Car needing $2500 in repairs: do the work or get a new car

In My Humble Opinion
1

Here’s hoping some car-savvy dopers can offer their advice.

I own a 1984 Toyota Tercel with 194,000 miles on the odometer. Last summer I hit a deer and while the car is still very much drivable, it now has quite a few problems that it didn’t have before:

-The cooling fan, fan motor, shroud and mounting brackets were completely destroyed by the deer. The radiator was pushed forward enough that it hit the power steering pump. This caused two things: a dent in the radiator and the PS pump to develop a knocking sound. Both need to be replaced (the radiator has a pinhole leak now).

-The water pump and thermostat need to be replaced. Water pump also leaks, but does so very slowly.

-Needs new brakes all around. Also needs new front axles (makes a knocking when turning corners). This also necessitates a four-wheel alignment.

-Needs a new muffler. Has two baseball-sized holes in the bottom of it. Makes too much noise for a tiny 4-cylinder.

-Needs a full tune-up and the carburetor rebuilt.

-I suspect the throwout bearing is going (I can hear the whirring when it is parked and running in neutral). This is a big job, the most expensive by far.

Now, on first glance the obvious reaction is to dump it get something newer. I’ve always felt if the cost of repairs exceed the value of the vehicle, it isn’t worth it. In this case, I’m looking at $2500-$3000 for all the parts and some of the labor. The value of the car in good condition is maybe $1000

The reason I hesitate to replace it is I bought it from the original owner @ 135,000 miles, and that person kept it meticulously maintained and kept every single work slip and receipt for everything ever done to the car. All the routine and scheduled maintenance was done as Toyota recommended. I’ve done the same, although a lot of stuff (brakes, oil changes, tune-ups) I’ve done myself so the paper trail dried up after 135k. I just keep a maintenance log, plus the receipts if I have the work done at a shop (replacing the wheel bearings, for instance).

So, car Dopers: Repair or replace? I know the Tercel’s history, have it on paper, and that is a huge plus. If I replace it I would do so with $3-4K budgeted. I can get a mid-late 90’s Camry or similar for that, but as always with buying a used car you basically have to trust the seller. That can get dicey.

(Side story: in the days before Carfax and digital gauges, I knew a guy who would buy some car he found in the classifieds that looked good and was dirt cheap because it had a million miles on it. He would then buy a new instrument cluster from a junkyard, swap it out, and re-sell it – for big profit – as a car as having considerably fewer miles than it had. I am always reminded of this when I shop for a used car).

Is a good maintenance history that important when the car is just shy of 200K?
Anybody else been in a similar situation? Any thoughts?

2

I’d buy a new used car in a second. For $2500 you can get a 97-99 Camry in good shape. What I would do is search Craigslist for cars in the 2800-3200 price range that match what you want. Go look at the car, and if you like it, offer them $2500 cash. The difference between a 1984 and a 1999 model will blow your mind.

And service records are paramount. Buy from a private party, pass if they have owned the car less than a year. Run if they are “working” on getting the title.

3

There’s no way I’d put $2,500 into a 28 year old car that will never be a collectable.

4

I would say it’s more important on a car that old. How much can you really screw up by not doing the maintenance on a car that only has 35,000 miles on it? Other then not doing oil changes, not that much else is really required of a newer car.

OTOH, with how much needs to be done to your car to make it sellable, all those records really show is that the oil was changed regularly and the timing belt needs to be changed in a few months…I know, I know, the plugs, wires, friction plate, belts, hoses, etc…are probably all in good condition. But all the major stuff is about to be replaced.

5

You’re into the mileage category where the car is likely to very shortly have some major issues related to engine and drive train popping up.

Dumping $ 2500 into an 18 year old Tercel with almost 200,000 miles seems like a very bad bet any way you look at it.

6

I’ve never even spent as much as $2500 buying a car!

7

Don’t fix it

You might be able to sell it for a few hundred bucks and then use the money on a 10 year old used car

8

based on that list of issues you posted, I think it’s being charitable to call it “very much drivable.”

and now it’s reached the age where it’s starting to fall apart. Sell it for parts and find something newer.

9

You are so far ahead of the game at this point by having deferred all this maintenance. Why throw your position away now. I don’t think $2,500 would handle the problems you list and there certainly would be more to follow. That engine has to be ready to take a crap too. Use this time judiciously to find another used vehicle.

10

I would just like to quote the fanous philosopher Kenny Rodgers

Seriously run away. Run fast, run far.
Drop the Tercel like a bad habit.

11

My excellent condition, 1995 GMC Sonoma with 115,000 miles, has a private party transaction value of $2000 according to Kelly Blue Book.

I’m not in the market to sell it, but you should know that you can get a pretty dang good car for $2000-$3000. If you don’t mind an old people car (safe, 4door sedan) you can get a really good deal.

12

Your car has reached the end of its life. Give it a decent burial, and buy a nice practical used car.

13

Hellz no, don’t fix it. Get a new car!

14

Your car has my birthday!

Especially with almost 200k miles. It’s not like you could reasonably expect another 100k out of this car, even if you got it working perfectly. Over a long enough time period, everything mechanical is 100% guaranteed to fail. How much more time do you think you can squeeze outta this car, anyway?

Even if you hadn’t hit the deer, 28 years is way past time to start looking for a new car (unless you’re a collector). Give her a good funeral, though :slight_smile:

15

cripes, I’m old enough to remember when people considered themselves lucky if they got 10 years out of their car.

16

I say there’s too much internal damage from the deer hit. Fixing it probably won’t ever make it right.

17

There appears to be a consensus. Good.

18

classic case of sunk investment and not letting it go.

Dump the POS…

19

Also [almost certainly] caused a third thing – the radiator mounting area is bent (along with the radiator) and a replacement radiator, being straight, won’t fit.

Just the fact that it has a carb is almost enough reason to dump it. Mechanics who really know how to work on them are becoming rarer every day, parts availability is limited, what is available can be quite expensive, etc.

Even forgetting the market value of the car, the transportation value of this one is less than that of a well-chosen replacement for the money involved. Much wiser to replace it than to repair it.

20

I applaud your desire to not just rush out and by a brand spanking new car, but a 28 year old car is not likely to be worth putting $2500 into it. I’d start shopping for a good used car.