Here's A Compelling Case For Owning A Beater
We’ve said before that owning a cheap, tatty car is awesome. But just in case you don’t yet agree, hopefully this brilliant video from Gears and Gasoline will nudge you into line with our way of thinking.
Obviously we love valuable performance cars, but performance cars are stressful. You worry about them getting stolen. You stress out about the chance of them getting dented in supermarket car parks. You commit vast sums to give them the best fuel and parts available. The idea of working on them is daunting too - what if you break something expensive?
As Gears and Gasoline explains using this dented Mazda Protege (known as the 323 in some markets), all of those problems fall away with a cheap ‘beater’ car. And who knows, you may end up loving it just as much as something much nicer…
Growing up on a diet of World Rally Championship highlights and lengthy Gran Turismo 2 sessions, a life in cars was as good as inevitable for Matt.
Comments
Ive owned a 500€ Civic for 5 years, with only 90 hp from a 1.4 liter engine, it was still one of the best cars I have ever owned. I sold it last year, and bought a Chrysler Sebring, and I must say that I regret selling it. I am actually considering buying another cheap Civic. The Chrysler is great and all, but I had to change the clutch after just 80 000 kilometers …
I was the same with a bright yellow Micra. I had that for four years. If I had a little extra cash spare I’d buy another one to act as a daily to offset the Mustang.
Same here! Bought my daily beater Civic for €300,- and thought it will last for one winter… this is now about 6,5 years ago and I really started to love the little one like my Volvo because it’s the most reliable car I’ve ever owned and quick enough for both, city and highway. Bought it with 201.000km, today it’s 341.657 and still runs as new :)
Beater + $$$ = sleeper
And sleepers are good
I think you’re defeating the whole point (not sure if it’s the right term) of a sleeper if you follow that formula.
Does anyone remember that ford focus beater video from a while ago?
The swagon
This is why i love my saab.. It owes me just under £500..its given me 300bhp of abuse for 25k and not one problem at all, minus the front tyres like going bald rather quick
I got a 400 dollar 1993 chevy s10 a couple months ago and its amazing. Espically living in the pacific northwest where theres as many gravel roads as paved ones, its a perfect beater
My problem is after driving a beater for a long time is that i’m going to start to love it and then try to restore it.
Exactly. I bougt a beater but after a few months I replaced the shocks on four corners. Handles way better now. I care about it even if it has scratches and rust
In my point of view the frist car of everyone should be a beater
I have a 1967 ford 20M.. But i still daily drive my crappy 1990 nissan sunny.
The nissan will fail the next MOT so i’m just going to scrap it and buy another beater for 100 euros or something.
It’s so satisfying to just not care about your beater. Drive it in the most crowded parking spot near the door and not care about scratches. Due to the gruesome imago of the nissan, many people are discouraged to park next to it. Because it looks like it was buried in the junkyard.
Imo, you should car about all of your cars, even if is cheap.
If you drive a car with a ton of scratches and dents, is your own public image.
People would judge you as being irresponsive and immature.
Even your boss, family or friends.
Nobody knows, or cares, that you have a 69420HP Evo 9 in the garage while you are driving the beater.
This is my personal opinion.