Josh just bought a house with a garage in Missouri, which means he can toss his Ford Focus for a project car that is going to get pretty dirty. He wants something with easy to source parts, but it doesn’t need to be operational all the time. With a budget under $10,000 what car should he buy?
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Here is the scenario.
My wife and I are about to buy a home, and she has agreed that once we have a garage I am allowed to sell my 2015 Ford Focus and purchase a car I can wrench on. I no longer have a commute and she drives a reliable Camry so this car only needs to work 50% of the time.
I want cheap-ish parts, good access to components for a home mechanic without a lift. Driver and passenger airbags would be nice, as would a manual transmission. Would like it to be interesting, but mostly looking for something to do. I’m equally happy with small sports car or big SUV.
I do have a lot of outdoor hobbies and my Focus gets beat up, but I’ve found that all I really need for my 2WD car is a shovel and rope and driving on sketchy roads isn’t a huge problem.
I would prefer that this vehicle could accommodate a bike or bike rack. This car will be dirty a lot, but I’m really open to anything except a Pontiac…those interiors are terrible. Trying to spend closer to 5k or under, but could push up to 10k.
Quick Facts:
Budget: Ideally close to $5,000, but up to $10,000
Location: Kansas City, Missouri
Daily Driver: Not really
Wants: Easy-to-source parts and a spot for a bike rack
Doesn’t want: A Pontiac
Expert 1- Tom McParland: High Mileage Hero
This certainly sounds like a fun opportunity to get your car and your hands dirty with a project. It seems like some kind of 4×4 style vehicle would fit you best since you tend to drive off the paved roads.
I would have you take a look at this 2008 Nissan Xterra as a high-mileage hero with over 200,000 on the clock. While that may indicate a car at the end of its life, this example looks to be in solid condition, and that ad indicates that everything is still in good working order, considering the age. Everyone knows the Xterra was a formidable alternative to the 4Runner and works great for dirt trails with plenty of cargo space for bikes, gear, or whatever else you can pack. With an asking price of under $3,000 and a seller seemingly motivated to let it go, that leaves plenty of cash left over for spare parts and whatever else you need to do to bring it up to spec.
Expert 2: Amber DaSilva — Get yourself a real project
Having a spot to wrench on a project is the dream, Josh, so let’s not squander that dream on something boring. You don’t need an XTerra, you need something more interesting — just as fitting for your outdoorsy hobbies, but without such a cramped modern engine bay to work in. You need a Jeep Comanche, like this one out in Warrensburg for $4,000.
I started out by looking for an XJ Cherokee for you, but this Comanche looked too good to pass up. That bed will fit any bike you could possibly throw at it, and the cab should steer clear of the interior styling you hate. Sure, the Comanche may not “run” at the moment, but you’re looking for something to wrench on! Nothing to stop a project from languishing like an absolute need for it to get you somewhere.The Comanche is tall enough to work on with ease without a lift, and its shared platform with the XJ means parts should be both common and cheap. This one fits your budget with room to spare for parts, and it’ll be a lot more interesting than any XTerra to wrench on. Get yourself a Comanche, and bring it back to its former glory.
Expert 3 – Daniel Golson: A practical luxury ride
You should buy an old Mercedes wagon, and this W124 E320 is a great example. First of all, it’s gold on gold, which rules, and it has the rear-facing third-row seat, which also rules. These wagons are super spacious, so you might not even need a rack for your bike as you can probably just throw it into the cargo area. Old Benzes like this are super durable, and Mercedes made so many of them that parts availability shouldn’t be too much of an issue. I had an earlier version of this same inline-6 in my old 300SL, and it is a fabulous engine. Mercedes of this era are modern enough to still be really nice to live with, and it’s got the airbags you want, but you’ll still get that cool older car feel from the interior and driving experience. For the price and mileage, this one seems like it’s in pretty good shape, too. Did I mention it’s gold on gold?
