunny day car & a 1994 4runner for hauling the dogs to the lake and getting around in the winter (I live in east TN)

8/17/2010 9:29:41 AM

Quote :

"If you don't see the need for a beater... or even a secondary vehicle then you have no business being in the garage."

Exactly...

8/17/2010 11:39:41 AM

hah dmidkiff I remember the Saturn meets.

8/17/2010 9:59:20 PM

i drive a 92 civic cx hatchback

pros
tons of space
290hp/290ftlbs (well it put 265/260 to the wheels , whatever that means)
great gas mileage
cheap tires
dont care about it

cons
no ac
boost leaks occasionally from crappy routing and couplers
its 18 years old so only honda fan boys like it

[Edited on August 17, 2010 at 10:11 PM. Reason : .]

8/17/2010 10:07:11 PM

'00 E39 M5 as beater car ('01 E46 M3 primary car)

pros:

-comfortable cruiser
-400hp V8
-still looks nice and sporty
-plenty of space/4-door practicality
-has plenty of dents and rock chips so i don't have to worry about how and where i park in boston
-3rd gear on highway is instant mood booster

cons:

-195k miles
-$100 DIY oil changes
-expensive maintenance and insurance (i have been lucky on mine so far...)
-13mpg of premium in city (11mpg in winter)

8/19/2010 3:05:32 AM

haha, i'm not sure that an M5 makes for a good beater, high mileage and rock chips or not.

8/19/2010 9:36:30 AM

Quote :

"13mpg of premium in city (11mpg in winter)"

i was under the impression that the term "beater" was generally used to refer to the car you drive on a regular basis due primarily to its practicality rather than its features (function vs form)

how does 11-13mpg and $100 DIY oil changes make this car practical...at all?

8/19/2010 10:14:26 AM

its the ULTIMATE DRIVING MACHINE and looks like MONEY

8/19/2010 10:45:25 AM

i would drive the m5 around instead of the m3

8/19/2010 9:22:28 PM

Quote :

"how does 11-13mpg and $100 DIY oil changes make this car practical...at all?"

those are the cons. then we have the pros

it's a $8k vehicle with close to 200k. it is definitely a beater. it is by far the least economical beater, but to me it is worth it. this car is driven in new England snow, slush, rain. it has dedicated snow tires. i don't buy cars to look at them. life is too short to drive around in cars that you don't like.

as far as gas mileage goes i look at it this way. if i had an accord instead of M5 i would save $50/month in gas. to me it is worth paying those $50/month more in gas. 4 years ago i bought a '94 accord to not put miles on the m3. worst decision ever. i was bored with accord (sold it within 3 months) and was paying insurance on m3 that i didn't drive.

8/20/2010 1:25:19 AM

if I had an e39 m5, I sure as shit wouldn't drive my e46 m3. I'm not even sure I'd drive an e46 m3 over my e39 540

8/20/2010 8:52:52 AM

^

8/20/2010 9:06:34 AM