fix it or junk it?

[myette10]

as previously discussed (http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?postid=341537#poststop) , I tend to buy cheaper cars. Here's the situation I'm facing.

-I bought a '95 corolla wagon 4 mths ago for $2400 w/135k (greatest car ever made atmo... this is my second and the first is at 200k w/no problems)
-put $300 in brakes in it right away
-the timing belt shredded this past friday
-towed it to the closest shop AAA would go to... a toyota dealer
-the car needs $1000 of work (timing belt, h2o pump, some gaskets and a tensioner of some sort... all enginge stuff)
-no trade in value at dealer

options:
-walk away from it
-fix it and drive it till it dies
-fix it, sell it and buy another cheapo <$3500
-fix it, sell it and buy something more expensive (I'm thinking an xb, xd, fit or yaris... I don't need or want anything larger or nicer)

what do you all think?

thanks in advance!

[Ken Robb]

as I read it you get a car that should be good for many happy miles for $1,000 in repairs or walk away from it with nothing and buy another pig-in-a-poke for $2400-$3500. Why are you even thinking about not fixing the one you own. Heck in CA. it costs 7.5-8% sales/use tax plus about 2% of the price for registration on top of the price of any vehicle new or used.

[big shanty]

An additional $1000 is peanuts if you think you might be able to milk an upwards of 65,000 miles out of it before it dies. Go for it!

[coylifut]

i've been in your situation and have done both. i say fix it and then sell it. use the other wagon as your going to the cx races car and buy your wife a new car so she has completely safe and reliable transportation to cart your kids around in.

My wife had a beater car that failed on her once and she had to walk a few miles in the rain to find cell coverage. She was 8 1/2 months pregnant. I bought her a new car the next day. My mother skewered my something fierce. Luckily my mother-in-law lived an ocean away.

[William]

Unless you trust your mechanic, maybe get a second opinion. Coy makes a good case for your S.O. if that applies.

If it's a fix that will get you many more miles out of it...go for it.

That's what I would do with a Toyota I wanted to hang on to...

William ;)

[myette10]

fwiw - my dad said to fix it & drive it.

[Kevan]

I'm buying my wife a '96 Jetta GLS beater too, for 25 hundred, looking a lot like this (It's for around town and postpones payments for a couple years, I hope!):

http://www.carparts4sale.com/php/uploads/061695GLS.jpg

Good thing is the current owner is a mechanic and I had my mechanic kick the tires too.

[coylifut]

fwiw - my dad said to fix it & drive it.

it's worth a ton. i wish i would have taken a lot more of my dad's advice over the years.

[Fixed]

as previously discussed (http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?postid=341537#poststop) , I tend to buy cheaper cars. Here's the situation I'm facing.

-I bought a '95 corolla wagon 4 mths ago for $2400 w/135k (greatest car ever made atmo... this is my second and the first is at 200k w/no problems)
-put $300 in brakes in it right away
-the timing belt shredded this past friday
-towed it to the closest shop AAA would go to... a toyota dealer
-the car needs $1000 of work (timing belt, h2o pump, some gaskets and a tensioner of some sort... all enginge stuff)
-no trade in value at dealer

options:
-walk away from it
-fix it and drive it till it dies
-fix it, sell it and buy another cheapo <$3500
-fix it, sell it and buy something more expensive (I'm thinking an xb, xd, fit or yaris... I don't need or want anything larger or nicer)

what do you all think?

thanks in advance!
bro i know nothing about cars but only fix what is broken . car lots are worse than crooks they give you a list a mile long to jack up the bill tell them you got no money and get it to where you can drive it to work and you'll be back to do the rest latter .
imho cheers

[cmg]

A timing belt is only $20, labor is under a 65 dollars. The kit including tensioner is $65. the belt is the only thing broken with it. Spin the tensioner in your hand, it has sealed bearings, if it's rough replace. Shouldn't need replacing until the 2nd timing belt. Was the car driving hot? if not, just replace the thermostat. you can do that yourself, i'm doing it to my corolla this afternoon. Was it leaking oil onto the timing belt? if not don't replace gaskets. You should to able to be back on the road with just replacing the timing belt. these things are dependable, everything else is probably an attempt to remove more dollars from you. just fix the timing belt.

[myette10]

A timing belt is only $20, labor is under a 65 dollars. The kit including tensioner is $65. the belt is the only thing broken with it. Spin the tensioner in your hand, it has sealed bearings, if it's rough replace. Shouldn't need replacing until the 2nd timing belt. Was the car driving hot? if not, just replace the thermostat. you can do that yourself, i'm doing it to my corolla this afternoon. Was it leaking oil onto the timing belt? if not don't replace gaskets. You should to able to be back on the road with just replacing the timing belt. these things are dependable, everything else is probably an attempt to remove more dollars from you. just fix the timing belt.

this is the second belt, and i've been told preciesly that the tensioner is seized. ditto on the gaskets leaking into the belt... i've been told that they are doing just that and need replacement. the h2o pump is a quasi preventative thing, it has been whining so they are going to fix it when they are in there.

if you were close cmg i'd buy the pizza and beer and have you look at it, but the car is at this dealer and i've got no way to get it out of there unless i break out the card. hell, they could have told me that there were tiny elephants living in the oil pan... how would i know or be able to dispute it?

[cmg]

i'd be weary of anything told to me from a dealership mechanic especially something thats out of warranty. they tend to either push to a new car purchase or try to take the car back to original spec. get a list of the repairs and shop it around. replacing a valve cover gasket is easy/cheap, replacing the gasket/assemblies behind the timing belt is expensive, which is where i expect the majority of the costs are.

[gdw]

If so, you have excellent taste in 4 wheel drives. FJ60's are classic support vehicles for mtb trips out here in the Rockies. A little underpowered but indestructable.

[William]

If so, you have excellent taste in 4 wheel drives. FJ60's are classic support vehicles for mtb trips out here in the Rockies. A little underpowered but indestructable.

If all goes as planned, it will be in my grubby hands in about two weeks. I've been wanting to get one ever since selling my FJ40 before we left Oregon.

William

[steelrider]

Nice Cruiser! With a stick to boot. In regards to the wagon, get a second opinion from an independent garage and get her fixed.

[Tobias]

-no trade in value at dealer

options:
-walk away from it
-fix it and drive it till it dies
-fix it, sell it and buy another cheapo <$3500
-fix it, sell it and buy something more expensive (I'm thinking an xb, xd, fit or yaris... I don't need or want anything larger or nicer)

what do you all think?

thanks in advance!
If it has no trade-in value, all your previous costs are sunk -- should not be an issue.
And if you were willing to pay $3,500 for it a few months ago, why not $1,000 now?
I'd fix it with the understanding that anything short of a new car is a risk.
It could break down the next day, but the same can be said about any used car.
For me it would be less of a risk since the dealer should guarantee the $1,000 repair.
I'd just make sure I had the $1,000 estimate in writing.
Good luck.

[cmg]

this is the second belt, and i've been told preciesly that the tensioner is seized. ditto on the gaskets leaking into the belt... i've been told that they are doing just that and need replacement. the h2o pump is a quasi preventative thing, it has been whining so they are going to fix it when they are in there.

if you were close cmg i'd buy the pizza and beer and have you look at it, but the car is at this dealer and i've got no way to get it out of there unless i break out the card. hell, they could have told me that there were tiny elephants living in the oil pan... how would i know or be able to dispute it?

Usually whining could also and more likely be the alternator (bearings).

[myette10]

& it runs great (it had better, eh?). Thanks for all your opinions.

The plan going forward to intorduce some vehicle stability into our household (can't have the wifey-poo and kids stuck on the side of the road, can we):

Sell the other wagon (200k one... sniff sniff) and a 4runner (third, largely unused vehicle) we have and get a $7-$8k corolla/camry in the 50-60k mile range for the wife. I'll ride the recently fixed wagon till it dies, then go for another $7-$8k corolla/camry, slide that to the wife and adopt the older one for myself.

I'm sick about spending the money I just did on the car, but it is cheaper than a new one at this point and somehow things will all turn out alright. The healing process starts tonight when I head up to worcester for a very special evening.... more to come!

[William]

& it runs great (it had better, eh?). Thanks for all your opinions.

The plan going forward to intorduce some vehicle stability into our household (can't have the wifey-poo and kids stuck on the side of the road, can we):

Sell the other wagon (200k one... sniff sniff) and a 4runner (third, largely unused vehicle) we have and get a $7-$8k corolla/camry in the 50-60k mile range for the wife. I'll ride the recently fixed wagon till it dies, then go for another $7-$8k corolla/camry, slide that to the wife and adopt the older one for myself.

I'm sick about spending the money I just did on the car, but it is cheaper than a new one at this point and somehow things will all turn out alright. The healing process starts tonight when I head up to worcester for a very special evening.... more to come!

It sucks, but it makes sense. You may not have to fix anything for a year or so now. Vs payments on a new car ranging from $300 to $500 a month? Makes sense to me as long as you don't feel a need to keep up with the Jonses.

Hmmm, Wooster? I have an idea.... ;) :cool:


William

[rwsaunders]

Fix it, as long as it's safe to drive. You'll always be head of the game and in a position to buy another bike.

I thought that William was still living in and driving his school bus?

[William]

Fix it, as long as it's safe to drive. You'll always be head of the game and in a position to buy another bike.

I thought that William was still living in and driving his school bus?


I did, but the kids are getting bigger now and we've out grown it. We're getting one of these now. Except ours will have the four bedroom option built on the back.

http://prometheus.med.utah.edu/~bwjones/C1276349108/E266581637/Media/Caterpillar%20mining%20truck.jpg




William ;)