Guessing car payment is what $300+ a month, ontop of that you have to have full coverage on it while you make payments
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Spending another $20K+, 5+ years of $300+ payments, and full coverage on another car that may give you more grief then just brakes, and having to buy a $200 after market stereo (one time).
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Keeping the car, buying a radio for it, the one time, putting brakes in it every now and then, which if they go out that often may want to see about doing the work yourself for it will only take about 1 hour of your time, and cost $40 to change the pads. Drop full coverage and pocket the savings, not have the $300 a month going out so you can pocket that for something else or let it build up in the bank, for when the car finally does die on you, say throw a rod, you may have saved up enough in the bank to buy the next car for cash, or damn close with a 1 year loan and $50 a month payment.
Why people are so gung ho about throwing money away astounds me. You have the 2 payments lets and your free, you own the car out right, no reason to throw it away because you need brakes now and again, all cars do, and since the stereo died this is a perfect time to get a much better one then what you had, and pocket all that money you were spending, and no need for full coverage any more. To think the car may die at anytime is stupid, I drive around in a 88 Lincoln Town car with over 130K miles and nothing wrong with it other then it leaks out 1/2 quart of ps fluid every 6 months.
If it were me, Id keep the car, if you couldnt tell. If you only problem is brakes and a broken radio, that nothing, you got a good car on your hands, you barely drive it, so as long as you keep the fluids changed when your supposed to it will go on for quite some time saving you a butt load of money in car payments and insurance costs. Unless you have all kinds of money to burn I know $300+++ would go pretty far every month, thats $3600+ a year you can keep
keep the car you have now for another 5 more years then with interest you can have $18,000+ in the bank, that would buy you a nice car without payment next time around
Or one hell of a vacation, house down payment, emergency wad, etc.......you get my point.
EDIT:
Originally posted by: Kristi2k
I am NOT rough on my brakes, I know how to drive a car. The CD-player just died, the temp control dials only work at full blast, windshield wipers work sporadically.
Having managed a few dealership service centers brakes go out, it may not be you, but they go out no matter what, really though, learn to do them yourself and upgrade to better brakes, most shops put on the cheapest crap they can buy, over charge you for the parts by as much as 50%, and then you wonder why your always changing them
Its not hard to do at all, chances are you never needed new calipers, or rotors every, shops just love to bs people and make money on the sale. To change your pads its as simple as taking the front wheels off, removing the caliper thats held on with 2 bolds or alen screws, pop off the old pads, push in the caliper with a c-clamp, put the new pads on, put the caliper back on, then the tires done. You could get the rotors cut at that point if you want, most auto place will cut them for free if you buy the parts, or $10-$20 for the pair. Again pads are anywhere from $9.99-$80 depending on what you get. I get the $9 pads myself, never had any problems, ever, with them.
As for the wipers, its just a control modual, $100 around there, and I may be mistaken but there may be a recall on it, not entirely sure but for some reason that is sticking in my head as though I had it done to my old cutlass which is the same car. If not its just a modual.
The temp thing is either the fan switch or the ceramic resister that is under the hood near where the blower motor is at, inside the blower box. I could be wrong on that but last I remember gm was still either using the ceramic resister, or the 3-4 sping type looking unit that goes in the box to keep the unit cooled off. That is usually what goes first on the gm system for the blower switch, but since the blower works on high its not the blower itself but the switch or the resistor for the switch. $15 and 2 screws. If it is the switch then its $35 and 2 screws and the dash trim part should just pop off exposing the 2 screws to get at the switch.
And again, then your done. Id still keep the car. Fix the minor stuff and pocket the rest, in no way is repairs going to cost you a car payment every month on that car, yes every now and then, but a lot less then a new car would cost you. And I know for a fact that engine thats under the hood, and the trans is a excellent build and should last 150K+ if properly taken care of.
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