Farewell to my car, and Gencon question revisited.

[hwango]

I took my car in for some repair work today, and they reviewed what else is wrong with it...and it's not worth doing the work they had planned to do. I might need a new transmission ($1800). I might need a new catalytic converter ($400). I definitely need $600 of ball joints, sensors, and other junk. The car is probably worth less than $2000, though, so it makes more sense to bid farewell to the Engine of Doom and get another car.

This puts new emphasis on the whole Gencon or Not question. Do I not go because it's several hundred dollars that I should save for a car, or do I scramble like a crazy person to assemble a porfolio of doom and head to Gencon because more than ever I need to get going on this Artist as a Career thing, and this is a useful step?

Also, this means I'm once again open to suggestions for a good, reliable car to replace my dying lump of garbage.

Comments

Re: All a matter of perception

[hwango.livejournal.com]

Hmm...you present a compelling argument. = )

[octophobic.livejournal.com]

One of lconover's co-workers is selling a Volkswagen Golf. '97 with ONLY 47,000 miles on it. That's pretty nice. Anyway I know you're not rolling in the money but it's $3-4,000.

It is a standard not an automatic. It's very easy to learn though and I'd be happy to give you lessons. :)

[tankhangen.livejournal.com]

My 2 cents, I would advise against the VW, or any used VW for that matter. You may get one and it might be fine, but more then likely it will have problems, expensive problems. I am basing this on my own experience with thousands of used cars, and my brother in law always advising against the used VW for anyone looking for a car. He is a mechanic with 20+ years experience. Not to sure what to recommend, the only advise I can really offer is no matter what, even if it means letting a car get sold to someone else, take the potential car to a good garage and have them check it out. I have shopped in the $2000.00 or less market a lot, and the bad news is it really hit or miss when you are looking at cars that old.

[krzzl.livejournal.com]

Obviously, I can totally sympathize with the car woes. I can help you start researching this weekend if you want.

I had a copy of the Intellichoice guide from the library when I bought my car, which is really good in terms of comparing models and includes an estimate of total cost of ownership. There's also a ton of stuff on intellichoice.com. I also had a subscription to the online consumer reports for the month or two that I was looking, and I think that's where I got the high-theft list info. (though my car has moved up since I got it)

[tankhangen.livejournal.com]

I don't know what I was thinking before. I will just win the lottery and buy you a car! Sometimes I can be so dumb, I don't know why I didn't think of this sooner.

[hwango.livejournal.com]

I fully support this plan. Win big.

[incarnadine.livejournal.com]

As far as reliable models of cars go, I have to suggest Honda.
I've put over 100,000 miles on my car over the past 5 years,
and the only time it's been in the shop is when I put it in
for body work or preventative maintenance.

VWs are in many ways good cars, but getting work done on
them is often very expensive.

When it comes to buying cars, I've found that you can get
the best deals from private individuals, but you MUST have
a good mechanic either with you when you look or to check
the car out before you buy. Used cars from established
dealerships or often a safer bet, but it's harder to find
a real bargain.

Good luck!

[fenris-lorsrai.livejournal.com]

Standard transmission cars tend to run a bit cheaper than automatic because there's fewer people that can drive them, thus less market. If you can drive standard, or are willing to learn, you can probably get more car for your money.

As to models, we've got two used Saturns at the moment. Mine's a 95 Saturn SL2 standard with 120,000 miles. I bought it three years ago and have had nothing beyond normal maintance done on it. I did have to have two tires and the brake pads replaced since I bought it, but that's pretty well in the maintance category.

Mom's got a later model automatic Saturn sedan, a 2002 sedan with around 35,000 miles. No problems with it.

My father has a miserable piece of crap light truck, a Chevy 150. Standard. Not sure of the year or total milage, but its high. I do no its newer than my car and has less miles. Piece of CRAP. Has needed lots of repairs, the tailgate is falling off, the parking brake is broken, rusty, the horn doesn't work, the clutch is incredibly stiff no matter what you do and the horsepower SUCKS. Dad's considering replacing it soon.

The Chevy and Mom's Saturn replaced two Ford Taurus' from 1995. They both ran for 150,000 miles with no repairs. One word of caution, check the sticker on the car that says what plant it was assembled in. You want one built at the Atlanta ford plant. All the other plants building Taurus' turn out crappy models that need lots of repairs.

[krzzl.livejournal.com]

Heh heh. My 2002 SL2 is the one that just had the accident. My journal is friends-only, but here's the pics (http://users.wpi.edu/~sarahw/car.html). I liked it before it got crumpled otherwise. I got it brand new and have just under 30K on it. :(

[hwango.livejournal.com]

Somehow, I'm betting that my decaying Taurus must have been built at one of the other plants, then. Bad luck for me.

[fenris-lorsrai.livejournal.com]

Owchie. The hood looks pretty crunched. Hopefully it didn't end up totalled.

[krzzl.livejournal.com]

Well, I got the visual damage esimate, but they couldn't open the hood, so I have to get it re-appraised after it goes to the body shop to get cracked open.

[krzzl.livejournal.com]

I was thinking the same thing when I first read the previous comment...