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Poll: What to do about my car.

P

promposive

Senior member
Update: My dad and uncle are on their way here now with a car dolly to pick it up and take it back to my house where he can take a better look @ it. Hopefully it won't be too bad...
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Car background: I purchased my car for 1200$ cash, was my first car ever. It is a Silver 1992 Toyota Camry V6. Had some body damage, me and my dad fixed it up, looked great, ran great (I got to 130mph on highway once) salvage title because of body damage orginally. That has been a few years ago and before this all happened it is in need of some work. Such as a new cv joint/axle front right, rear right wheel bearing is going out, transmission trouble (Won't shift when cold), almost bald front tires (can probably get warranty from Sam's Club because i just purchased less than a year ago and they wore out way to fast).

Story: Ok, so last week I was on my way to a restaurant after I got off work. About half the way there my car starts hesitating and feels jumpy. I look down, and also notice my temperature gauge shooting up to the top. I immediately pull into the next driveway and shut off my car. I check my antifreeze and it is way low in the radiator (but full in overflow). I had just filled it a couple weeks ago because it was running low in the overflow (but good in radiator etc..) Im like wtf... I walk door to door until I find an old couple that actually answer the door and give me a gallon of water. I wait for my engine to cool and slowly add the water, start the car and try to make it down the road.
Engine still ran jumpy and weird, and my exhaust was blackish smoke screen that covered the road behind me. I drive about a mile, and stop to check my coolant (the gauge hadnt shot up, but the smoking and engine hessitation worried me. It was a little low again, so I added more water. I make it about 100 feet, and temperature gauge shoots up again, I stop, and end up getting it towed home.

My car has 163k miles on it, and it has been a great car to me. Many good times in it, many close calls that my car saved me from, etc...
My dad seems to think it is either a blown headgasket or cracked head, or my waterpump locked up (which is running off the timing belt) and caused it to jump time.
Either way, I'm without a car now, and i'm bumming my girlfriends car to go to work (about 30 minute drive) but soon are schedules are going to conflict and there will be problems and I want a damn car to drive 🙁
My dad is a mechanic but is very busy and doesnt have a garage himself to work on it inside. He will fix it, but I can tell that he really doesn't want to. But I know he will fix it right and not screw me over. I could find a local shop to do it, but know of none around here. Im a college student and also drive to class 5 days a week. (and to work 30 mins away 3 times a week, soon to be 5 times a week after next week (finals))

So, what should I do guys?
Thanks for your replies, I'm really frustrated and kinda depressed about all of this happening and to make matters worse i have to study for finals.
 
Originally posted by: DaTT
cliffs?
I am not reading all of that.
Click to expand...

Exactly what I was thinking as I typed it all out..

Cliff note version:
Car broke down, I need to get to work and back, dad could fix car if I asked him too, but he doesn't really want to. Life sucks without a car.
 
Buy new car if you can afford it.

Dad can fix it? Let him if you can wait.
 
If I had to get another car there would deffinately be some loans involved (if my credit is even good enough.) I have one credit card, 900$ limit always paid it off the same month. Dunno about how a loan would go w/ my credit though. I am just a college student.
 
I feel your pain. My engine seized - destroyed everything (and I mean EVERYTHING except myself - I don't see how I lived) in one fantastic burst of shrapnel.

I have to get to class and work, too (Except my drives are a bit longer than yours) and have been driving an enormous van for the past month... I'm hitting up Autotrader for cheapshit cars. You're in a bit more sticky of a situation, because you don't have a "spare" just lying around. Don't get a new car, and if it'll cost more than $4000 to fix it, DEFINITELY buy a new cheap POS.
 
Originally posted by: EyeMWing
I'm hitting up Autotrader for cheapshit cars.
Click to expand...

I've been checking like state surplus auctions online listings and classified ads, forgot about autotrader.com

Thanks
 
see if you ca'nt find someone on campus to stay with for a few days. in the meantime let your car sit in the shop, get it fixed. it will be expensive, believe me, especially if its the headcasket....
 
it's gonna cost quite a bit to repair. it's likely that you have a few bad rings, and now that your engine has heated up with so many miles, I'm sure there is warpage.

I had the same exact scenario happen to me in a honda accord, and had to have the engine replaced. luckily the guy I bought it from ran a chop shop of sorts, and was able to give me an engine and install it for $500. I wouldn't expect to find that sort of a deal in your case though.

btw, the car only lasted another 9 months, probably because of the engine I had put in. if you do end up fixing it and doing it right, there's no telling how long it could last. but with a bad engine and trans, you are looking at quite a large bill.
 
Get your dad to do it, but spend the time and help him out. If the repairs cost >.33*Price Paid, scrap it and get another car.

**EDIT**

It could be as minor as a little air pocket in the coolant, but with the black smoke I doubt that. Was the sound a loud thumping sound? Thrown Rod. Doesn't sound like that. Gasket leak or engine failure. Good luck.
 
My dad works on my car

I pay him

He doesnt take the money at first.

We argue for 15 minutes and he finally takes it.

I gave him $120 for changing my CV boot.
 
You need to have your dad work on it, and see what the repair costs will be. If the cost to repair is more than it would be to put a down payment on another car, I would seriously consider getting something different. Think about what it costs to maintain that car, as well. I realized that over a year I had paid an average of $340 per month maintenance on one of my cars, so I decided to replace it with a new Civic, and I'm paying less in car payments than I was in maintenance. After 3 months, my maintenance cost has been $.99 to replace the windshield washer fluid.
 
I'd say take the time and have your dad do it. I'd offer to help him too, and or pay him for it.

I'm inclined to think that it's a blown head gasket, based on the smoke ect as well. If it's not that simple, then it's probably a whole lot more serious, and pretty much time to just get a new car instead. Never really know until you get in there.
 
A Toyota that dies at 163k? Sounds like a lemon to me...I'd buy another used Toyota for $2000 or so. Don't buy a NEW car for sure, that's just a waste of money for someone in your situation (I'd argue for most people, but that tends to get me in trouble...)

Originally posted by: Aimster
I gave him $120 for changing my CV boot.
Click to expand...

You don't really have to change those, you know 😉
 
If the problem is minor / medium, then have your dad do it. BUT, pay him to do it right and to do it quickly. Pay him his normal rate. That will avoid the issue of him not wanting to do it, and it'll avoid the problem of you being screwed by another mechanic.

If the problem is serious, sell the car. Old cars eventually reach the point where fixing them costs more per year than purchasing a better car. They all reach that point eventually. Sell before you reach that point.
 
Guy at work was told he had a cracked block, he was a little upset as he just put a new engine in about a yr ago. Takes it to a different mechanic finds its simply a bad heater core problem solved!!
If its anything more than a head gasket time to move on. althought the car doesn't have too many miles yet, its got too many yrs against it to sink much money in it
 
sounds like a head gasket to me - my parent's windstar blew a hole in it and so the engine compression would pump the coolant out of the engine, out of the radiator, into the overflow, which then would make it overheat.

Sorry bud, head gaskets are expensive stuff 🙁
 
Thanks a lot for all the good replies this morning 🙂

My dad and uncle are on their way here now with a car dolly to pick it up and take it back to my house where he can take a better look @ it. Hopefully it won't be too bad...
 
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