New from FL, ISO a RT4WD Manual Wagon [bought 88 Wagovan]
RiskEverything
Wagonist
I've been a Jeep guy for as long as I've been driving. At first it was out of necessity- I sailed beach catamarans and needed something that wouldn't get stuck launching from the sand. Of course, I quickly got hooked on modifying them and at one time owned about 6. After losing a job and starting a new school I sold, parted, scrapped, and gave away all but 1. My 89 Comanche served me well during my 4,000 mile per month(!) commute, during which time I spent so much on gas (it got 20mpg at best, and gas was $4/gallon then) that I couldn't afford all the preventative maintenance I was used to doing. A rear wheel bearing seized, spit out the tire and axle while going down a highway and put the truck out of commission. That was December '07.
I was desperate for a new, reliable, economical car. In the first week of January '08 I found an '88 Honda CRX HF for sale on Craigslist and bought it that day for $500. It had 225k miles on it, but ran great and wasn't too banged up or rusty. That car saved my financial soul. The owner told me "it gets over 35mpg", but he was off by a bit. The first week I got 47.8mpg on one trip to school and back, and averaged 45mpg on the tank! It has 274k on it now, and still gets around 40mpg regularly. It's also a lot more beat up, burns and leaks oil, leaks water, needs a new radiator, windshield, CV axle, bumper, turn signal housings, muffler.... I drove it to NJ and back like that this past summer, so saying it "needs" those things is very relevant. I recently did a lot of out-of-state rock-climbing trips with friends, and always had to use someone elses car since mine only seats two and doesn't have AC. The CRX was what I needed when I needed it, but it's not what I need anymore- it's just too small.
I'm not so hard up for money now and fuel prices have gone down a little. I need something that can fit four people and their gear for rock climbing, mountain biking, or canoeing trips. Something that can launch my catamaran on the beach without getting stuck. Something that is reliable and economical but still fun to drive. I need a 88-91 Honda Civic Wagon with RT4WD, a manual transmission, and air-conditioning. Preferably a red one if I'm being picky.
I'm saving up and looking out for my next car. I have a pretty good idea of the one I want to buy, if it's still for sale by the time I can afford it. It's only about 1,200 miles away....
I was desperate for a new, reliable, economical car. In the first week of January '08 I found an '88 Honda CRX HF for sale on Craigslist and bought it that day for $500. It had 225k miles on it, but ran great and wasn't too banged up or rusty. That car saved my financial soul. The owner told me "it gets over 35mpg", but he was off by a bit. The first week I got 47.8mpg on one trip to school and back, and averaged 45mpg on the tank! It has 274k on it now, and still gets around 40mpg regularly. It's also a lot more beat up, burns and leaks oil, leaks water, needs a new radiator, windshield, CV axle, bumper, turn signal housings, muffler.... I drove it to NJ and back like that this past summer, so saying it "needs" those things is very relevant. I recently did a lot of out-of-state rock-climbing trips with friends, and always had to use someone elses car since mine only seats two and doesn't have AC. The CRX was what I needed when I needed it, but it's not what I need anymore- it's just too small.
I'm not so hard up for money now and fuel prices have gone down a little. I need something that can fit four people and their gear for rock climbing, mountain biking, or canoeing trips. Something that can launch my catamaran on the beach without getting stuck. Something that is reliable and economical but still fun to drive. I need a 88-91 Honda Civic Wagon with RT4WD, a manual transmission, and air-conditioning. Preferably a red one if I'm being picky.
I'm saving up and looking out for my next car. I have a pretty good idea of the one I want to buy, if it's still for sale by the time I can afford it. It's only about 1,200 miles away....
Comments
I'm about a mile from MHS right now, which is really convenient for work but there is nothing to do in the area. I am thinking about moving to AMI soon, and maybe SRQ during the summer, or Key West, or Boca Raton, maybe the Bahamas... can you tell I'm sick of Bradenton?
This poor CRX needs some lovin'. I keep putting off fixing things because I won't get the money back when I sell it, but I'm not sure it'll last the rest of the year if I don't take care of at least a couple problems.
I once put a canoe on my 94 suzuki swift gt and it looked exactly the same!
I'm naming it "Cover Girl" since a lot of what I plan to do will be fixing and covering cosmetic problems without repainting the entire car. Here are some quick shots the day after I bought it: