So I am starting to think about the winter months coming up. I have been fortunate to live in other places with my '56 and have not needed to have a winter beater at all. Now I will be living in Toronto this winter and I think I want to take my '56 off the road for this one. It will give me some time to maybe work on it as well. So my plans were to spend $3,000 - $4,000 on a NEWER Hyundai, Toyota, Mazda, etc. Basically going against all the laws of the HAMB and buying something foreign. Which would be a first for me as I have ALWAYS owned Chervrolets and Fords. However I was looking for something else on Kijiji the other night and stumbled across something else. It is a 1964 Pontiac Acadian in what appears to be in great mechanical shape. Also has a flawless interior. The body is ****, but I don't care as I will be driving it in the winter. Seems mechanically good although it doesn't have the original engine it has a 1973 250 Inline Six Cylinder. Does anyone off the top of their heads know if that is a good engine? I am a college student that needs a car for this winter so, I need something reliable. Will this be viable? I know a newer Civic would PROBABLY be better, but I am just used to driving older cars. I think it would be fun to beat the piss out of it in the winter. Someday when I have a garage and money I can always tear it down two door it, straight axle, blown SBC, etc. So is it a good engine or a **** engine for a daily driver? Not looking for performance or torque just something GOOD ON GAS and RELIABLE. Thanks!
As a college student, part of your learning experience is to meet people, make future connections, etc. The cool old car will probably get you noticed more (in a good way). It helps define what you are to your fellow students. If it has a bench front seat, someone likeable can cuddle up next to you. If it has a big back seat... well, let's just say there are things you can do better in a larger car. Do you have some sort of govt. inspection process for a '64? Make sure it p***es. Is the body about to rust through in the floors? The traditional fix was old signs, roof shingles, newspaper, etc to plug the holes and get you through the winter. How long do you need the car to last? Winter beaters in N. Ohio generally used to last 2 winters when I was last there (in the 80s). After that, too far gone to be even a little safe. There wasn't any safety inspection back then, but when slush got splashed on your legs while driving, it was not good. Yes, the motor will last forever given normal care. But don't expect even 20 miles/gallon, they are not that thrifty, especially in a larger car. The newer cars (10-15 years old) are much better on gas. They are lighter and have smaller, more efficient engines.
Thanks guys! I was planning on just driving it this winter and either selling it or rebuilding it. I have a 1956 Ford right now with the factory 272 Y-Block backed by a '93 T-5 five speed and it's killing me on gas prices. I can't really afford to run it anymore. Will the little Acadian be any better? Will there be a big improvement on gas price? Thanks!
I'd buy that car over an inport any day of the week!!.. The 250 is a GREAT motor.. Check around for a "block warmer" that you can plug in at night.. I had one in a '69 F body with a 250 with a 3-speed manual.. In the morning my motor was already warmed up ready to go too work..
There's more to consider than just the engine for a winter beater. That Acadian will handle like a curling rock and easily get stuck in the snow. IMO you're way better off with a late 80's/early 90's S10 Blazer or Jimmy. Find one with a manual trans (T5) as downshifting when in 4wd will slow you down as well or better than any ABS equipped car. Parts are cheap and readily available and remote starters can be had for under a couple hundred bucks.
What Curt says above....Generally a guy in college has more important things to do fuss over a 60 year winter beater as the floors fall out from the road deicing salt.
I have to agree that the RW drive Poncho won't make the best choice for snowy driving. But, I have to disagree with engine braking in slippery conditions. Where I live here in hilly, snowy land the practice is to put the car in neutral going down hill in bad weather. You have finer control with brakes than letting the engine do it.
Yes, the 250" is one of the most durable GM ever built. No, the Poncho won't get much better fuel mileage than your Ford and it will slide around like snot on a doorknob in the winter. Maybe, define your needs. How many miles per year will you be driving? In percentage of total vehicle ownership/operating costs, fuel mileage is really ant ****. A bit OT, but a guy we know isn't speaking to me for a while. He was so proud of his new Prius hybrid. Bragged about much better fuel economy versus how his SUV had been killing him with fuel costs. I took a calculator and showed him it would be seventeen years of driving that ****box before he saved enough in fuel costs to pay for it versus the much nicer, much faster car he had been driving. jack vines
Car sold I can handle school and an old car, I have been doing it for a long time. This would NOT be my first OLD car and is NOT my first year of college. S10s are pretty expensive around here and I ain't got much cash. Suppose I'll keep looking. I found a rad 1965 Dodge Polara 318/727 running/driving BUT I CAN'T afford to pay for the gas in that thing. Being poor ****s
WTF? Just for giggles I searched "Blazer" on Kijiji and found 185 of them in the greater Toronto area with no less than 40 of them for under 2k.
Too bad. I've had winter cars like that and it's been good. I had a 250 in a Chevelle 2 years ago.. 25mpg Hiway If you go newer, try an ******. I don't llike the look much, but they are great little cars. FWD excellent in snow. Old Rwd are okay with decent winter tiress and lots of weight in the back.. The Chevelle was a winter beater.. did awesome on the few days I had to go across the island for work in snow/slush conditions
<HR style="COLOR: #e5e5e5; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #e5e5e5" SIZE=1> <!-- / icon and ***le --><!-- message --> There's more to consider than just the engine for a winter beater. That Acadian will handle like a curling rock and easily get stuck in the snow. IMO you're way better off with a late 80's/early 90's S10 Blazer or Jimmy. Find one with a manual trans (T5) as downshifting when in 4wd will slow you down as well or better than any ABS equipped car. Parts are cheap and readily available and remote starters can be had for under a couple hundred bucks. <!-- / message --><!-- sig -->__________________ Snow?We Aint got no stinkin snow! He lives in TO. It is almost exactly due east of Northern California. And I live 100 MI east of that and about 30 MI north. Its not Alaska! Most of us dont even use real snow tires. Plowed the driveway once last winter. If I had waited till morning it would have been probably not necessary. Thousands drove those cars with no trouble here in the 70s. I would worry one second about it. Even in a bad winter 3 maybe 4 days of iffy driving, no more. You will be fine. Don
Just had two kids graduate from college . The girl had a little Toyota Tercel that she just drove and drove, The boy had a '99 dodge stratus. Both were cheap to keep and did'nt cause the old man any real headaches. I know that old stuff is way cool, but when you've got a paper due on Monday and It's Sunday night , trust me, Ya don't want to have to fuss with your car. I'm just say'in. You have plenty of time to fix up you good car. Indy
A 250 Chev six powered Acadian was a great, economical family car in the sixties and a great, economical winter beater in the seventies and eighties. But any 4 cylinder front drive car will be 10 times better in snow, twice as economical on gas and way more reliable. Yes they were dead reliable when new but that car p***ed its best before date when Elton John was buying his first pair of platform shoes. So, buy the Honda Hyundai or even Ford ******.
You say you have $3000 to $4000 to spend. I never spent anywhere near that much on a daily driver in my life (present daily, 2000 Ford Windstar van, one owner, $600 with 124,000 KM). Watch the ads for a car in a nice neighborhood that is 7 -10 years old being sold as is. You will get a better car for less money if the seller is well off and bought it new. In a poor or working cl*** neighborhood, anybody with a tenth hand junker will be trying to squeeze the last nickel out of it. Look for a car that is basically decent but needs 1 or 2 things, like a new muffler or tires, that are easy to do and don't cost much. If you really know your stuff you can buy something like a car that supposedly needs a new transmission, and fix it by cleaning the wires to the control module. Or a car with the engine shot, that the owner mixed up the plug wires. I have seen both these. And if the wife wants him to get rid of the old car, no matter how little you offer you are going to end up buying it.
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