Looking for a winter beater

[Juice]

I don't really want to drive the Marauder after they start salting the roads up here, so I was thinking about finding a decent winter beater that would also be useful for driving in snow/ice conditions (ie 4x4/awd).

I'd like to keep it in the $1k-1500 range. I'd most likely only be owning this vehicle for the winter, since I'll be changing commands early next year, so I don't really want to spend more.

I've looked at some late 90s Jeeps and Subarus, but I'm definitely open for ideas. Whatcha got?

Thanks!

EDIT: Crap, I meant to put this in the Lounge. Sorry!

[Maraudermike1]

I don't have anything I just wanted to recommend a Jeep. they are super tough and durable, especially the motor, and super cheap. I just bought a really nice 2000 Cherokee for 1300 bucks. There a ton out there and it will do you right. It seems like the mid-90's Grand Cherokees always go for next to nothing. My dad has one and it's awesome!

[Got_1]

honestly its all about the tires. buy a cheap econobox for $500. spring for another couple hundred on a good winter tire and your set. i put a decent set of winter tires on my '98 escort zx2 and it handles flawlessly on a snowy road. i also used to drive my '92 f150 4x2 in the winters with some weight in the bed and snow tires. no problems

if you manage to find a 4x4 or AWD for $1000 then chances are (unless its an amazing deal) you'll be spending a lot more money on it just to get it through the winter.

[Leadfoot281]

I don't have anything I just wanted to recommend a Jeep. they are super tough and durable, especially the motor, and super cheap. I just bought a really nice 2000 Cherokee for 1300 bucks. There a ton out there and it will do you right. It seems like the mid-90's Grand Cherokees always go for next to nothing. My dad has one and it's awesome!

I love my '96 Cherokee Sport but it really isn't all that great in snow. The back end is just too light. It'll get you through the deep stuff but it sucks on ice. If you do look into one of these, make sure you check which 4x4 system it's got. Select Trac is good for Highway speeds while Command Trac is not. I have the Command Trac and my '89 CVPI was much better in the snow because they were both basically 2wd.

Oh BTW, 4x4 is for "go" not "whoa". Just because you can out accelerate a Ferrari in the winter doesn't mean you should drive faster than anyone else. I suspect that's why the ditches here are always packed full of SUV's in the winter.

Good tires and lots of weight is what I'd recommend more than anything else...even 4x4.

I'd buy a $500 beater in a heatbeat for winter use as long as you get the basics looked at first. Battery, battery cables, belts, hoses, ect should get fixed now before you get stuck in the middle of no where when it's -40. $500 beaters also require a charged up cell phone. Life can get pretty darn interesting otherwise. Ask me how I know. :lol:

[Big Black Beast]

Any FWD crapbox will do.

[Davesvt2000]

Any FWD crapbox will do.


Look for an older Focus or Escort.. They are tanks in the snow.

[Juice]

I looked up and down for an old Crown Vic, but they were all in either absolutely perfect condition (out of my price range), or they were beat to absolute hell.

So I bought my first Chevy. :(

It's a 94 Caprice Classic police package, with the 5.7 LT1. Newer tires (The guy threw in 2 snow tires already mounted on their own wheels as well), new battery, brakes, water pump, and tune. As far as I've seen everything works, seems to run just fine. It has the standard NE rust in parts of the body, but the frame looked pretty solid. Apparently it was garaged for a part of it's life, so it was less rusty than the other cars I looked at that were 6-7 years newer.

It's dark now so I can't take any pics, but here's the one crappy one I have, I'll get a few more later this week when I'm off work (I work from before dawn to after dark...).

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v624/JonesSoda/caprice.jpg

PS. I've officially decided that I never want to live in the North again. Not being able to keep a car nice through the winter is garbage, I want to go back to the South! Screw rust!

[guspech750]

I would recomend a Jeep Grand Cherokee. Our 99 has the V-8 everything else and has been durable since 99!!

[Juice]

I bumped this because I was saying that I bought a car haha. I actually did look at a few Grand Cherokees, but there weren't very many in my price range and the few that were priced right were in pretty bad shape. Rust kills!

[guspech750]

Oh I think the Caprice 9C1 is a great choice for a winter car!!