Edmunds.com buys a Yugo

[ifcar]

Naturally, they started by taking it on a 900-mile road trip through the desert. It even makes it!

http://www.edmunds.com/car-reviews/features/1989-yugo-gvl-long-term-road-test-introduction.html

[Soup DeVille]

If i had a few extra thousand laying around, and if I already had three decent cars in the garage, i always thought itd be fun to have a Yugo, just for kicks.

[MX793]

Maybe a dozen years ago, I saw one in the local classifieds that was in running/driving condition for <$1000.  If I hadn't been a poor college student still living at home, I probably would have bought it just to say I'd owned one.

A guy I work with apparently owned one (while he was employed at Chrysler).  He actually speaks fairly highly of it.

[cawimmer430]

They bought this thing for $ 950?

RIP-OFF, anyone?

[Payman]

We never got the Yugo up here, but for some reason we got the Hyundai Pony (1984-88), Skoda Rapide (1985-87), and the entire Lada lineup. All were egregious shitboxes that never lived past their loan terms.

[Rich]

They bought it in Boise of all places, but there are some oddball cars there, for being in the middle of nowhere.

[2o6]

Lol, a running Yugo for $950.

[Payman]

Lol, a running Yugo for $950.

The only downside would be sourcing parts for it... something you'll be doing a lot.

[cawimmer430]

The only downside would be sourcing parts for it... something you'll be doing a lot.

No problem. Go to Eastern Europe, especially the Balkans - lots of running Yugos and spare parts there! 

[Raza]

No problem. Go to Eastern Europe, especially the Balkans - lots of running Yugos and spare parts there! 

Shipping would cost more than the car.

[cawimmer430]

Shipping would cost more than the car.

For the car enthusiast who buys a Yugo that shouldn't matter. 

[Soup DeVille]

Shipping would cost more than the car.

Lookin into it, it doesn't seem that bad at all. They might not have been the most reliable cars, but they were simple, and not many parts actually failed commonly on them.

Compared to what he parts situation would be for my dream car, an Alfa GTV6, or for some of the things Ive tracked down parts for for my dad, it looks like a piece of cake to keep running.

[cawimmer430]

Compared to what he parts situation would be for my dream car, an Alfa GTV6, or for some of the things Ive tracked down parts for for my dad, it looks like a piece of cake to keep running.

Apparently Italian car firms are notorious for their poor spare parts situation, especially in regards to older cars.

The chief editor of Auto Classic Magazine that I regularly work with has a Fiat Barchetta like the one pictured below. Recently there appeared an article in the magazine that mentioned that you can't get spare parts for this particular model from Fiat anymore - and the Barchetta is a car made from the mid-1990s to the early-2000s!!!

[Soup DeVille]

Apparently Italian car firms are notorious for their poor spare parts situation, especially in regards to older cars.

The chief editor of Auto Classic Magazine that I regularly work with has a Fiat Barchetta like the one pictured below. Recently there appeared an article in the magazine that mentioned that you can't get spare parts for this particular model from Fiat anymore - and the Barchetta is a car made from the mid-1990s to the early-2000s!!!

General practice is that the automaker supplies parts for ten years after the car is made; but that doesn't mean thy have to have the parts on hand for immediate delivery, or that they have to be made in sufficient numbers.

And if the automaker has no ready buyer for the spare parts stock at he end of the run, they might just scrap them.

[cawimmer430]

General practice is that the automaker supplies parts for ten years after the car is made; but that doesn't mean thy have to have the parts on hand for immediate delivery, or that they have to be made in sufficient numbers.

And if the automaker has no ready buyer for the spare parts stock at he end of the run, they might just scrap them.

The problem is that with the Barchetta (and other Fiats of the time) you won't be able to get any standard spare parts from Fiat. This includes wear and tear systems such as brakes, suspension parts etc. It's really mind-blowing when you think about it. You can literally get any spare part that you need for your German car - with the exception of Opel. Do you have a Mercedes' from the 1950s? Need a spare part? No problem, Mercedes has it for you. But Fiat can't deliver spare parts for a car whose production ended in 2005?

This article focused on virtually all Italian mainstream brands and a few exotics (Maserati mainly). The bottom line was that you can't expect help from Alfa Romeo, Autobianchi, Fiat, Lancia and Maserati in terms of spare parts. If you require spare parts you essentially need to join a club dedicated to your car. They can help with spare parts. I'd scan and post it here, but it's in German.

[Soup DeVille]

The problem is that with the Barchetta (and other Fiats of the time) you won't be able to get any standard spare parts from Fiat. This includes wear and tear systems such as brakes, suspension parts etc. It's really mind-blowing when you think about it. You can literally get any spare part that you need for your German car - with the exception of Opel. Do you have a Mercedes' from the 1950s? Need a spare part? No problem, Mercedes has it for you. But Fiat can't deliver spare parts for a car whose production ended in 2005?

This article focused on virtually all Italian mainstream brands and a few exotics (Maserati mainly). The bottom line was that you can't expect help from Alfa Romeo, Autobianchi, Fiat, Lancia and Maserati in terms of spare parts. If you require spare parts you essentially need to join a club dedicated to your car. They can help with spare parts. I'd scan and post it here, but it's in German.

Well, I might be able to read about half of it.

Anyways, lack of automaker support isn't a deal breaker; and in general i wouldn't buy new parts from the deer for an older car unless i had no other choice. Used and rebuilt/re manufactured parts, or even NOS parts can usually be found from other sources.

I understand the TUV might frown on such practices over there, but in the US we save such anal retentiveness for airplanes.

[shp4man]

There was a Jay Leno's Garage that confirmed the availability of old Mercedes parts. They AIN'T cheap, though.

[cawimmer430]

Well, I might be able to read about half of it.

Anyways, lack of automaker support isn't a deal breaker; and in general i wouldn't buy new parts from the deer for an older car unless i had no other choice. Used and rebuilt/re manufactured parts, or even NOS parts can usually be found from other sources.

I understand the TUV might frown on such practices over there, but in the US we save such anal retentiveness for airplanes.

I'll scan it ASAP. 

The TÜV "isn't that strict" if it allows crappy Chinese tires and automotive parts in Germany. 

[cawimmer430]

There was a Jay Leno's Garage that confirmed the availability of old Mercedes parts. They AIN'T cheap, though.

Yep, but they're ORIGINAL and will help keep the car working properly. They're expensive, but if I owned a classic Mercedes' I'd definitely want original parts in it.

[Soup DeVille]

Yep, but they're ORIGINAL and will help keep the car working properly. They're expensive, but if I owned a classic Mercedes' I'd definitely want original parts in it.

Reman and used parts are original too!

[MX793]

Reman and used parts are original too!

I'd argue more original than a brand new part built to the original specs.

[Soup DeVille]

I'd argue more original than a brand new part built to the original specs.

Except for rubber stuff; always try to find new parts ( and not NOS) for things like CV boots.

[280Z Turbo]

Except for rubber stuff; always try to find new parts ( and not NOS) for things like CV boots.

Unless you're a Corvette FOG. Then you buy dry rotted original tires for $3000.

[Soup DeVille]

Do they come with a free straw hat?

[JWC]

I used to have a customer who owned two Yugos. He loved them. They never broken down, but you did have to start one of them with a screwdriver. He conveniently provided the screwdriver.