Good morning! This week, we’re playing with a new formula, inspired by a comment on Friday by longtime reader MaximillianMeen. We’re starting out with a $1,000 price cap, and every day it will double, so that by Friday our price range will be all the way up to $16,000. I don’t know if I’ll do this all the time, because frankly it’s getting hard to find cars under a grand (or even two), but I love it as a “sometimes idea.” Like cookies. Or so I’m told.
Friday’s choices were a couple of cars I know my dad would have loved, in honor of his birthday, and it sounds like it was a tough call for a lot of you. Both cars inspired plenty of great stories and gained lots of fans, but in the end the Packard took home the win. I think it was the novelty of it; MGAs are still not terribly hard to find, but a ’49 Packard, in that condition, for that price, is a rarity.
It’s a tough call for me as well, but I think, considering I already have an MG that I love, I’d take the Packard. I don’t know where the hell I’d park it; I’m sure it has a bigger footprint than my Chrysler, so it wouldn’t fit in my garage, but I’d figure something out.
When Jason, David, and I first brainstormed this idea, we decided on a price cap of $2,500. That seemed like a good amount to spend on a really cheap car, and there were plenty of interesting choices around in that range at the time. The trouble is, that was almost three years ago now, and the intervening three years have seen some changes in the used-car market, to say the least. Five thousand is the new twenty-five hundred, and even then it can be hard to find something I haven’t just written about. Winter is especially challenging, because all the cool cheap cars go into hibernation except in warm places, leaving me with a sea of Honda CRVs and Chevy Impalas to choose from.
That’s why I’m excited to try this idea. I had the challenge of finding two $1,000 cars for today, but by Friday, I’ll be able to play in a budget that allows for some really fun choices. We’ll see how it goes, and if you like it, we’ll do it more often. Here’s our first matchup for the week.
2001 Chevrolet Cavalier – $1,000
Engine/drivetrain: 2.2-liter overhead valve inline 4, five-speed manual, FWD
Location: Sykesville, MD
Odometer reading: 230,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives well
I’m not surprised I found this car while looking in this price range. General Motors’s J platform has, for decades now, been a dirt-cheap way to get around. It’s not fancy, it’s not cool, but it is reliable, and parts are available everywhere. Later GM compacts, like the Cobalt and the Cruze, were nicer, but they didn’t have the dogged never-give-up durability that made the J-car famous. This final-generation Chevy Cavalier has covered 230,000 miles, and it looks like hell, but hop in, turn the key, and you’re on your way.
It’s powered by the good old “122” pushrod four-cylinder and a five-speed manual. It’s probably the most durable and reliable J-car drivetrain combination, and you can fix it with a hammer and duct tape if you need to. I even had one that I drove 100 miles with a rod knock, and it still didn’t die. This one runs fine, the seller writes in their listing, and it has brand-new brakes all the way around. The seller also purchased new suspension and front-end components but hasn’t installed them – they’re in boxes in the trunk. One long weekend and you could have it riding and handling like new.
You’ll want to spend some time cleaning up the interior. It’s in acceptable condition, it looks like, but it’s a mess. I’ll never understand why sellers don’t spend half an hour with a shop vac before taking pictures. They probably could have asked $500 more for it by putting in just a little more effort. Do it yourself and save, I guess.
This looks like it was kind of a fancy Cavalier, once upon a time, with its alloy wheels and rear spoiler. Of course, when a car gets to be this age, trim packages don’t mean a whole lot, unless it’s something really special – and no Cavalier was ever that special. The paint is toast and the rockers are rusty, but it seems to be holding together well enough. It’ll probably keep chugging along for another few years.
2001 Ford F-150 XLT – $1,000
Engine/drivetrain: 5.4-liter overhead cam V8, four-speed automatic, 4WD
Location: Linden, NJ
Odometer reading: 350,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives well
You have to expect, when you’re looking for cheap cars, that the best-selling vehicle in the country is going to turn up a lot. And indeed, there are a lot of cheap F-150s floating around, but they usually aren’t this cheap. I think the combination of an absolute shit-ton of miles, big gaping rust holes, and a rather infamous engine have conspired to keep the price low. Still, the seller says it runs well enough.
The engine in question is Ford’s 5.4 liter “Triton” V8, which in later years had some serious issues. This is the earlier 2-valve-per-cylinder version, which doesn’t have nearly the problems, but you know how reputations work. People hear “5.4” and shy away. This truck has 350,000 miles on it, but it runs and drives great, and it also has new tires and brakes, per the seller. It has been used for a business, it looks like, which means someone depended on it and had to take care of it. The check-engine light is on, but it’s clearly nothing that affects drivability.
The interior is surprisingly nice, especially for the mileage. It has clearly been used, but again, taken care of. It’s an XLT, so it’s a little fancier than your average work truck, which usually means it gets messed up faster, but this one is nice and clean. There’s no indication of how much of the power stuff still works, of course.
It’s on the outside where this truck shows its age. There are rust holes all along the bottom on both sides, the right-rear corner of the bed is messed up and the right taillight is broken. Plus the seller says the tailgate won’t open – probably as a result of the damage. It’s typical work-truck stuff, but I can see why they don’t want to use it for business anymore.
I have to admit, I was pleasantly surprised to find two good-running cars for a grand each in this day and age. I mean, yeah, they’re horrible, but they run and drive, and someone has clearly paid some attention to both of them. So which one do you think seems like a better way to spend $1,000?
(Image credits: sellers)
I enjoy the guys phone number is on the side of the truck but his plates are blurred out.
I’ll bet he’s using the for-sale listing to get free advertising for his house-scamming business, and won’t actually sell the truck.
A functional F-150 for $1,000? You bet. All day long, and twice on Sundays.
I own a 1 year newer version of this same truck (in much better condition, mind you) and it’s worth several times the asking price for this one.
Cavalier for me purely because I LOATH these “I buy houses” predators. No you don’t buy them you scam needy people out of money by lowballing them and flipping the properties with crap work.
Good point. Best choice is to get like six buddies to offer him $200 so he starts to doubt he can get $1000, then you come in with an offer of $250. Give him the sort of deal he gives others.
Now this, this is the kind of forward thinking I can get behind.
Was about to say the same thing. Screw that guy. Also, I wonder if this is a play for free advertising, and he never actually sells the truck.
Beater: Cavalier, IF you are willing to handle the interior.
I believe that year F 150 had issues with spark plugs, BUT was nowhere near the stupidity of the 3V….so I might have to pass the Chevrolet and get the Jellybean, but ONLY this time.
This is my least-favorite generation of the F-150. Everything about it felt cheap, and you could break into them by staring at the door handle hard enough. That being said…
I absolutely loathe these Cavaliers. My post-college girlfriend got a brand new 2001 sedan and it absolute shit right out of the box ( we had looked at Civics, Integras, and Focii before her dad wrangled a deal on that turd and all were light years ahead of the Cavalier). I’d say the interior was Play-Skool quality but Play-Skool has the sense to deburr any exposed edges. The drivers seat was a cheap block of foam on a metal shelf. The engine sounded like someone threw a can of nickels into a wasp nest. We took a trip up to the north Georgia mountains and the blocks of vulcanized granite they called tires screamed in agony when you dared turn the wheel more than five degrees. On top of that was the worst crash test ratings in the segment. Give me the crappy F-150 any day of the week.
If you hate cheap things, maybe a Corolla would fit you better. Better QC, better value for money. Reliability is…..as long as you take care of them…..
That said, probably you need to pay more money for a Corolla of that year, unless it was an 80s or 90s one…not sure though.
The Cavalier is an unabashed piece of crap, but like others have mentioned, it’ll run for another couple years for pretty much no money.
I’m not sure that truck isn’t just a way to get an advertisement on Craigslist.
And now we’ve given them national exposure.
I had a Cavalier of that vintage. I didn’t enjoy it, but it was reliable. I was young and dumb and thought coupes were sporty. I could have been in a sedan that was more fun and more comfortable, but I wanted the Cavalier. The only thing that actually went wrong with it was one (manual) window that froze up, which was a pretty simple fix.
I voted F150 just because I would rather have the utility, even if that rust is going to eat it away.
The F150 you can carry things, sure.
The Cavalier gets a bad reputation more than required….but yes I saw a video of one pulling a stuck F 250 out of mud….so they definitely are better than what they are thought to be
That said, parts will be difficult to get for the Cavalier I assume….
The F 150, well some parts already have been discontinued by Ford, others you can get them.
parts are everywhere for j cars still, tons of them in junkyards!
Depends.
For Hummers it is getting difficult, as is for 04-12 Colorados…
I think for older Corollas too as well…at some point parts would be becoming rarer….
This one is a “depends on what you need” tossup. If you’re in a position to buy a $1,000 car, I am assuming every scrap of money is important to you – so I voted for the little 4-cyl Cav.
The Cavaliers aren’t just reliable, they’ll outlive us all. I wouldn’t trust an F150 at that mileage. Being used for a business just means they beat it to hell
Also, I would disagree about the Cobalt not being as reliable. Those are also earning a fantastic reputation and they carried the same engine and transmission. It wasn’t until the Cruze came out with the 1.4 that ate turbos for breakfast and the weak transmission that their reputation started to slip, and even the 1.8 on the Cruze isn’t awful
True. But in Qatar I still see 1st gen Cruze on the road. I guess the drivers who drive them cannot afford Corollas or Camry…
I suspect many probably have lots of kms on time that are being driven daily…despite their horrible reputation (the first years are really bad, second generation was better but we did not get that). They just stopped making it recently….
I have a love of the jellybean F-150s but the higher mileage and extensive rust on this make me take a pass. I’m buying these as winter beaters, might as well go with the king of the beaters in a j-body.
I’d go with the truck. It already looks like shit. Perfect for using to throw things with great abandon into the bed, not worrying if you miss and add another dent. I’d just want to look at the frame to make sure it wasn’t going to snap if its rusted as badly as I bet it is. In fact- I’d bet that is why its cheap: They probably for a bad diagnosis on said frame and now they’re trying to ditch it.
The Cadaverlier for me. You just know when you get it home and start cleaning it up you’ll find at least $1.37 in loose change, so it nets out cheaper than a grand.
I couldn’t drive a jellybean F150 if it were free, so even though it’s probably the better deal (4×4 astounded me at this price) I had to go Cavalier.
I am amazed at how good of shape both of these interiors are! I went for the Cavalier because I had a couple friends who had these and they were reasonably fun, if basic little machines. Plus with the significantly lower miles, and all the new parts to go with it, I just feel like it would last longer and it’s in better shape than the truck.
That J body looks like it has at least another year in it, probably longer with junkyard parts. $1,000 is about as cheap as it gets for something that runs and drives. If you are in a situation where you have to get a vehicle in this price range you should always go with whatever should have the lowest operating costs.
True. Never know if the 5.4 would throw up spark plugs…any moment.
This engine I doubt is as easy to work on as the 350 V8 (leaving optispark on the LT1 and the oil pressure sensor out of the chat on the 5.3 LM7) or the 22RE 4 cylinder…
In Qatar, I personally have NEVER seen an F 150 Jellybean truck on the road. Only in private collections. I have however seen some 2nd gen RAMS and 1st gen Expeditions, Crown Vics/Mercury versions….
GMT800s seem to dominate however…I still see 00s trucks and SUVS. 400s are there, but are slightly rarer…
I’d have to go with the Cav. Sure, I could probably either find a replacement bed, or build a wooden one (been there, done that), but it’s more work than I’d want to put into a beater.
I voted the cavalier. I would just drive it into the ground at that point, sell it for scrap and just sell the suspension components there is no point in putting lipstick on that dying pig.
If I’m hunting in the thousand dollar range, operating expenses are definitely front of mind. I’m getting the Cavalier. Good fuel economy is gonna be top of my list!
The truck. Tailgate can be fixed easily enough. Maintained correctly, my mechanic has seen these earlier tritons hit half a million miles.
My gut is that the “I buy junk houses” guy did not maintain his F150 correctly.
I believe there might be some 2Vs at a million as well….
The E series versions never had issues unlike the 3V because theirs was a 2v…so thats why I was saying a million miles is not uncommon for earlier engines.
Spark plugs might be a chore, but if you want the truck badly, you will need to get it fixed.
$1000 for a winter beater with new brakes and suspension, plus an easy engine to work on (or replace if it shits the bed)? I’ll take the Cav.
Not voting, because I think it’s a toss-up. I grew up in the Southwest, so the level of rust on both is beyond my tolerance.
Thanks to The Autopian anyhow, for reminding me it’s time for a new tetanus booster.
The truck? I guess? I mean, it runs, it can haul things, so I think that’s how I’d spend my fake money
The Sunferraris and Cavalcades are the US born cheap runners.
To this day, my work parking lot has at least a dozen of these little cockroaches bouncing around as winter beaters. There’s a steady supply of them in local yards ready to be picked over as well.
I think I’m allergic to both of them.