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We are never going back to the days of carbs, mech fuel pumps run off the cam, and standing in the engine bay while working on the car's engine. But what can I buy new or slightly used that isn't a death trap, and can most likely be repaired at home with a decent set of hand tools and a jack if something goes wrong? No removing the front end bodywork to get to a windshield washer pump (Subaru), no jacking the engine off its mounts to get to an alternator (Mazda), no disassembling the engine bay to replace a sensor (VW). And for f**k's sake, no turbo or hybrid anything (Ford).

We are never going back to the days of carbs, mech fuel pumps run off the cam, and standing in the engine bay while working on the car's engine. But what can I buy new or slightly used that isn't a death trap, and can most likely be repaired at home with a decent set of hand tools and a jack if something goes wrong? No removing the front end bodywork to get to a windshield washer pump (Subaru), no jacking the engine off its mounts to get to an alternator (Mazda), no disassembling the engine bay to replace a sensor (VW). And for f**k's sake, no turbo or hybrid anything (Ford).

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I purchased a 1998 VW TDI diesel new. It has an ECU but will run without it using a mechanical fuel pump and will run on piss if you drink enough whiskey the night before. 50 mpg and seriously, it will run on canola oil.