It occurred to me, when I started looking for cars for today, that all the cheap cars I’ve shown you this week have been automatics. That just doesn’t seem right, especially since I’m a big fan of manual transmissions for beaters, for durability and reliability. So today, I went looking for some stickshift options and found a couple of homely choices that should get the job done.
Remember how I said yesterday that at least one of the cars was going to be sold before anyone could read the ad? Well, I was right – the Crown Vic was gone early in the morning. The ad for the Matrix disappeared for a while, but it’s back up now. But there are a lot of things that don’t add up about that car, and now that you all point them out, I realize I should have noticed them earlier. It’s got more red flags than the grandstands at Spa.
And who cares anyway? That thing is toast. A Crown Vic is a blunt instrument, but it will keep doing its thing for a long time to come. I saw multiple Crown Vic taxis at the garage with nearly half a mil on their odometers, and while no one could call them nice anymore, they still did their job. That’s where the smart money was yesterday, and I hope the Vic’s new owner gets many happy miles out of it.
The Crown Vic would work fine as a cheap beater, but personally, I’d rather have something small and manual. You’ll use less gas, and you won’t have to worry about a complicated automatic transmission shitting the bed and rendering your cheap car useless. A clutch can be replaced for $150 and a twelve-pack of beer to get your buddy to give up a Saturday to help you, and there’s not much else that’s likely to go wrong with a manual. I tried to find two cars for under a grand each, but one of these is just a little over. It’s still a bargain, though. Let’s take a look.
1986 Volkswagen Golf – $850
Engine/drivetrain: 1.8-liter OHC inline 4, five-speed manual, FWD
Location: Port Orchard, WA
Odometer reading: ad lists 100,000
Operational status: Runs and drives well, but needs ignition lock/switch
The most colorful – and one of the most well-known – variant of the VW Golf was the “Harlequin” edition, made by taking standard four-door Golfs of four different colors and mixing up their body panels. Harlequin Golfs are cool, especially to those of us who like bright colors, but there’s a fact about them that is relevant here: they were built ten years after this Golf was. Someone liked the look and decided to replicate it on this old MkII Golf.
This is a car I know pretty well; I drove a two-door 1985 Golf in college, and it treated me well, even when I didn’t return the favor. Forget what you think you know about the MkIII and later Volkswagens; this has more in common with the old MkI and Rabbit. It’s a simple machine, devoid of any later VW craziness. The engine is the old EA827 four-cylinder, with nice simple Bosch fuel injection. It only puts out 85 horsepower, but trust me, it’s sufficient. The seller says this one runs and drives well, but the ignition switch is broken, and the steering column sometimes locks when it’s not supposed to, so they suggest towing it. They also mention that the ignition is wired to a toggle switch; I wonder if maybe they don’t know you still need the key to unlock the mechanical steering column lock? Or maybe the key is lost? In any event, check the VIN and name on the title carefully and make sure they’re authorized to sell it.
The ad claims that this car has 100,000 miles on it, but I suspect that’s just a placeholder the seller put in because you have to put something. I suspect it actually has a lot more than that, and that the odometer is probably broken, because they all break eventually. The interior sure looks like it has more than 100,000 on it. And I see that the mirror has fallen off the windshield; I think I glued mine back up about five times. I have no idea why they don’t stay put, but no glue seems to work.
The funny thing is that the fake Harlequin job almost works, but they didn’t follow through on it. Maybe if the next owner committed to the bit and used the correct colors in the correct pattern, it would look better. Bust out the Rust-Oleum and the foam brushes, and do it up right.
2002 Honda Civic EX – $1,100
Engine/drivetrain: 1.7-liter OHC inline 4, five-speed manual, FWD
Location: San Diego, CA
Odometer reading: 175,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives well
Honda Civics have been a staple of the cheap used car market for decades, and probably will be for decades more. They’re tough, reliable, and more fun to drive than you’d guess, especially when equipped with a manual transmission like this one is. Unfortunately, they’re also the darlings of the street-racer crowd, and too many of them end up modified beyond any semblance of usefulness. This one appears to have escaped a lot of that, but it does have an absurdly large aftermarket wing on the trunk lid.
It’s an EX model, so it has a little more power and a few more toys than lesser Civics. The engine is a single overhead cam D-series, displacing 1.7 liters and putting out 127 horsepower thanks to Honda’s VTEC variable valve timing setup. The seller doesn’t give us a lot of detail about its condition, saying only that it’s “good on gas” and that the clutch is “excellent.” That’s enough to get you started; as long as it’s largely stock under the hood, it should purr happily along for many more miles.
It’s surprisingly not bad inside. So many old Civics get absolutely trashed, but this one just shows a little wear. There’s some kind of weird seat cover on the driver’s seat back, and something stuck to the dash on the passenger’s side, but that’s it.
Outside, the paint is dull, and it looks like parts of it have been touched up with spray paint. It’s all blotchy and uneven. And then there’s that wing. I don’t understand it myself, but I guess some people go for that sort of thing. Take it off if you hate it as much as I do, and plug up the holes in the trunk lid with something. You might even be able to sell it to bring the purchase price down under a grand.
Neither of these cars has led an easy life, by the looks of it, but they’re both tough customers, and they should still have some life to give. They’re both cheap, and they’re both ugly. It’s just a matter of which one you’re willing to park in your driveway.
In this comparison, Harlequin tribute for the win. MkII golfs are sold and easy to work on. Civic is usually the safer answer, but the addition of the red Type R “H” badge and the manual tells me this thing has probably revved to the moon and back on more than one occasion. As someone who proudly drove beaters for years, clutch is “excellent” is used car speak for they may have toasted the old one trying to do burnouts.
Oh man, I love the original harlequin. I still remember it from the LA Auto Show display. I think there were four different patterns, depending on the color of the base car. (Look at the door sills.). I must have read it on one of the car sites a long time ago and I wonder if Jason wrote it. The one offered today looks way too tired and sketchy.
I may be of assistance, my pfp is the Harlequinn color schemes lol
https://cdn-fastly.thetruthaboutcars.com/media/2022/07/19/9338452/volkswagen-golf-harlequin-vw-s-strangest-idea.jpg?size=720×845&nocrop=1
There was a method to the madness.
Had the Honda not only fuel efficient but safe. Rolled it over and didn’t get a scratch and after my brother helped me pull it from the woods it started right up
The VW wins the “sketchiness” contest, so I’m going with the Honda. Yes, it’s more boring even with that ridiculous wing but it’ll almost certainly keep running without any significant issues for some time to come. The whole steering column thing just gets the Scooby sense going with the Golf.
I heard of Spidey sense but not Scooby sense. That Dane didn’t have a lick of sense
Scooby-Didn’t?
That vague intuitive feeling you need a snack
Getting rid of the steering lock so it never locks again isn’t that hard.
Probably the car got stolen once upon a time and the lock got buggered by a slide hammer.
I’d buy the VW if it were convenient; I already have a history with art cars.
Actually both of these are perfectly fine, I could do an artcar paintjob on the Honda too.
If the golf was a Diesel I’d be in but Honda all the way. Those 6th and 7th gen 2 doors were going for serious money not that long ago. It’s only slightly riced so no issues for me.
I’d go for the Golf. If I only have to make the paint look good one panel at a time, that’s right in my wheelhouse.
That abused VDub is an absolute basket case. Even though I prefer it, I had to vote Honda today.
I kinda love the pseudo Harlequin. Its ridiculous and possibly tasteless in all the right ways? Its great. If Mark is right, fixing the steering column lockup is as easy as taking off the ignition assembly and that steering lock inside it. Hammered Harlequin for the win.
The invisible Civic vs the very visible wish.com harlequin… I’d have taken the VW if it wasn’t for the whole “steering wheel may randomly stop steering” and the related ignition fuckery.
Civic all day.
Remove the wing, get the timing belt inspected / replaced and if you feel like you still have some $600 to spare you can drive 20 miles southbound for a cheap quality paintjob in TJ. You’ll end up with a nice car for many miles to come, all for under $2,500
Without seeing the engine of the Honda, I’ll assume it hasn’t been heavily and cheaply modded. So apart from the wing, maybe this vehicle hasn’t been flogged. The VW definitely has.
Locked Ng steering column scares me. Ain’t dealing with that. This is the only nly reason I’m taking the civic over the VW
The next idiot will pay $100 for that wing alone on Facebook Marketplace. Civic for me.
It’s not great, but the Civic could be made good.
Every photo of the civic shows the moonroof open. Shouldn’t be hard to find parts to fix that issue if it doesn’t close.
That, the idiotic rear wing and the sticker holding the glove box closed are three obvious red flags, in addition to the Type R badge that does not belong there and the rattle-can paint touch-ups. The owner probably spent more on strong bud than maintenance. This poor horse has been whipped, abused and neglected. Still, it’s in better shape than the VW, which has two mismatched wheels in the wrecking yard already.
Civic as a daily, Golf for the Gambler or Lemons Rally.
I’d go for that Honda Civic. The only thing it needs is for that stupid wing to be removed
If that VW Golf was a genuine Harlequin in decent condition, it would probably have swung my vote.
It’s no WRX, but I’ll take the Civic with the wing delete option.
Golf for the door chime alone.
I had a ’91 Jetta with the same door chime growing up, and later drove it while I was in grad school. That “doo-do-do-DOO doo-do-do-DOO!” chime makes me happy every time I hear it!
doo-doo-doo-dee, doo-doo-doo-dee!
Hate to tell you, but in ’86 it was just a buzzer, if I remember right.
Drat.
I spent time under the dash of a ’90 and can vouch for its presence then.
A wing can be removed. Civic all day long.
A manual Civic of that vintage and mileage was the second best $500 car I ever bought. Everything worked great, except it used a quart of oil every 500 miles. Acceptable for a beater. My son used it as his first car.
https://itisgood.org/auto-biography/#99Honda
The Golf looks sketchy as heck.
I am biased since I previously owned a 2002 Civic EX. It was a great car. It literally never broke down in the 16 years it was on the road. The only unscheduled maintenance it needed was a new battery after 9 years or so. My Civic was totaled by an idiot on a cellphone – otherwise I’m sure it would still be providing efficient, reliable, and fun transportation to someone today. While I doubt this particular 2002 Civic EX will be as perfect as my car, it seems like a great deal at $1100.
As for the Golf, I really wanted to like it but I can’t. VW Harlequins are some of the coolest cars ever made – even cheap rattle can tributes like this one are cool. But this thing is too rough and the ignition switch thing makes me nervous. I would pass on this car even at $850. This is a project car and not a beater.
I am guessing that the civic is for sale as a timing belt is due, the one I had was due every 90K and I think ours had 160: when I sold it, but it was an ’88
Either would be a good beater. I think the Honda is the better car.