# Expensive car repair question!!! **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 17, 2014, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/expensive-car-repair-question/683915 "2014-03-17T13:34:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![bengangmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2014, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/expensive-car-repair-question/683915/21 "2014-03-18T03:55:38Z")
> [@Scubaqueen](#): > > Is a ten-year-old car with a couple of oil leaks repairable to the tune of $950 p&l (OUCH!) worth the expense? > > Princess has an oil pan gasket leak and a leak from somewhere up front around the passenger side of the engine. She’s got about 60,000 miles on her and has been exceedingly reliable - up to this point. > > Oh, and I bought her for a dollar from the ex-fiancé when we split. > > There you have it. I bow to superior knowledge about cars. I presume that you’re not talking about [THIS](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austin_Princess) Princess? ---
**Author:** ![48Willys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/db5fbb/32.png) [@48Willys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/48Willys)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2014, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/expensive-car-repair-question/683915/22 "2014-03-18T08:13:29Z")
> [@Gary\_T](#): > > These products can sometimes be helpful, but they can also be “too helpful.” Often they continue to soften and swell the seals to the point that they start leaking again worse than before. > > With that small of a leak I recommend do NOT use a stop-leak additive. I was just going to say this! I would not use the “Sealer in a can” on a rig that I plan to keep. If you use these products, plan on replacing seals in the near future. They often cause seals that are sealing to get soft and stop sealing. If you do not care about the person that you are selling this car to, or your reputation, then you could go ahead and use the “Sealer in a can” and quickly sell the car. IMHO, to do this is crooked. I strongly recommend that you do not use these products on your rig. IHTH, 48. PS, I also would buy a pan for the garage and drive the car. ---
**Author:** ![JerrySTL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e274bd/32.png) [@JerrySTL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JerrySTL)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2014, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/expensive-car-repair-question/683915/23 "2014-03-18T13:46:38Z")
> [@bengangmo](#): > > I presume that you’re not talking about [THIS](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austin_Princess) Princess? This is the Princess that I owned: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess\_(Automobile)](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_(Automobile)) ---
**Author:** ![bengangmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2014, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/expensive-car-repair-question/683915/24 "2014-03-18T14:28:30Z")
> [@JerrySTL](#): > > This is the Princess that I owned: > > [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess\_(Automobile)](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_(Automobile)) You have my commiserations at your misfortune 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2014, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/expensive-car-repair-question/683915/25 "2014-03-18T15:20:03Z")
I’m driving a 2000 Chrysler Concorde with 60k miles on it. I lost my transmission last summer and got a replacement (not new) transmission, installed for a bit under $2,000. At the time I was really feeling bad about spending the money (although it was less than I thought I would have to spend), but even if the repair only lasted for 10 months I’d still come out ahead of monthly car payments for a replacement vehicle. Definitely follow all the advice about finding out whether you really need the repair, but unless you’re wanting to buy a new car right now, it’s definitely worth spending the money on repairs. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/expensive-car-repair-question/683915.md?page=1)