edited: on a financial point of view, up to what point should you SELL the car?

[andylawcc]

so i got still drive-able econobox that is up for maintenance and repair, i estimate the cost to be about $300-400. The car itself is probably worth $1200-1500 on Craiglist as an easy sale as is. So what would ATOT do? fix it or [EDIT] Sell it?

I intentionally left out the details of the year/make/model to minimize bias, but the engine does have 220k miles.

edit: okay, so here are some details
1) if buying a brand new car, i get much more utility out of it, i mean, it's a brand new car. However, i am not buying new, My budget would be 4k for another econobox.
2) the current car is a Nissan Sentra, 1999, stick shift, 220k miles, AC works, Smog passed. but the manual tranny is getting a tad bit hard to shift (syncos out?). There is still some clutch left, for probably another year or so.
3) What needed to repair/replace are the water pump, the accessory belts, and misc parts that's "while we are at it." The engine is timing chain, so no timing belt replacement needed.

4) the reason I asked here is, all my friends and even my traditionally frugal dad kept telling me to sell it. I really don't mind driving this beater, but of course, I do feel a little embarrassed should I have a lady in the passenger seat, but that's a non-issue.

 

[Hugo Drax]

Fix it.

Still cheaper than 400 a month in car payments.

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

Even if it only lasts two more months after the repair that's still cheaper than two car payments. If finances are the main concern it's a no brainer to have it repaired.

 

[88keys]

It would really depend on other things besides the immediate repair.

Like what other things will be coming up in the near future?

I'd say that if you're gonna need new tires, major exhaust work, or suspension work in the near future; and/or say if there are existing issues such as a head gasket or transmission problems. I'd sell it.

If the vehicle is free of major problems and has at least has another 2 years left on it. I'd keep it.

 

[Murloc]

I'd fix it if these were the only problems and it has necessary amenities such as decent AC, if it allows to drag it out for a year or so.

But often problems do not come isolated.

 

[yottabit]

It's really hard to cost justify a new car. I see people do it all the time and usually it starts off with logic, and then devolves into "WELL I WANT IT SO I'LL BUY IT ANYWAY"

Modern cars (and buy modern I mean really, built since the 80's or so) will last a LONG time. Especially with proper maintenance

That being said there's some truth to what 88keys said:

I'd say that if you're gonna need new tires, major exhaust work, or suspension work in the near future; and/or say if there are existing issues such as a head gasket or transmission problems. I'd sell it.
.

If it's borderline near a major service and it's in the $1200-1500 resale range I'd consider selling it, IF you have the cash to buy something that's in the better shape. The problem is if you put new tires, etc on it you're most likely not going to get any of that back on a sale. So the more major the work you put into it, the longer you should drive it again before selling it basically IMO. As everyone pointed out this still should be more economical than a car payment. The nice thing is $1200-1500 is basically the floor for running cars. You could probably drive it for 2-3 more years and still sell it for $1200-1500.

The year and make really does matter. I'd look up long term reliability for your car. 220k on a 90's GM I would sell in a heartbeat. 220k on Honda or Toyota, or newer american car is nothing at all to worry about IMO. Also depends on a lot on the previous owner's care. If you drove the car that whole 220k and know the maintenance was done properly, that's a lot different then you're the 5th owner and have no clue.

Another thing is auto vs manual transmission. I haven't seen too many auto transmissions to last past 200-300k miles, and that most certainly would not be a cheap repair. The main thing with auto transmissions is flushing the coolant at the proper intervals, and if that hasn't been done in the past then it could be a ticking time bomb. I also wouldn't recommend flushing it now if it hasn't been done in the past, because that can just stir up whatever beloved patriot is inside there. Manual transmission you wouldn't have to worry about anything besides clutch replacement which is a much more progressive failure.

EDIT: BTW, these are my two major checks for purchasing a new (used) vehicle. Pull the oil dipstick and trans fluid dipstick and check the quality of the fluid. Most likely, unless the seller just doesn't care, they will have done a fluid change before trying to sell it. But if you see nasty varnish or tarnish on the dipstick that can be a sign that it sat with the same fluid for a long time. You can peek inside the oil cap with a flashlight and see if you see lots of gunk buildup. If you and the seller feel comfortable with it, putting the car up on ramps or stands and crawling underneath (again with the flashlight) to just visually inspect the suspension components. Then pay attention on the test drive for things like vibrations, and if the steering wheel is pulling a certain direction, if the car veers during braking, those are all things that would make me avoid it like the plague (assuming it's not an easy fix like, the tire aren't aired up properly). For auto transmission add some relatively hard acceleration up a hill to make sure it won't slip or have problems shifting.

And always, always test drive the car on the highway in addition to back roads. I've almost been burnt by that in the past. Even getting up to 45 MPH and thinking, "Hmm- probably if there was a problem it would have shown up at that speed". Then you get on the highway going 65 and it roars like a banshees and shakes apart

 

[cabri]

Why would the need for tires justify replacement of vehicle ?

Replace when time/expenses for a year exceed projected cost over a year for a replacement

 

[BUTCH1]

Usually fix it but more details are needed for a correct response.

 

[who?]

If you buy something used you won't lose as much money on the depreciation.

 

[thecoolnessrune]

I kept an old car going for years until the frame cracked under the Engine. That was the point where I junked it.

 

[pauldun170]

so i got still drive-able econobox that is up for maintenance and repair, i estimate the cost to be about $300-400. The car itself is probably worth $1200-1500 on Craiglist as an easy sale as is. So what would ATOT do? fix it or junk it?

I intentionally left out the details of the year/make/model to minimize bias, but the engine does have 220k miles.

300-400? Fix it

I look at it this way.
It costs 10K-40K to replace a $1200 car.

Even if it need $2000 worth in repairs I'd get it fixed.
the bigger question is how much you like the car or hate the car.

 

[Dr. Detroit]

The problems you know are way cheaper to fix than buying an unknown car with unknown problems.

Fix it!

 

[thedarkwolf]

The problems you know are way cheaper to fix than buying an unknown car with unknown problems.

Fix it!

Was going to say the same thing. That is why I kept my $800 dodge caravan for 12 years lol. I put what most people would consider stupid amounts of money into that thing but averaged over 12 years it was peanuts.

 

[WhoBeDaPlaya]

Hell, I blew $700 on a transmission job for my old 98 Cavalier with 112K on the clock.
Made sense for a bunch of reasons :
- New batt, two new sets of tires/wheels (winter + summer), new radio, water pump replaced
- Remote (with my brother) and I did not want the hassle of car shopping, trading a known quantity for another college-town beater

 

[88keys]

Why would the need for tires justify replacement of vehicle ?

Replace when time/expenses for a year exceed projected cost over a year for a replacement

Good tires aren't cheap and I might have a problem with putting $800-$1000 worth of new tires on a vehicle with over 200k miles.

Unless it's legal to sell used tires in your state in which case you can expect to find tires with around 50-60% tread for about $60 a piece.

But the fact of the matter is that 200K miles is pretty much the expected lifespan of a typical 90s/00s econobox car if well maintained. So from a statistical point of view; your best case scenario is probably 2 more years out of it before something else goes wrong. There may be exceptions like highway miles in which case you could hit 250K+. As pointed out earlier most automatic trannys don't hold up past that point. Not to mention there is still a good possibility of it needing major repair and things like head gaskets and suspension work can get expensive. You also need to consider how tough inspection and emission laws are in your state. And while his car might be worth up to $1500 today, it could very well be $100 next year if it won't run or pass a state emission/inspection.

I don't know what the OP's finances are and make and model are relevant to an extent. But if I were in that predicament with an extra $1500-1800 or so that I pull from savings or finance; I would sell the car for what it's worth and put that money towards a compact car with about 100k or less miles on it in about the $2500-$3,000 range. (which was about the going rate for that type of vehicle last I checked)

 

[Ramses]

Go learn how to work on cars if you really want to complicate this for yourself.


$300 of repair is probly $100 worth of parts and a weekend if that. Tools and service literature are good investments on old cars. Everything can be taken away from a person but knowledge. Unless you get a major head injury.

Not everyone can fix stuff, and that's perfectly OK and certainly nothing to be ashamed of, but it sure is a big help on older cars.

 

[Yuriman]

Around 6 years ago I bought a car with 160k on the clock for $2300. At 230k, the timing belt broke. I fixed it, and then sold it for the same as I paid for it. I then bought a newer, more reliable car with significantly better fuel economy for ~$3500.

I'd say "it depends", but it's often still a good idea to fix what's wrong before getting rid of it, unless you're paying a scrapyard to haul it away.

 

[MovingTarget]

Hell, I blew $700 on a transmission job for my old 98 Cavalier with 112K on the clock.
Made sense for a bunch of reasons :
- New batt, two new sets of tires/wheels (winter + summer), new radio, water pump replaced
- Remote (with my brother) and I did not want the hassle of car shopping, trading a known quantity for another college-town beater

J-bodies of that era are pretty reliable, if they are taken care of. Those cavaliers can take a lot of neglect and keep on running. I still have a 1997 with 250k on the odometer as my daily driver. Any repair outside of major bodywork or an engine/transmission rebuild is usually worth fixing. Even then, they are simple enough that even these are worth it. You are better off saving what you would pay each month for a new car and using that for a new(er) car down the road. So yeah, drive it until the wheels fall off. Then bolt them back on and continue driving.

 

[WhoBeDaPlaya]

J-bodies of that era are pretty reliable, if they are taken care of. Those cavaliers can take a lot of neglect and keep on running. I still have a 1997 with 250k on the odometer as my daily driver. Any repair outside of major bodywork or an engine/transmission rebuild is usually worth fixing. Even then, they are simple enough that even these are worth it. You are better off saving what you would pay each month for a new car and using that for a new(er) car down the road. So yeah, drive it until the wheels fall off. Then bolt them back on and continue driving.

That's the plan until the bro graduates (2-3 years). There's no one to impress in IA anyway

 

[andylawcc]

edit: okay, so here are some details (same text in OP)
1) if buying a brand new car, i get much more utility out of it, i mean, it's a brand new car. However, i am not buying new, I considered spending about 4k for another used econobox, which is something i can afford
2) the current car is a Nissan Sentra, 1999, 220k miles. AC works, but the manual tranny is getting a tad bit hard to shift (syncos out?). There is still some clutch left, for probably another year or so.
3) What needed to repair/replace are the water pump, the accessory belts, and misc parts that's "while we are at it." The engine is timing chain, so no timing belt replacement is needed.

 

[andylawcc]

Go learn how to work on cars if you really want to complicate this for yourself.

$300 of repair is probly $100 worth of parts and a weekend if that. Tools and service literature are good investments on old cars. Everything can be taken away from a person but knowledge. Unless you get a major head injury.

I consider myself fairly mechanically inclined, I do my own brakes (replace pad, bleed brake lines). I have a motorcycle, so also learned a bunch of stuff on it, like carb cleaning, disassemble/lube the swing arm, and rebuilding a brake caliper. All these I am comfortable with.
However, With the current beater car, I need to replace the water pump and all the belts, I went to RockAuto.com and those parts are indeed cheap, but when i youtubed the process/procedure, I honestly don't feel comfortable doing it myself.

 

[Ramses]

Try poking around locally maybe, fishing on the forums, etc, for someone willing to help for a 12 pk or such. Most car guys, decent one's anyway, aren't snobby and are more than happy to share and teach and help. There is an enthusiast group for almost every car, sometimes it pays to hunt em up.

 

[thedarkwolf]

Good tires aren't cheap and I might have a problem with putting $800-$1000 worth of new tires on a vehicle with over 200k miles.

Just put 4 brand new 80k mile tires on my 230k mile TDI for $230 + $100 for mounting and balancing. Discounttiredirect.com and 15" rims for the win.

 

[andylawcc]

I am rolling on 15's and don't mind buying used tires, 30 bucks a wheel installed, so ya, I can be pretty cheap when the savings is there

 

[mrblotto]

Fix it.

Still cheaper than 400 a month in car payments.

This. Not to mention the spike in insurance costs

If you have to travel/go on vacation - rent a car if you're not flying that is