# New engine or new car? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 8, 2009, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-engine-or-new-car/502370 "2009-07-08T21:42:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2009, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-engine-or-new-car/502370/21 "2009-07-10T16:34:18Z")
> [@Balthisar](#): > > It’s a Continental. Not sure what the confusion is, though… the fact that a $40,000 luxury car is only worth $3000\* today? Well, it’s a domestic car; they don’t hold their values. It’s certainly in fantastic shape, though. The only real work on it has been front end stuff, but I credit the great state of Michigan for that, and not Ford Motor Company. > > \*You made me doubt, and it’s even worse than that. Edmunds is telling me $2177 as dealer trade in, $4704 as dealer retail! Still, there’s no way I’d ever consider selling at $4704, unless, like I said, the engine, transmission, and other subsystems all simultaneously failed. Hmm, a 2001 Lincoln Cont listed at Edmunds as “Trade in $3,391 Private Party $4,544 Dealer retail $5,745” and that’s without figuring in options or “clean” condition. High milage? Oddly my Saturn from the same year comes out as $3,703 $4,692 $5,782, in other words, my Saturn is worth about the same as your Lincoln, and the original price was half.:eek: ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2009, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-engine-or-new-car/502370/22 "2009-07-10T17:07:06Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > High milage? 125+ kilo-miles. Plus there’s a difference based on zip code. ---
**Author:** ![UncleNito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/7cd45c/32.png) [@UncleNito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleNito)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2009, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-engine-or-new-car/502370/23 "2009-07-10T18:18:09Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Automatics don’t have clutch _pedals_. They certainly do have clutches. No, most of them have torque converters. A 2002 Saturn might have a lockup torque converter, and that might have a small clutch (I have no idea, to be honest), but it’s safe to assume that that isn’t what someone is referring to when they speak of “replacing the clutch.” ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2009, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-engine-or-new-car/502370/24 "2009-07-10T21:53:08Z")
> [@Balthisar](#): > > 125+ kilo-miles. Plus there’s a difference based on zip code. Pretty high milage. But it is interesting that your Lincoln has certainly not held it’s value, while my Saturn has done almost as well as a Toyota, in fact considering the difference in purchase price, it’s about a wash. So, some American cars do hold their value. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2009, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-engine-or-new-car/502370/25 "2009-07-11T06:35:05Z")
> [@UncleNito](#): > > No, most of them have torque converters. A 2002 Saturn might have a lockup torque converter, and that might have a small clutch (I have no idea, to be honest), but it’s safe to assume that that isn’t what someone is referring to when they speak of “replacing the clutch.” automatics have clutch packs in them but I agree that “replacing the clutch” generally relates to a manual transmission. ---
**Author:** ![Llama\_Llogophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2009, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-engine-or-new-car/502370/26 "2009-07-11T17:34:03Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > automatics have clutch packs in them but I agree that “replacing the clutch” generally relates to a manual transmission. Yes, it’s a manual transmission. This is another of the reasons I’ve decided to do the engine work - it’s getting harder to find stickshift cars, which I favor. Also, my car has no power windows or other bells and whistles, which is also something I favor. I view that stuff as minimal convenience (for someone like me), but which costs a lot to fix when they break. Ordered my new engine yesterday. Work will be done toward the end of this week, I think. Will let you know how this gamble pays off. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2009, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-engine-or-new-car/502370/27 "2009-07-13T13:20:22Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Pretty high milage. But it is interesting that your Lincoln has certainly not held it’s value, while my Saturn has done almost as well as a Toyota, in fact considering the difference in purchase price, it’s about a wash. So, some American cars do hold their value. What’s interesting is that my car has been (until recently) on the Consumer Reports list of best 10 best used cars. It was the only American non-truck on the list. But, there are a lot of things the figure into value. For me, the utility value of having a “beater” in excellent condition is worth more than any potential sales price. In practical terms, I’d regard the true potential sales price as $0, because my plan is to drive in into the ground. Now we’ve come full circle, and need to decide whether “into the ground” means needing a new head, or simultaneously need brakes, shocks, engine work, transmission work, and so on. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Raven\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@The\_Raven\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Raven_1)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2009, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-engine-or-new-car/502370/28 "2009-07-13T21:06:00Z")
Probably a good call to replace the engine, especially where you don’t have an automatic tranny to worry about. Before it’s installed, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to inspect and/or replace the water pump, especially if the stock pump uses plastic impellers, the plastic ones are failure-prone and it’s a cinch to do it prior to installation. Check the timing chain tensioner too. Also make sure all belts and hoses are new. Be very careful with the warranty, make sure you give it a thorough once-over to make sure there’s no gotchas. I got hosed on a warranty many years ago for just that reason. Good luck. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-engine-or-new-car/502370.md?page=1)