College Vehicle

[MiNi Beast]

You don't go to college to go back home again. 

[gogmorgo]

Thinking from an economy standpoint, fuel savings are a thing, but not so significant unless you’re doing a bunch of miles. I just drove the above little turd about 250km into the city, normally I’d take the ZJ but the weather was nice and I didn’t need to maybe sleep in the car this time, and it uses slightly less than half the fuel as the ZJ. On a roughly 650mile drive and $3/gal gas I might save $50 fuel. $100 in savings every time you go home, depending on the cost of fuel. That’s a lot when you look at it that way, but compared to the costs of purchasing, insuring, and maintaning a third vehicle? It’s less of a concern if two vehicles are sitting at home uninsured and not moving, but then you’re contending with the vehicles you care about sitting.

If you’re not using a vehicle, does it make a difference if it’s sitting at home or at school? My experience on a college campus wasn’t one of vandalism or parking damage. The few vehicles I knew of that were broken into had been street parked instead of in the dorm parking lots. In terms of people hitting cars? It never happened to my MJ, or anyone else I knew. If you parked at the back of the lot like I did instead of right next to the doors, it wasn’t a concern, and there were quite a few students who only used their cars to get between home and campus, and just bussed or walked everywhere while at school and who left their cars at the back of the dorm lots.

The day-use lots on campus were maybe a different story, but I had no issues there either when I was living off-campus and commuting, even leaving the truck parked there until well after midnight on occasion. The few places things did occasionally happen were like, outside the campus pub (like any bar) and directly between the football stadium and the dorms, but it was still pretty rare to ever see anything happen. Any college campus I’ve been on has had a very present security force, and everything is patrolled very regularly around the clock. They know the trouble spots, and it’s tough to get away with anything suspicious-looking. The administration wants everyone on campus to be comfortable and feel safe so it’s usually a pretty big deal.

[DIRT_NASTYY_]

Get a basic and reliable commuter sooner than later, its so handy to have even as just a back up!

 

I spent my Highschool and College years refusing to get a reliable daily, only driving project Jeeps and trucks. The cool factor was fun, but constantly having to put what little money and time I had into my vehicles got old. 

 

After college my XJ and prerunner had engine failures so I picked up a "temporary" 1996 Oldsmobile 88LS because I needed something for work, and ended up driving that beast for years while I got to build my Comanche stress free and saved for my current daily (2016 GTI). The only reason I got rid of that Olds was because were living in a town home and had 5 cars at one point and the parking was a nightmare. 

[Manche757]

On 9/5/2021 at 8:20 PM, 89 MJ said:

This is only a plan for the first year when I will be staying in the dorms. 

 

Having been on both sides of the educational process, as undergraduate, graduate and professor, my comments might be different.  Stay on campus for the first two years.  Some of your most memorable times will be the crazy schit you did in the dorm with new friends.  You will learn a lot about yourself and others.

The car or truck?  What is the family budget?  If everyone has a BMW at the school you have chosen, then why not?  But who wants to go to school like that.  I had a 2 door sedan with a  back seat and enjoyed having buddies pile in for an afternoon at some beer party on the side of a mountain or an overnight trip to ski or visit females at another college.  Get a car you can have fun in with friends. One that is not so nice you get upset when rowdy souls spill something.  With luck, you will make friends that you will keep for the rest of your life.

[89 MJ]

15 hours ago, Manche757 said:

Having been on both sides of the educational process, as undergraduate, graduate and professor, my comments might be different.  Stay on campus for the first two years.  Some of your most memorable times will be the crazy schit you did in the dorm with new friends.  You will learn a lot about yourself and others.

The car or truck?  What is the family budget?  If everyone has a BMW at the school you have chosen, then why not?  But who wants to go to school like that.  I had a 2 door sedan with a  back seat and enjoyed having buddies pile in for an afternoon at some beer party on the side of a mountain or an overnight trip to ski or visit females at another college.  Get a car you can have fun in with friends. One that is not so nice you get upset when rowdy souls spill something.  With luck, you will make friends that you will keep for the rest of your life.

I will be staying on campus, but I will likely be working off campus. The family doesn’t have a budget for me to buy vehicles. My budget for buying vehicles is going to depend on how much money I get worth of grand and scholarships. 
 

 

16 hours ago, DIRT_NASTYY_ said:

Get a basic and reliable commuter sooner than later, its so handy to have even as just a back up!

 

I spent my Highschool and College years refusing to get a reliable daily, only driving project Jeeps and trucks. The cool factor was fun, but constantly having to put what little money and time I had into my vehicles got old. 

 

After college my XJ and prerunner had engine failures so I picked up a "temporary" 1996 Oldsmobile 88LS because I needed something for work, and ended up driving that beast for years while I got to build my Comanche stress free and saved for my current daily (2016 GTI). The only reason I got rid of that Olds was because were living in a town home and had 5 cars at one point and the parking was a nightmare. 

My issue is finding something that is actually reliable though. I’m not going to buy a vehicle where I am now, so I’m not going to have a way to make sure that it is reliable. There are plenty of cars that are reliable on paper, but that doesn’t mean that each example is reliable. 
 

 

17 hours ago, gogmorgo said:

Thinking from an economy standpoint, fuel savings are a thing, but not so significant unless you’re doing a bunch of miles. I just drove the above little turd about 250km into the city, normally I’d take the ZJ but the weather was nice and I didn’t need to maybe sleep in the car this time, and it uses slightly less than half the fuel as the ZJ. On a roughly 650mile drive and $3/gal gas I might save $50 fuel. $100 in savings every time you go home, depending on the cost of fuel. That’s a lot when you look at it that way, but compared to the costs of purchasing, insuring, and maintaning a third vehicle? It’s less of a concern if two vehicles are sitting at home uninsured and not moving, but then you’re contending with the vehicles you care about sitting.

If you’re not using a vehicle, does it make a difference if it’s sitting at home or at school? My experience on a college campus wasn’t one of vandalism or parking damage. The few vehicles I knew of that were broken into had been street parked instead of in the dorm parking lots. In terms of people hitting cars? It never happened to my MJ, or anyone else I knew. If you parked at the back of the lot like I did instead of right next to the doors, it wasn’t a concern, and there were quite a few students who only used their cars to get between home and campus, and just bussed or walked everywhere while at school and who left their cars at the back of the dorm lots.

The day-use lots on campus were maybe a different story, but I had no issues there either when I was living off-campus and commuting, even leaving the truck parked there until well after midnight on occasion. The few places things did occasionally happen were like, outside the campus pub (like any bar) and directly between the football stadium and the dorms, but it was still pretty rare to ever see anything happen. Any college campus I’ve been on has had a very present security force, and everything is patrolled very regularly around the clock. They know the trouble spots, and it’s tough to get away with anything suspicious-looking. The administration wants everyone on campus to be comfortable and feel safe so it’s usually a pretty big deal.

Fuel savings aren’t really a huge concern, for the exact reasoning that you are talking about. Good thinking on the security. 

[dasbulliwagen]

I did just over a year at a technical college in Nashville back in '91-92. Even at a tiny tech college I had vehicle issues. One guy said he saw a bug on the door of my carm and kicked it, caving in the door. That and I couldnt afford a reliable car so I just drove old VW Beetles which required constant upkeep. Later on I worked maintinance at a small private college in Michigan. I eventually moved into an apartment owned by the college just off campus, and even then I still had issues with stupid people and my cars. My Hyundai Accent got walked over, leaving dents in the hood and roof, and a footprint on my windsheild. I got luck with my Grand Wagoneer. Out of a line of 6 cars along a drive at the apartments, mine was the only one to NOT get its tires slashed, I think because I was nice to the guy who did it at some point in the past. 

 

I agree with finding a cheap beater after you get there. don't modify it in any way, just keep it stock, and if something happens, its no big deal. Like you said, you don't have to deal with rust in Nashville, so thats a plus for Longevity. Good luck.

[scguy]

Cheap beater, as long as it runs and drives after you're done, it'll be worth within spitting distance. Wrenching is only fun when you want to do it, not when you have to. Protect the MJ and Eagle at all costs. 

[Manche757]

On 9/9/2021 at 7:30 AM, 89 MJ said:

 My budget for buying vehicles is going to depend on how much money I get worth of grand and scholarships. 

Familiarize yourself with the FAF form and process. Don't overstate your family income because that will work against you. Most grants and scholarships are based on financial need and academic performance but some target groups you might not be aware of. Have you thought about majors? With the smarts and focus you exhibit here, you will do as well as you decide to.

[89 MJ]

14 hours ago, Manche757 said:

Familiarize yourself with the FAF form and process. Don't overstate your family income because that will work against you. Most grants and scholarships are based on financial need and academic performance but some target groups you might not be aware of. Have you thought about majors? With the smarts and focus you exhibit here, you will do as well as you decide to.

Good thinking again. I’ll have to do some more looking. 

[75sv1]

On 9/6/2021 at 7:04 PM, Pete M said:

you can haul all your stuff (out of the weather), all your friends, sleep in it comfortably if needed, and still get 25mpg on the highway.   

One of my nephews was given 'Mom's" mini van for college. Yeah, bummer. A Honda though. He was real popular as the designated driver. Haul a lot of buddys to bars and such. The next nephew got a Volvo sedan. Was real bummed that it wasn't a Seinna mini van.

[Comanchejess]

On 9/5/2021 at 7:20 PM, 89 MJ said:

I am looking at going to college several hours from my home. (I’m actually looking at schools in TN). I would be about 11 hours from home and that brought up the vehicle topic. I don’t want to bring the Comanche that far because I probably won’t have a place indoors to park it. I am skeptical of bringing the Eagle because I don’t know how reliable it will or won’t be by that time (less than 1 year) and 11 hours is a long way to drive without overdrive, but it would be fine. If I bought a vehicle when I got down there though, there is no telling how reliable that would be either though. 
What are your thoughts? Would you bring the Eagle or buy something down there?

This is only a plan for the first year when I will be staying in the dorms. Years 2-4 I would hope to buy a house to live in with a garage and I could bring the MJ down and have the Eagle down. 
 

Edit: I would also bring a bicycle that would likely be a primary source of around town transportation. 
 

Another edit: If I got something else, it would probably be a 2003-2007 GM pickup/Suburban/Tahoe because that is the only late model vehicle that I know enough about that I would buy in addition to the Eagle and MJ. Another vehicle I would consider would be a 2015+ Colorado because they seem like a fairly reliable vehicle so far, but the MJ would probably have to go away to get one of those. 

I don't know if you've made a decision yet, but I've had a lot of success with Toyotas. Camreys and corollas are fuel efficient and inexpensive, and also very reliable, and if you're looking for a truck, the 22RE Tacomas are also stupid reliable and fuel efficient (for trucks). 

[Comanchejess]

On 9/8/2021 at 3:21 PM, Manche757 said:

Having been on both sides of the educational process, as undergraduate, graduate and professor, my comments might be different.  Stay on campus for the first two years.  Some of your most memorable times will be the crazy schit you did in the dorm with new friends.  You will learn a lot about yourself and others.

The car or truck?  What is the family budget?  If everyone has a BMW at the school you have chosen, then why not?  But who wants to go to school like that.  I had a 2 door sedan with a  back seat and enjoyed having buddies pile in for an afternoon at some beer party on the side of a mountain or an overnight trip to ski or visit females at another college.  Get a car you can have fun in with friends. One that is not so nice you get upset when rowdy souls spill something.  With luck, you will make friends that you will keep for the rest of your life.

When I was in college myself and six of my friends folded ourselves into a 1960 Nash Metropolitan that my (college and current) roommate owns.

[scguy]

Something to keep in mind, often, cars that tend to be driven by older people can have cheaper insurance rates. An Avalon vs a Corolla for example. Roomier, probably better maintained, still respectable MPGs. 

[Manche757]

On 9/18/2021 at 7:02 AM, Comanchejess said:

When I was in college myself and six of my friends folded ourselves into a 1960 Nash Metropolitan that my (college and current) roommate owns.

61 year old two seater.  How long ago was that?

[89 MJ]

On 9/18/2021 at 7:39 AM, scguy said:

Something to keep in mind, often, cars that tend to be driven by older people can have cheaper insurance rates. An Avalon vs a Corolla for example. Roomier, probably better maintained, still respectable MPGs. 

I have considered that too. Thank you. 

[75sv1]

On 9/18/2021 at 7:02 AM, Comanchejess said:

When I was in college myself and six of my friends folded ourselves into a 1960 Nash Metropolitan that my (college and current) roommate owns.

Mine was a 78 Gremlin. Maybe 4 people. Then again, I had to go up Raton pass. Back in the day of 55 mph, I had to hit the bottom at 75 mph. I had the pedal to the metal, and if something slowed me down, then it would be 25-35 mph the rest of the way up. 

[gogmorgo]

I once drove with six adult-sized people in the cab of my bucket-seat floor-shift MJ. I won’t pretend it was an intelligent idea, or particularly comfortable, and we didn’t go very far, but it did happen.

[89 MJ]

Some of you have some wild college stories. I don’t know if I want to hear the ones without the vehicles involved.  

[gogmorgo]

3 hours ago, 89 MJ said:

Some of you have some wild college stories. I don’t know if I want to hear the ones without the vehicles involved.  

The year our local CFL team won the Grey Cup, after the celebration in the student lounge a few of us climbed up onto the roof of one of the more prominent buildings on campus and ran the team flag up the flagpole. Except we didn’t hang it from the rope, one of the smaller guys shimmied up the pole and zip-tied it onto the pole itself just below the Canada flag. This was the end of November, and it was still up there when classes ended in April.

Again, not something I can recommend doing. 

[FrankTheDog]

10 hours ago, gogmorgo said:

I once drove with six adult-sized people in the cab of my bucket-seat floor-shift MJ. I won’t pretend it was an intelligent idea, or particularly comfortable, and we didn’t go very far, but it did happen.

We had 6 in the front of a 1980 Dodge W100. 3 bucket seats with a truck four speed. 3 guys were driving, the owner ran the clutch and brake while being jammed against the drivers door, next guy over ran the steering wheel and throttle and the third guy shifted while having another guy sitting on top of him. It was a group effort. I was the fourth guy on the bottom and I had 1-1/2 guys piled on top of me.

 

We went to the night club with two vehicles, the other driver got pissed off for some reason and took off leaving his passengers with no ride. 
It was close to 0 degrees F so there was no way for any of us to ride in the back. We laughed all the way back to our buddies house where are cars were. 15 miles or so.

[Manche757]

On 9/21/2021 at 12:19 AM, FrankTheDog said:

 I was the fourth guy on the bottom and I had 1-1/2 guys piled on top of me..

1/2 guy?  That must have been some bar fight, Frank.  I hope he recovered.

[gogmorgo]

I don't really know what the situation was on the other side of the truck, couldn't see that direction at all, but I was doing all the driving, steering with my left hand, pedals with my right foot. There was a smaller guy sitting on the trans tunnel with his feet in the passenger footwell, and a girl sitting somewhat on him but mostly on my right thigh with her legs between mine who was harder than hell to see around.

[FrankTheDog]

22 hours ago, Manche757 said:

1/2 guy?  That must have been some bar fight, Frank.  I hope he recovered.

The three driving needed enough room and the guy sitting next to me was shifting so the two guys on top of us were crammed over to my side.