Car Details, Ick.

There's a lot I've been wanting to write about.  For now, here's the deal.  The car needs a new transmission.  That's about $4000 if I get a new one, about $3800 if I get a used one.  I asked my mechanic what he'd tell his sister.  He said, well, I have a couple of questions.  Have you had your timing belt done?  I said, I think so, check your records.  He found a timing belt gasket (all technical terms are approximate, and probably wrong) but they haven't done the belt.  I vaguely remember someone changing my timing belt, so it's possible I took it to the dealer for that.  But it's unlikely -- I try to avoid them.  Anyway, he said, that'll be another $700 or $800 if you need that.  And how about front end work?  There are a lot of ball joints on this car, and it doesn't like we've done anything with those. 

Okay.  Weren't we just here?  In hindsight, I did the wrong thing with my Honda.  I should have taken the insurance money and just gotten all the body work done on it, with a little of my own money out of pocket.  Instead I spent a lot more out of pocket to get a newer car (although still a used car).  And of course I got a ridiculous car, a finicky and expensive Passat, just because I love how it looks and feels.  It was such a dumb decision, although, to be fair to myself, I hadn't yet left my reasonably lucrative job.  Anyway, I bought a car that is extremely expensive to repair and maintain, and I stupidly fell helplessly in love with it. 

And now I have a repair that doesn't make sense to make.  I said to the mechanic, I bet you'd tell your sister to take that money and buy a Honda, wouldn't you?  He said, "How'd you guess?"  He sounded genuinely surprised.  I don't have a pile of extra cash to throw down on a new vehicle.  I'm thinking I am in the market for about a $5000 car.  I can spend something like that to get my current car back working  (I'd go with the used transmission, but reserve some for the ball joints and timing belt, if indeed the dealer hasn't replaced it).  Note that my current car is a 2000 Passat sedan with 95,000 miles.  It's not book value because the body has a spot from a day when someone was parked in my driveway and tried to squeeze around them into the garage and got it wrong.  So there's a dent over the wheel well and a little rust.  In other words, this isn't a pristine car.  And, of course, it has no transmission. 

Bleh.  I still need to buy a mast.  That's much more interesting than this.  And, unfortunately, suddenly much less pressing.

Comments

[bill]

You have an insurance check coming for the mast, right? and over $1800 from your tip jar. So take what money you have coming in and use it to get reliable, good-mileage wheels. Or can you borrow a car from someone for a while? And you have a loaner mast already from your dad - can you use it through this season?

[Kat]

Oh, I feel your pain...car shopping is stressful! (I was involved in a car accident recently and am now going through the same process)

Would leasing a vehical be a good option? Sometimes it works out to be more affordable and you have the advantage of a new car.

[Carol Anne]

For the amount that you'd spend on the new transmission, you can get an extremely undistinguished but reliable used car. Check the consumer magazines to find models with high reliability in your price range. (I notice, for instance, that the official book value of El Caballero is less than $2K now, and it's been a great car -- not that you'd be interested in something as old or shabby as a '96 Cavalier, even if it is the top-of-the-line four-door.)

As Kat mentioned, leasing might be an option, but if you run up a lot of miles or are hard on a car, you can get hit by a really nasty surcharge at the end of the lease. Also, while leasing lets you get a nicer, newer car, Pat and I tend to keep vehicles until they wear out -- we get a lot more efficient use of our money that way.

We've been hugely satisfied with the no-haggle used-car superstore that our credit union has ties with -- we've bought three vehicles there so far. The price is good, and the cars are nearly new and have been inspected so you shouldn't have surprises with reliability. (When we first saw Babe, the truck had only just come onto the lot and hadn't been detailed yet -- the back seat was full of Oreo crumbs and golden retriever hairs, so we knew it had been a family car, and the 7000 miles on it were probably not aggressively driven; records showed it had been a company-provided car for a Ford executive's family for a few months.)

If you can't afford the cars at the used-car superlots, look for a good private sale, and get a good inspection before you buy the car -- this is one occasion when it's worth paying a mechanic you trust some bucks to avoid having to pay way bigger bucks later. The woman who bought the truck that Babe replaced had a son who was a mechanic at a dealership, and he inspected and found a couple of problems, and we were glad to adjust the selling price to acommodate those problems in order to make the sale go through. Everybody ended up happy.

I might offer to sell you El Caballero, but Pat and I still really need the car. To us, it's worth more than $2K.

But somewhere out there, your perfect car is waiting for you. It's probably not flashy -- you're not flashy. It's probably something that gets the job done. I'm guessing a small wagon with room in back for Lila. Maybe all-wheel-drive since winter happens in Maine. Probably not anything as bulky as a minivan or as ostentatious as an SUV, except maybe a small one.

[Chipmunk]

http://www.autotrader.com/

http://www.cars.com/go/index.jsp

http://www.kbb.com/

http://www.nadaguides.com/home.aspx?l=1&w=28&p=0&f=5000

Good luck. Are you sure you can't swing a 5 year loan on a new car?

[Chipmunk]

http://www.autotrader.com/

http://www.cars.com/go/index.jsp

http://www.kbb.com/

http://www.nadaguides.com/home.aspx?l=1&w=28&p=0&f=5000

Good luck. Are you sure you can't swing a 5 year loan on a new car?

[Chipmunk]

http://www.autotrader.com/

http://www.cars.com/go/index.jsp

http://www.kbb.com/

http://www.nadaguides.com/home.aspx?l=1&w=28&p=0&f=5000

Good luck. Are you sure you can't swing a 5 year loan on a new car?

[chipmunk]

sorry about the multiple posts. Not sure how that happened.

[a]

Talk with some mechanics about what your best bed is up there for a used car. They probably know best (and will tell you more reliably than a salesman) which cars hold up and which fall apart. ALso, which parts are easiest to get when they're needed.

I lived in an area about a year ago that was a total suburu graveyard. Everyone drove old ones, parts were easy to come by, and everyone knew how to fix 'em if something went wrong. Gave me more confidence than I had any right having on my old '88 GL, or my buddy on the '86 wagon he drove around. So, yeah, knowing what works where you are will help.

[giniki]

Maybe you've already discussed this somewhere else, but have you thought about bartering for the mechanic's services or the other "handyman" work you need? You could offer your legal services in exchange for what you need - drawing up wills, reviewing contracts. I know this would take up some of your time, but if money is short, it might be worth it.

[giniki]

Maybe you've already discussed this somewhere else, but have you thought about bartering for the mechanic's services or the other "handyman" work you need? You could offer your legal services in exchange for what you need - drawing up wills, reviewing contracts. I know this would take up some of your time, but if money is short, it might be worth it.

[giniki]

Maybe you've already discussed this somewhere else, but have you thought about bartering for the mechanic's services or the other "handyman" work you need? You could offer your legal services in exchange for what you need - drawing up wills, reviewing contracts. I know this would take up some of your time, but if money is short, it might be worth it.

[giniki]

Sorry, must be a multiple post gremlin about.

There is a used honda wagon at Michal's motors. 892-0009.
I have had very good luck with them.

[Slice]

As the unofficial spokesperson for the Honda family, we will welcome the prodigal Passat owner back with open arms.

[Anthony Citrano]

Get a used, well-cared-for Toyota, Honda or Nissan that fits your budget.

[AdriftAtSea]

I would be hesitant to invest $4000 into a car that probably has a blue book value of not much more than that. I would look to getting a good, reliable used car instead of putting money into one that is likely to break down again soon. Given the cost of ball joint replacements, and it sounds like your car is about due for them, fixing the Passat is probably not wise.

But then again, wisdom isn't always the right way to go. I have put money in to my 1999 Explorer, but it was the truck that took Gee cross country, and that trip was a big part of the reason we got engaged.

[Matteo]

My friend Vic is selling his fairly new Saturn, 4 door, automatic, for $2500, it just needs a brake job. He is buying a brand new BMW so he is selling it for about half its Kelly blue book.

[two girls in a cup]

2girls1finger
two girls in a cup

[two girls in a cup]

2girls1finger
two girls in a cup

[The Motoring]

Lot of useful points are there. Its really keeps me updated.
http://themotoring.com