So we know newer cars are just plastic piles of over-engineered junk. I live in the south so rust isn't as much of a problem for me. What are some good common older vehicles to look for in terms of part availability and reliability? I am looking at between the early 80's to late 90's. I don't care about looks, just as long as parts are easy to buy and the vehicle is easy to fix and drive. Thanks!
Is there any type of brand that you're looking for? Also, what type of vehicle do you want?
GM had some good products such as: Chevy Caprice/Buick Roadmaster/Cadillac Fleetwood, Chevy Suburban/GMC Yukon, Chevy Astro/GMC Safari to name a few.
There may have been some good cars, but it wasn't a really good time period for vehicles. While easier to work on because spaces are not jam-packed those are now 20-40 years old. Some parts may have to be gotten from a junkyard if you can't get from the box stores. I was driving those cars when they were new, and as I look back, there isn't any car from back then that I would want to drive today. Even my favorites 96-02 Trans-Am/Camaro or Chevy/GMC 88-98 C/K 1500 pickups, if they're in decent shape then they cost too much and few and far between. Whatever you end up looking at bring a mechanic that knows older cars to check them out thoroughly. It was a transition period from carburetor to fuel injection and there was no OBDII until '96 so you can't just plug in a scanner to see what's going on. Good Luck.
I would still rather get an older vehicle for a couple of grand and put a crate engine and trans in it rather than spend $45K for a direct injected, variable valve timed, cylinder deactivated electronically controlled nightmare that new cars are today.
I keep hearing its the late 90's to mid 2000's that is a treasure trove of great, reliable, part-heavy/big aftermarket cars. If I were looking at 80's-90's, I'd just be looking at Buick Sedans or Ford Crown Vics, personally.
I agree with the reply to select late 90s cars due to the fact the obdII style computers are just available after 1995 for most models. The GM 3.1 liter engine was in production for a long time and is my favorite in the Buicks.
I had a 1994 Buick purchased with 50K miles for $2K. It suffered from improper repaired, broken ground of the computer, and sensitive ignition wires that needed to be routed properly. A great learning experience where I could easily maintain the car. I live in North Texas, no signs of rust, just the air conditioning ports opened up and the ODB transition year connector did not match ODB1 or ODB connectors so it was difficult to find a scanner to keep up with diagnostics of the sensors and ground issues that are common with older cars. This Buick had an upgraded overdrive transmission and was fast on the highway. Loved it, still miss it since I donated it in 2018, but glad to have my $3.5K : 90K mile full featured 2000 Cadillac Seville with more advanced features common in today's luxury cars. Don't miss my 90s cars too much but they are good to restore as a hobby and the 3.1 L GM engine as a reliable well documented system.
Issues to consider:
Plastic and wire insulation degrading.
Engine seal
Available computers
Air conditioning system sealed
