Sons first car

[gmpartsgirl]

The story behind the choices...

He has flip-flopped multiple times on what he wants. The choices are all ones he has mentioned.

The truck was first choice, it's the beauty of the truck plus the stance of the 4x4 and the 6-bolt rims that were on the 4x4. My problem is the 4x4 part is useless in Oklahoma and the maintenance of a 4x4, plus here these trucks are still going for a premium, from $9-$12,000, depending on condition. I don't want one thats too rough.

The civic because the ricer thing hasn't worn off here yet. All his buddies are running around in these damn things, but they're damn expensive for the same reasons. Anywhere from $3000 for one that hasn't been touched to $11,000 for one that has been.

The 70's "muscle" car, now I'm not gonna get him a nice one or a big block, just a small block that runs, doesn't have to be pretty. Maybe a Nova, or an old Cutty or a Skylark or something like that. My problem here is not working on it, but the potential for him ruining it and taking one more of these babies off the road.

The 80's intermediate is mostly for me because this is where my heart lies. Beautiful, easy to find, easy to work on, and comfy.

I'm most against the Civic because I want him in a full frame vehicle for safety reasons. The truck has all the best reasons, abs, air bags and a full frame. Not sure which of these would be the highest cost to insure. What do you guys think? I still have a while, he won't be 16 till Fall, and he still has to take drivers ed.

[Camino LS6]

The truck, hands down.

Trucks offer opportunities that none of the other choices can. And, the cost of fuel will keep him honest.

Maybe you could build something like a musclecar together while he's driving the truck. That way the learning opportunuties are hugely expanded. A truck really is a "support vehicle" it can even earn money is used as it should be.

I'll leave it there, I'm sure you can read the rest into it.

[gmpartsgirl]

Very true. I'm kinda leaning that way too. I've always wanted that body style truck anyway, and now that we traded the Avalanche we don't have a truck.

[cletus8269]

good lookin body style, safe, dependable truck (prolly can still outrun his civic buddies too )

[Cory Wolfe]

Beast. $800.

From my experiences, the Civic, while most likely the least desirable (to us) will be reliable and economical and does have many modification options, though, maybe not the most tasteful. A truck, on the other hand, is built to take abuse, if its solid and not rusting out like so many around here are. You probably couldn't go wrong with either choice, but if it were me, I'd go for the Civic.

[z28luvr01]

Get the truck, unless fuel economy is his ONLY concern, in which case I'd get the Civic. The truck would probably be most able to support his lifestyle, it's generally very easy to work on (although the parts can be heavier compared to a car), and there's no shortage of aftermarket goodies for late nodel GM pickups, so he could have every bit as much fun working on and driving the truck as he could the Civic. Keep your eyes open - 2WD full-sizers are rare but cheap when you find them.

As for the muscle car and 80s G-body, I'd wait on those. Something like that should be more of a project while he drives the truck.

[Cory Wolfe]

As for the muscle car and 80s G-body, I'd wait on those. Something like that should be more of a project while he drives the truck.

This man speaks the truth.

[2005 EquinoxLS]

Why not buy Blackvipers Cutlass and fix the things wrong with it by the time your son is ready to drive. I am sure just a new carburetor would do the cutlass wonders. I dont understand why these carcuretors are so problem prone. Although mine on the Bonneville turned out to be a sticking float because somebody didnt put the spring in right. The truck might be an option if fuel economy isnt a real concern. The 70's muscle car is a viable option again if fuel economy isnt much of a concern. I am not much for Civics after seeing the sheetmetal on one. One little scrape and the whole front end will be wiped out. Plus in your case I think you would understand a lot better how to fix a GM product. And GM parts for what you are looking at are very inexpensive compared to a Civic. But thats just my opinion. My first was a 1981 Caprice 2-door with the 229 V6. Not perfect but good and it got me around in high school quite well. Just as an example.

[gm4life]

Truck if you can pay for gas... Or how about a late model Monte Carlo? Or GP?

[gmpartsgirl]

I'm not too worried about gas, it's a small town so none of us travel very far from home. The truck is the most practical, but he does want the 4x4 because of the wheels they used and the way it sits, he doesn't like the 2 wheel drives as much. Spoiled I know, but I wanna like what he gets too. Rust isn't an issue here, nothing rusts here. The ability to work on, and th eprice of parts keeps me in the GM's, but I have a bunch of import hook ups so I'm still not sure. The Honda scares me in terms of him getting in an accident. His daddy doesn't want him to get a 4x4. The Cutlass or Monte or whatever would be great because we have no inspections here, so the cat, smog pump, electronic advance and the elec carb all go immediately. My last 5 Cutlasses looked like 60's models under the hood. If not for the smogger heads they would have been totally like 60's models under the hood. So many reasons to do all of them.

[gmpartsgirl]

Why not buy Blackvipers Cutlass and fix the things wrong with it by the time your son is ready to drive. I am sure just a new carburetor would do the cutlass wonders.

I would love to, but the old man would never drive to PA for a Cutty when there are probably hundreds of them around here. With no rust here, there are old cars aplenty!! The only problem with cars here is the sun damage, dried out interiors.

[Croc]

My vote is for the 4x4. The extra visibility trucks afford makes it the perfect choice for a newer driver.

[2005 EquinoxLS]

I'm not too worried about gas, it's a small town so none of us travel very far from home. The truck is the most practical, but he does want the 4x4 because of the wheels they used and the way it sits, he doesn't like the 2 wheel drives as much. Spoiled I know, but I wanna like what he gets too. Rust isn't an issue here, nothing rusts here. The ability to work on, and th eprice of parts keeps me in the GM's, but I have a bunch of import hook ups so I'm still not sure. The Honda scares me in terms of him getting in an accident. His daddy doesn't want him to get a 4x4. The Cutlass or Monte or whatever would be great because we have no inspections here, so the cat, smog pump, electronic advance and the elec carb all go immediately. My last 5 Cutlasses looked like 60's models under the hood. If not for the smogger heads they would have been totally like 60's models under the hood. So many reasons to do all of them.

I was tempted to do that with the Bonneville a few times while trying to get the carburetor to work well on it. It still has a vacuum leak somewhere that it has always had. You are lucky not to have to worry about rust. These are the 2 old ones I have. But I dont drive them in snow if I dont have to.

Edited April 6, 2008 by 2005 EquinoxLS

[cletus8269]

since someone has brought up the monte, i would actually like to change my vote to that, saw a really nice 87 monte carlo with 53,000 miles for the princely sum of $8800 it was clean as a whistle, i wish i hadnt been so cash strapped by my impala or i would have taken her home myself, something about a small cowl inducted hood on a monte thats says "yo"

[daves87rs]

What about an S-10?

[Oracle of Delphi]

I voted for the Chevy Ex-Cab, let's keep your son safe up there in Collinsville!

[gmpartsgirl]

What about an S-10?

I actually thought about that, he wouldn't mind either I don't think, although we would probably argue as to the year. I would like an old body style like say a '94 maybe, that was still the square body wasn't it? It the TBI 4.3. Yeah, baby!! LOL He would want an Extreme, lol, good luck.

Edited April 7, 2008 by gmpartsgirl

[z28luvr01]

I actually thought about that, he wouldn't mind either I don't think, although we would probably argue as to the year. I would like an old body style like say a '94 maybe, that was still the square body wasn't it? It the TBI 4.3. Yeah, baby!! LOL He would want an Extreme, lol, good luck.

The first-gen S10 ran from 82-93, while the S10 Blazer went from 83-94. I think the 200hp Vortec 4.3 became standard equipment in 92, while being an option in 91 (the 160hp TBI 4.3 was standard). Stay away from the 2.8 models if you can help it, unless you plan on buying it and immediately replacing the engine. Of course, I probably don't have to tell you that these things can swallow a small block with just a touch of creativity.

[gmpartsgirl]

Yeah I know a guy who put a smallblock in his S-10, pretty cool, but I've always been a fan of the old 4.3. We have a fullsize here that's been here since birth (at the dealer), it was a parts delivery truck and then a lot truck. To say it's been abused in it's 13 years of service would be an understatement but it's still going strong at 300,000 miles. I'll bet though that to find a '93 or older S-10 p/u with the 4.3 will be difficult to say the least. At least without searching the whole country and possibly driving hundreds of miles to get it. Nice trucks though for sure.

[gmpartsgirl]

Or how about one of these...

Pewter '96 4x4 1500

Green '96 4x4 1500

[z28luvr01]

That Pewter one is nice. Make sure the 48K is real and that it hasn't rolled the odometer over, and then jump on it.

How about this: 1992 S10 Blazer 4x4

It's 225 miles away from you, give or take a few. It needs a starter, the shocks for the lift glass, and a paint job. But the body looks to be in impeccable condition.

[gmpartsgirl]

It does a really straight body on it, I like the Green truck better than the pewter but not for the money difference. How about this S-10 I found?

91 S10 2WD

[z28luvr01]

That one has a nice straight body. The interior needs some help, though, and the thing with that is that blue S10 interior parts are extremely difficult to find. I used to own a 1985 S10 Blazer with a blue interior, and I went through torture finding some replacement interior panels. If you got that for a low enough price, I'm sure you could find a junkyard that would let you go to town on a junked S10 with enough parts to change the interior color.

You could probably get that for around $500-750. Make sure it has the 4.3, though.

[gmpartsgirl]

Yeah, it shows the VIN with engine code Z. Alot of the city trucks were blue interior so maybe a salvage would have a few. I'm still kinda partial to the pewter Z71 though, I wonder whats wrong with it though for $5500?

[Camino LS6]

Yeah, it shows the VIN with engine code Z. Alot of the city trucks were blue interior so maybe a salvage would have a few. I'm still kinda partial to the pewter Z71 though, I wonder whats wrong with it though for $5500?

It's not pewter, they call it tan (looks like a gold to me). The ad says the mileage is on the engine and that the truck has much more mileage on it.