My old faithful 85 Chevy Cavalier pretty much just died.  I'm still in college, so I'm going to need a good car that will last me for a while until I get all the loans and such paid off.

Anyone have a list of good, rock-solid, cars/trucks that can be had for less than say...4k?  I know its sorta low, but I'm looking for something that can be as ugly as hell but will work whenever I need it to.  Something that has a good "heft" to it, a good sized vehicle that won't be crushed like a soda can.

Thanks.

Full size Chevy Blazer or PU truck, '73 to '87.  If gas mileage is a concern, look for a 6.2 diesel, mine gets 18 mpg after 260,000 miles.  Durable enough?

btt

Man, if you had posted this two weeks ago you could have had a black '94 Saturn sedan for $3K.

When I got my new Nissan (*cough* rice-burner) I turned it into the dealer for under $2K.

Sorry =P
Jewbron~

Jewbroni, did you have to dump your car after you had that run-in with the drunk thug a few weeks ago?

GunLvr

Toyota pick-up. You don't need anything special: 4 spd. two-wheel drive. 1989 was a hot year. Still has a carb. No "spaghetti" all over the engine for air pollution control. You can actually work on it yourself -- except you won't need to.

I have 146K on mine and it runs like the day it came off the production line. Oil comes out on the change cleaner than it went in.

I also like Toyota trucks, they run forever with very little maintenance.  However, you should try to find an extra-cab, because there is not much space behind the seat.  

If you are in the PRK, perhaps you should consider buying a bicycle or taking the bus.  hehehe.

Stay away from anything Jeep. They look nice, and run o.k., but repairs cost $$$ and are frequent.

radioman

What paspecops said, the 6.2L is way underrated. It doesn't make the power of a 5.9L Cummins or Powerstroke, but it was never meant to. Even in a 1-ton truck with gears for hauling, you'll still get at least 15-18mpg empty, and 12-15mpg with it loaded as full as you can get it. I think in 1986 you could get one from the factory with a Banks turbocharger and special gauge package - that's definitely the way to go. These drive like a mildly warmed-over EFI 350 and deliver twice the fuel mileage.

If you don't want a diesel, my recommendation is an '87 or newer Chevy/GMC pickup with EFI 350. It's not likely to need repairs, and if it does troubleshooting is simple and parts are inexpensive.