Capricio

Make sure you do some math on what your actual savings in gas will be compared to what you're lose unless you find the gonga-deal of the year. Consider any mods to your f-body down the drain, etc.

I've just seen too many people who drive maybe 15k per year trade in their perfectly good V8 vehicle for a 4 cylinder whatever to go from 20 to 35 mph. They save MAYBE $3400/year on gas, but give up a car that was paid for or almost paid for and give up their *** on sales tax, fees, interest, etc on a new one.

Just saying, I know it hurts at the pump when you fill up but make sure you know the total cost of giving up something you like compared to the savings on something you might not. FWIW I don't think gas will be expensive forever, either.

01SuperSport

iTrader: (7)

Thanks for the good advice. I've been trying to get the car back together after an accident I had in it and just haven't been able to. A lot of people told me to sell it after but I decided to keep it and ever since I've just had bad luck with it. I love the car and don't really mind paying the price at the pump but I kind of feel like I'll never be able to put it back together so I should just sell it and get something more economical. Like you said I'm looking for the right deal to arrive. I just swear that the car is cursed in my hands.

nomoneyz

iTrader: (15)

Honestly, if your looking to save money on gas put your car in a garage and grab up a Kia. They have come a long way and are reliable as any other 4 banger out there with proper maint done. Gf's Spectra has 70k on it and she's had it since new. Just did the timing belt a bit ago for maint and just regular oil changes. No issues ever and pulls over 30mps with a 5 speed. Personally I DD a Kia Rio and while it may be slow as dirt it gets 30mpgs in town and 36 on the hwy. Thing cost me 400 bucks and I fill it one a week and a half to 2 weeks. So doubling the mileage I used to get with my Camaro it paid itself off pretty quick.

haighter

iTrader: (55)

OP, look into one of the TDI jettas or golfs. 45mpg+ and you can run them on vegetable oil. I have heard those guys getting 55+mpg with water injection and go over 250,000 miles without issues. On a manual not auto of course.

ocshaman

Diesel TDI. Not fast, but nozzles and tune with no cat or muffler will be decent in torque. Be wary of vegetable oil. You don't need water injection to get into the 50's

GTP. Blower whine is great. Good gas mileage for the size 28-32mpg at 75mph. You can use HPTuners or EFILive on them. HUD rocks, supercharger rocks. Do an exhaust, or at least the U-bend delete, but do not hope for any good sound to come from the back of the vehicle. Change the Valve cover gaskets, be careful when removing the intake manifold. Spark plugs are $.97 a piece. Exhaust, homemade intake, and some time with a tuner will feel much different. Alot of f-body parts will swap onto it. Most are well priced. 97 is different from the 98-up in many ways. You can also look into the Regal GS, and Bonneville SSEI maybe.

If I was to do another W-body it would be a GT with a turbo and water injection, or a GTP with GT compression and water injection. And if I carry the dream further, a t56.

Capricio

Those TDIs are still pretty new. Not sure how cheap you can find a used one. Also heard the recommended oil for them is expensive and hard to find. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, certainly not a VW expert here.

allblacksrt4

iTrader: (3)

i bought a 2001 tdi with 101k auto - just had it rebuilt - for $5500

ocshaman

The Pump Duese motors, that start in 2004, have cam wear problems, and also spec higher than Walmart grade oil. The ALH (98-2003) have a spec, but you can easily buy that oil most places. Also, the Auto(02m?) is very problematic. Most recommend being ready to swap it out at 100K miles. YRMV. I am looking into the TDIs, as well as the Volvos right now.

haighter

iTrader: (55)

My wife and I just drove an 03 Jetta wagon that was really fun. It was a stick with 60k on it. I do know they require specific oil but THINK that the oil change intervals are 7,000 miles to 10,000 miles. If I rem correctly that you don't have to change it as often as a gas vehicle. We ended up buying another 1997 dodge 2500 12v cummins. We liked our other one so much we bought two of them. Both 4x4 5 speeds. If your clever you can use red dye diesel or bio diesel. Here in so cal I don't have to worry about freezing temps. Also b99 is $3.60 a gallon at Downs Eenergy in Ccorona. The 1997 diesels are the last year you dO NOT HAVE TO SMOG.

Diesels are more fuel efficient and last longer then gas powered vehicles. Unless its a Ford 6.0.... J/k. I like Chevy and Dodge.

ocshaman

Yes, the OCI is 10K, and the oil filter is at the top and front of the engine compartment.

1sick68

iTrader: (7)

What about a motorcycle????

chevystyle

iTrader: (1)

Well, I have a 2000 Saturn SC1 5-speed with 187,xxx miles. I commute 48 miles one way thru the Cajon Pass from the high desert to the valley. No drips or leaks. I average 35-37 mpg. Better MPG if I didn't have to climb a hill everyday. It ain't fast, but that's not what I bought it for. I love the car, no problems with it, parts are SUPER cheap, and people get a kick outta the third door. No need to get rid of the f-body. Keep it. Do what I did...I put my SS on collector car insurance @ $205 a year full coverage with $0 deductible with agreed value of $12,000. I just bearly put 200 miles on the SS so far this year.