I’ve always had luck for whatever car I had finding a guy who ran his own garage, specialized in a specific make of car, knew when a rebuilt or used part would be just as good as a new one, knew what had to be fixed and what would be OK for another couple thousand miles, and kept my 100,000+ mile car running great until it rusted out.
When I’m ready for a new used car that guy knows who has a car that’s in good shape, has been well cared for, but is looking to sell. Go talk to that guy.
This.
On top of that, with a 1984 car, the non-mechanical stuff is probably on the verge of decay. If the interior (seats, lining on the ceiling, door panel linings, etc.) isn’t already turning to crap, it soon will. Body parts should be rusting or on the verge of it.
You’ll be lucky if your $2500 gets another 30K miles out of this car before requiring another major cash transfusion, and then you’ll really be sorry you bothered keeping this relic alive.
Dump it. Buy something a hell of a lot newer with that $2500.
Where are you located?
Near Roseburg, Oregon.
Sell. The value of all that meticulous maintenance disappeared when you hit the deer.
Great username/OP combo, incidentally.
Have to say, a poster named Lancia mentioning his decrepit car made me smile a bit. Being a former Fiat owner will do that to you.
New car, that old POS is unsafe.
Yeah, the irony has not been lost. I told my wife I wanted to get a Lancia, and she informed me she had no desire to have to call a mechanic to come out every time we wanted to start the car. Also, living in Oregon… Lancia… lots of rain… yeah. Not a good idea.
Well, Michelle Singletary, a financial advice columnist and author, has said that the simplest way for the average person to have more money is to find a good mechanic, strike up a good relationship with same, and stick with an old car as long as said mechanic can keep it running.
28 years and 1 deer, however, may be the limit to that advice. 
You’ve gotten a LOT out of that car.
This.
The value of buying from an original owner with meticulous maintenance records is that you know that it’s much less likely to have hidden flaws and parts that have been subjected to undue stress but just haven’t failed quite yet.
You have the opposite situation now. In addition to all the stuff that you know is broken, you hit a deer. There’s all kinds of stuff that might have been damaged but has not yet failed. The pre-deer history of the car is meaningless for the purposes of determining how much longer it’s going to last.
Don’t spend the money. This car is way past its design/service life. It is like a 95 year old man who still plays tennis-the next game might be his last.
I suggest you do as others have suggested-buy a good used car (of an unpopular make). People want insane amaounst for used Toyotas, Hondas, and they are simply not worth the money.
Jeez. Fixed or not, dump it before it kills you.
When my '97 Saturn required $900 of work the mechanic didn’t even think about starting. Time to say goodbye. If repairs cost more than the car is worth, get a new one. (Or a new used one.) Among other things I don’t have to worry about my car dying suddenly now.
As others said, ditch it. Last year I dumped a 2001 Subaru Forester with 135,000 miles on the clock. Like many Subarus of its vintage, it developed head gasket problems., and it would have cost $2,000 to repair. Used Foresters sell for a premium around here (heavy snow, large lesbian population :D), but even then, repairs wouldn’t have been worth it.
The above are good advice. You’re ahead of the game right now-- you’ve gotten great value out of the car, but don’t throw good money after bad. Sell it while it still has positive value (that is, for parts) and put the money toward a good used car.
I’m not sure - but I think this is a first - 2012 is truly going to be an interesting year.
So I guess I should get a Yugo?
I thing Toyotas and Hondas are worth it, for the most part. I’ve never had real good luck with anything American made, and most parts for Toyotas and Hondas aren’t that expensive, IME. I had a 1990 Cherokee and holy hell, the parts were expensive for that thing. And that piece of garbage was always breaking down. Never did figure out why.
(Of course, I’ve never owned anyting newer than '99, and because so much is computer controlled on newer cars, everything the most basic maintenance I would have to have done at a shop).
Im seriously considering something like a Camry. I’ve got two kids, dont need to haul a bunch of crap or compensate for feelings of male inadequacy, and have no problem driving a sedan or wagon/hatchback. I don’t understand why some people use an F-250 or similar as the “family car”.
So someting like a Camry, a VW Passat, Nissan Maxima, etc. After driving a 28 year old car, anyting built in the past 15 years or so will seem like luxury. I think the only ting the Tercel has that will be hard to replace is 4wd, but I dont use it enough to justify a SUV/“crossover”/pickup.
Thanks all for the replies. I knew the Tercel wasn’t really worth fixing, I just needed a kick in the ass to make me finally choose to scrap it. I don’t take car buying lightly, and cannot begin to understand those peaople who buy a new, off the lot car every 2 or 3 years. I like my cars permanent. Shit.
Can you afford a new car? Really if you have good credit and they are handing out rebates and/or 0% financing it can be better to buy new.
Ignore the outdated Conventional Wisdom about your car depreciating by 1/3 once you drive it off the lot. That figure is too high and in any case is meaningless if you intend on keeping the car for a decade +, and you seem to be that kind of car owner. Nor does that hit in car “value” translate into a huge decrease in used car PRICES at a dealer.
I suggest a Honda Fit. The new Fords are just fine. What was going on in 1990 is not what is going on now, Toyota has taken a large hit in quality, Subaru and Ford has gone way up, and Chevy ain’t bad at all.
You have two kids, and the newer the car is the safer it is.
We kind of covered this in a different thread but;
If you only have $3000 for a used car, you are going to get a lot better car by buying a 4 door sedan “old person car” like a Ford Taurus or a Cadillac Deville, than you would buying a popular model like a truck, SUV, or a two-door coup.
Like others have said, it’s a tough used car market, at least in the US. People are keeping their cars longer, there’s less supply at the auctions, dealers are bidding higher for quality cars, and as a result used car prices are at an all-time high here. The cars that hold their value the most are most Japanese brands except for Mitsubishi and Suzuki, and some Fords. A dealer near me is offering a special “Internet price” of $4,000 for a 2000 Honda Civic with 189K on the clock. What a deal. :rolleyes:
For $3K, you aren’t going to find much. It’ll likely be a pre-2000 model, with more than 120-130K on the odometer, and it certainly won’t be a Honda or Toyota. Maybe a late 1990s Subaru Outback wagon, Volvo 940 or S70, any model Buick (bulletproof, and most were owned by seniors and the elderly), or any Ford/Mercury/Lincoln product built on the Panther platform (see Buick). A budget of $5K will really open up the range of cars available to you; it’ll get you into the early 2000s with cars in better condition, and mileage in the 80K-120K range. A Honda and Toyota that hasn’t been beat to hell will still be out of the question.
If yo’re considering a used VW, think about a used Saab instead. VWs hold their value far better than Saabs, despite being about as (un)reliable. Because of that, Saab is the best used car bang for the buck right now, IMHO. However, just like VW and Audi, maintenance costs will be an issue. You have to follow the suggested service manuals to the letter. Even with the niggling repairs you’ll nevitably face, Saabs will last for hundreds of thousands of miles if properly cared for. $3K will get you an late 1990s/early 2000s Saab 9-3 in excellent condition, with mileage in the 80K-120K range.
EDIT: how about this mint 1989 Toyota Corolla?
Volvo 240, 940 or S70. It’s the only answer.