I've Made My Decision, but What Would You Do?

I have a 1994 Chevrolet Cavalier. It was towed for repairs yesterday and the dealer told me that it has a blown gasket, needs a new radiator, something about a valve cover and intake, flush, and then I stopped writing. It will cost me $1,147.00 to have it repaired.

I was planning to buy a small truck in October. However, I've decided to buy my truck now because I don't think it's feasible to pay so much money to repair my old girl.

What would you do?


Veronica

If I were for sure getting a new vehicle in four months anyway then I would go ahead and do it now.
But if the car is in decent shape aside from the repairs and you think you could get another few years out of it then it may be worth keeping.
My work truck is a 1990 Toypta pick-up with only 80,000 miles on it- and I full intend to get another 10 years out of it. It I would repair.

Depends on whether you are looking for an excuse to buy a new car now or think the old one is worth keeping. Sorry- it's the knid of decision only you can make!

right now i am in the same boat but i still owe on mine. blowing it up sounds good. hehe

seriously. i guess its your desicion and whats right for you.

i am still thinking on this and its a hard desicion to make but if it keeps acting up i will trade it in and get something more reliable to drive.

LOL imzadi.


Cearbhaill:
As I mentioned in my original post, I've already made my decision. The car is old and has broken down numerous times so I don't need to look for an excuse to buy a new car. I'm getting a new vehicle, just a bit earlier than I had planned.

Hi delecie!

Don't waste your cash on a beater. Put the money into a new ride and at least you'll have some peace of mind with reliability and a warranty!

Toni

I agree, get your new vehicle now. If you put the repairs into this car now you would be kicking yourself for it right after you do it. Is it the head gasket they said needed to be replaced? Thats what Im thinking by your description of what they say it needs so far. Im sure theyll find other stuff once they get it apart so YES go get your new truck and be happy that you put your money into something you can be happy with.

Hi Toni and Dravencat.

I've started the ball rolling. I've just returned from my credit union and they'll call me before the end of the week to let me know if I qualify for a loan and the amount. I spoke briefly to the Auto Advisor there and I've also e-mailed a couple of dealers. A month ago I narrowed my truck down to two choices and I'll be happy with either of them. I plan to visit the dealerships this weekend for test drives.

And yes, it is the head gasket that needs to be replaced.

I would have done the same thing as you. When a car gets that old and needs that much work, if you can afford a new or newer one, then go for it. Back in 1989, I had a car that started needing a few hundred dollars worth of work every few months. It had over 100,000 miles, which was pretty much the maximum expected life of an American car of 1980s vintage. One day I noticed some oil in the air filter. I don't know much, but that didn't seem right, so I felt it was time to get a new car. I hadn't had any really major parts fail yet, so figured they were due. I did some research and got a Honda Civic. My dad has never forgiven me for buying a Japanese car, but I'm still driving it.

Kelli:

Your post struck a chord with me, especially the latter part about your Honda Civic.

My car has over 104,000 miles on her so I really believe she has come to the end of her life. I can't remember how many alternators, hoses, and other parts I've had to replace over the years. I've always said that I would only buy an "American" car but now I'm looking at small Nissan and Toyota trucks. There comes a time when we have to do what we have to do.

Ditto w/cearbhaill, it's a 94 might be worth it. I have a 93 ford tempo w/a little over 120,000 miles and she's still ticking and kicking cruising the highway as well. Denise

Myself, I hate to be a the "mercy" of car repair shops. I was living 2,500 miles away from family and as a single female at that time, I felt particularly vulnerable.

I've always had Hondas. It's a great feeling to have a reliable car that doesn't need much work. My old Honda had well over 200k miles on it before I sold it, and it was still going strong.

Delecie, I'm with you on replacing your vehicle now. There's not much use in spending that kind of money to repair a car just to buy a new one so soon. Just to add my two cents: Our financial advisor told us that buying a car that's about two years old is the best way to go financially, if you want a newer vehicle. Cars depreciate in value a LOT in the first two years, but are (usually) still in good condition. Something to consider... :)

Here's my new truck! I'm so relieved that I can get to where I need to go without worrying about breaking down.

WOW!!!! Love the color! I bought my first new car at the age of 69 and it was one of the big thrills of my life!!
ENJOY!
Pati

Way to go, girl. I think you did the right thing. We just lost a '96 Dodge Grand Caravan to an accident and I was devestated. We got another GC immediately as we love those vehicles. Old Carry had 174,000 miles on her and never had had a major or hardly any minor engine problems tho we did replace the transmission in spring of ' o4(13 months before the accident). Our Caravans are just totally inclosed pickups. I hope you can fix your old car little by little starting with the biggest problem if you really care about it.

Cool truck!! I like it!! Gotta have one for the gardening! :) Good decision too.

Dank, my 99 Honda Passport has 160K on it and still drives like it did when I bought it! AND it was 5K cheaper than a used Fourunner! I want to get two more years and then I have my eye on the new Honda TRUCK!!! Lotsa dirt in there!

Nicole

Thanks Pati and leaflady. :-) Red is my favorite color Pati.

Leaflady:
Although it may "sound" strange, I actually love my old car. Her name is Anjelica and she is the first car that I ever owned. When I was separated in 1986 (divorced in 1987), my son was two years old and he and I walked or used public transportation for everything, including grocery shopping, until I could afford a car eight years later. Since I remember how difficult it was for me to get around with a small child, without a car, I've decided to donate my car to charity. I hope the charity can fix her up and give her to a needy family or sell her and use the money for those in need.

Nicole:
You're absolutely right about the gardening! My mother and I have already made plans to attend some plant sales and I've already been able to haul some things that I need from The Home Depot. I'm looking forward to having my truck for many years to come.

You GO!!! Think of all the stuff you can get in there! Dirt, mulch, plants, trees, oh my mind is wandering!!!

Nicole

Congratulations delecie! The ride looks great. What did you name this one?

Thank you Toni. This one is named Michael, after the archangel. :-)

Good choice. May he look after you and guide you on all your journeys!

Toni:

That's a beautiful sentiment. Thank you!

Looks great!

Very nice.

For all of you that think 100,000 is a lot of miles, I bought a 1990 Subaru in 1991. It was a loaner and had 18,000 miles on it at the time. In 2003 I donated it to the blind. It was still running good and the mechanic that took care of it said it was the quietest Subaru for that age he had ever seen. She had close to 300,000 on her.

The reason I got rid of it was that my sister who is in Real Estate had a 1996 Grand Jeep Cherokee she was selling because she bought a new one. Same kind of vehicle. We live in a very rural area so in her real estate business most were highway miles. 234,000. I gave her $2,000 for it. The car was in excellent condition, both inside and out.

The mechanic said it was because she had had the car serviced regularly and had taken care of it that it was in such good condition. It now has 264,000 miles on it.

The mechanic just bought his wife one just like it, 1994, and he said he was thinking of mine when he bought it for her. Since the foreign vehicles are getting so many miles on them, I feel that the American makers felt they had to compete. While I fully expected to get at least 300k from the Subaru, it will be interesting to see if I get the same from the jeep.

BTW, the only real work I had done to the Subaru was a timing belt every 60,000 just like clock work.

Jeanette