I know this question has been asked hundreds of times and I've read a lot of the responses. Here's my situation, 2 years ago I totaled a rusting 87 toyota pickup my parents had given me when I turned 16 and got $1500 because I had full coverage insurance. I looked around for a decent car and there aren't many cars that go for so little, having a part time job and expecting a huge increase in insurance I looked for something cheap and reliable. I ended up finding an 82 240D w/
200,000mi in decent enough shape for $800 from a old farmer who got the car at an auction and had driven it for a few years. I used the rest of the money for insurance payments and having a complete service (filters, fluids, etc) by a local mbshop. I've worked on the 240D one piece at a time for the past 2 years repairing what I can afford to do myself or was forced to repair to keep it running or what my parents would give me as a gift (ac compressor, very expensive and large battery, glow plug relay, thermostat, door seals, other misc small things). I never have been able to get the car working completely right; the transmission won't shift right unless the ac switch is set to max. The body is beginning to degrade more and more, I was recently run off a small road by a large box truck and the fender under the front bumper was damaged quite badly. The floorboards have pretty much rusted out and need to be replaced as well. I enjoy the lost cost of diesel, as well as a fuel mileage in the upper 20s / lower 30s. However I don't see a wise investment in having the body repaired and painted, cutting out the floor boards and replacing them as well as having other problems solved by a mechanic. I estimate the car will be drivable until next spring by that point the floorboard rust will probably progress to a state that makes the vehicle unsafe to drive. I have the MB123 cds and a Hayne's manual on the car and I feel that I have done all that is within my skill of fixing the car. I can honestly contest to the reliability of the MB123 chassis, this car has never broken down on me, never refused to start and always gotten me where I needed to go.THE QUESTION
What should I do? I have $1000 set aside, im working full time as a graphic artist at a print shop for the summer, my parents are paying my college expenses and I don't have any insurance payments due until November. I'm open to any / all suggestions. I'm looking for a car of ANY brand that gets excellent fuel mileage diesel or gasoline, preferably diesel w/ automatic transmission that has the reliability much like that of my 240D, that will not be 20 years old and need every part replaced and constantly serviced. A friend's dad used to have a late 90's Jetta Diesel that was rather nice but from what ive seen they only come w/ manual transmission (I hate manuals, maybe it's because the only manual ive driven was an 87 volkswagen cabriolet). Another friend of mine just bought a 93 BMW 5.25i which gets considerably good mileage and is in good shape but I've heard that they run terribly on low octane gasoline.
My apologies for writing a car autobiography, just looking for some insight and suggestions.