Should I get rid of this car ?

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

I know nothing about cars. Not a damn thing. So, I’m looking for the wisdom of a few good autophiles here.

I have a '92 Toyota Tercel with 110,000 miles on it. It needs a bit of work. It’s going to cost $400 to get the brakes up to speed. It needs a full set of tires and a new windshield. And there’s an oil leak somewhere in the engine (cam shaft?) that will probably cost a fortune to fix. A new clutch and timing belt were put in about a year ago, and I took it for a tune-up this week. It gets literally half the mileage it did a year ago. Not sure if that’s the oil leak or what, but it really sucks with gas prices as high as they are.

So should I spend what will probably be well over $1,000 to fix a car with 100k on it, or should I buy something else? Also, anybody got an idea on how much it’ll run me to get that leak fixed?

2

Well, Click & Clack would say, keep it. Yeah sure your gonna be out 1K or so, but even if you have to put another 1K in it, what kind of car can you buy for $2000? Not much.

I am assuming that you have kept good care of your car, oil changes 3-6K miles, no bent undercarriage, & the body is not rustung thru. IFSO, keep it.

Read “Car Talk”, by Tom & Ray Magliozzi (Click & Clack). They are also on the radio & in some papers.

3

Car Talk! I used to listen to those guys all the time on NPR when I was in high school. It was a pretty funny show, but I never really retained any of the information they talked about.

4

You can check out Click & Clack here. Don’t drive like my brother.

5

I’d have to disagree. I was given a 1989 Ford Tempo (and yes, I do know what Click and Clack say about Tempos,) by my parents. It needed $1500 worth of work, which was my graduation present from high school. In the course of three years, fixing that car ended up being my birthday 2 years in a row, Christmas all three years, and estimated $3000 of my own expense. Not to mention the constant worry of what-will-break-next. I replaced the brake system ($400), the engine ($1000) part of the exhaust system ($300) and all four wheels and axels - twice. (turns out the barings were bad, causing the axels and wheels to wear before their time.)

I got a salvaged '96 Mercury Tracer from a friend of my father who owed him a favor, and owned a salvage yard. It had just under 40,000, and cost me $6000. Best hard decision I have made in my life, and starting it every morning without worry makes the $131 I now pay my parents a month TOTALLY worth it. Plus, it’s a sassy little red car with a spoiler and GREAT sound system. :slight_smile:

If you can afford $150 a month, plus comp and collision insurance, lease a new car. The peace of mind you’ll get from it will be DEFINATELY worth it.

6

Riddles, no offense, but American cars were just beginning to be halfway decent again in the late 80’s/early 90’s. The Japanese cars from the same period are far superior.

I myself would keep a the Toyota and dump the Ford. Of course all depends on how well the car was maintained. The sins of the first 50,000 miles are seen in the second 100,000.

And don’t drive like my brother.

7

Daniel with Wolves is right that Click & Clack are right that cyou can’t buy much of a car for the cost of fixing up an old one. That said I think you might be in for a little more than $2,000 by the time all is said and done. If fuel mileage has really fallen off it could be as simple adjustments or be more serious. If the inside parts like piston rings and valves are “leaking” that’s a lot more serious than an external oil leak. Have a mechanic check it out properly with a compression check and other basic diagnostics.

8

Hey, none taken, that car was a certified piece of shit. But I am so anal retentive that even if the car was WORKING, I was worried it would break. And I didn’t realise how worried I was until I ditched it. And the sad fact is that once you begin sinking money into a car, you can’t stop. (I spent $1500 on this thing, damned if I’m gonna junk it!)

So guess it depends how if you’re a Type A personality (moi) who will worry constantly about the car, or Type B (I’m so jealous of you type B’s) who don’t care.

9

SwimmingRiddles:

You can’t go comparing an '89 Tempo and a '92 Tercel in terms of reliability. I know whereof I speak, particularly with regard to the Tempo (I had the misfortune of owning an '88 Tempo for several years). Properly maintained, the Tercel if brought into good working order now will probably provide another 100K miles with minimal major repairs. Properly maintained, the Tempo will almost definitely require one or more new transmissions, not to mention new motor mounts (if they haven’t already been replaced) and a variety of other major items. Faced with having another Tempo and making this sort of decision, I’d ditch the Tempo and make a lateral or downward move into something older but more reliable, starting two new personal savings funds – one for maintenance and repairs, and to buy the next vehicle. In my case, I bought a new Honda Civic when the third tranny in the Tempo croaked, but it was feasible for me to do so by that time.

Also, leasing anything, but especially an automobile, is probably the worst financial decision most people can make. Unless you’re a real estate agent or an outside sales rep who regularly travels with clients and therefore must have a new vehicle every year or two, leasing is financial suicide. It may seem like a good idea at the time, what with this low, low monthly payment, but in the end you end up with no equity in a vehicle that is worth less than the amount still owed the leasing company, plus being hit for excess mileage, excess wear or damage, etc. You either end up paying a lot of fees and charges and turning around and initiating another lease, or you buy the vehicle from the leasing company at (in most cases) far more that the vehicle is worth by then on the open market, or you bite the bullet and save enough money for a reasonable down payment (or even better, the entire cost) on your next vehicle. Given a reasonably reliable vehicle like the Tercel.

Neutron Star:

If the Tercel’s made it to 100K without revealing any major manufacturing or design flaw, nothing major is likely to blow up soon, assuming that neutron star is able to spend what’s required to bring it into good running order. Also arguing for fixing it is that the clutch and timing belt have been replaced recently, eliminating two potential sources of foreseeable repairs in the next 40-50K miles.

The oil leak, while it certainly should be checked out, may turn out to be one of those things that you live with, if it doesn’t reveal a major problem. A lot of leaks of this kind can cost more to find and fix than they would cost in lost oil and other costs if you just put up with it. In and of itself it’s not causing the reduced gas mileage, though they may both be symptomatic of the same problem.

Does the car still suffer from poorer gas mileage after getting tuned up last week? If so, there may still be a significant problem somewhere.

Knowing nothing about your financial and personal situation, but assuming that keeping the initial cash outlay to a minimum is a prerequisite, I’d still say fixing the Tercel makes sense (if buying or leasing a new car wasn’t a hardship, presumably the decision would be easy). Even if it costs $2000 to bring the car up to speed (so to speak), you’re not likely to be able to spend that same $2000 on another vehicle that’ll serve you better.

Just my opinion, FWIW.

“Ain’t no man can avoid being born average, but there ain’t no man got to be common.” –Satchel Paige

10

Maybe this will help, maybe not:

  1. Check on reliability and resale value, eg, use msn.com: http://carpoint.msn.com/Vip/UsedSingleYear/Toyota/Tercel/1992.asp

You will see that the potential problems with the engine has only to do with some MAP sensor that does not cost too much to fix. Maybe replace it preemptively. The cautionary problems has to do with the A/C. Well, you can dump the A/C (disconnect it) as long as you can live without it if it becomes a problem. Otherwise, the car is well rated for reliability.

  1. Ask yourself this: the Tercel is a small, light car. It was designed to carry less payload than other bigger ones. It has 5 seats, but if you actually carry 5 people throughout its 100K, I would say that you have probably consumed its service life already. On the other hand, if you only use it for your own commuting every day, the car probably has a long way to go.

  2. Depending on where you live, some states now require the more stringent emissions tests with a dynamometer run. If the Tercel passes last time with flying colors, there is probably no major problems with the powerplant.

  3. You can have a dependable mechanic look over the car as if you are going to buy it yourself. He can check engine compression, visual the wiring, look for play in the drive-line, check for wear in any joints in the suspension, etc. and give you an opinion regarding the car’s value.

Finally, if all this does not raise any particularly bad red flags, you have a good thing going, fix and keep it!

11

The truth of the matter is, about 90% of the time, fixing a car is cheaper than buying another.

In other words, if someone tells you that they bought a new car because the old one was costing too much, is fooling themself.

How many people do you know who get upset paying a $300. repair bill on their car every 2-3 months, and so they go out and commit to a $400. a month car payment. That’s a tough way to “save” money.

Sure, a new car is nicer to drive than an old one, and can be worth the extra money. But from a purely economical standpoint, you will save money by driving the old car as long as possible.

One consideration though.

Suppose you purchased an old car, and could spend $2500. to restore it to brand new condition. That would be a lot cheaper than buying a new car or late model used car.

However, regardless of how well it runs, and how long it is capable of lasting, you can be screwed if you wreck it.

If the Blue Book on the car above is $1000. and some drunk plow into you, your going to get a check that’s about $1500. short of what you invested, unless F. Lee Bailey or Johnny Cochrane is your brother-in-law.

12

Everyone seems to be telling you the same thing. I agree. The only thing that I can think of to suggest is the resale value will never be better than it is right now. You may make it run better but there is a cost for that.
It is a balancing act. Your wallet is the pivot.
Sorry no great words of wisdom here.

13

I have a '91 Tercel with 112,000 miles, that I am just about ready to drive over a cliff. Actually no, it’s not quite that bad, but over a year ago I spent about $1000 on a valve job to cure an oil burning problem. It’s now back to burning oil again, and there’s no way I’m putting another $1000 into it. I just dump another quart of oil into it every week. At the time of the valve job, my mechanic mentioned that the '91 Tercels were notorious for that particular engine problem. Two months ago it just barely sqeaked by its smog check (I live in California), and it probably won’t pass next time. The stereo doesn’t work, the seats are torn, there’s a dozen other piddly little things wrong with it. I’m not complaining too much, I’ve had it seven years (bought it used) and it’s been a good car for the most part. I’m just disappointed because my previous car was an '81 Tercel that lasted to 198,000 miles and would have lasted longer but it was totaled. I’m planning to buy a new car (my first NEW new car) in May, and the Tercel will be donated to charity.

“The analyst went barking up the wrong tree, of course. I never should have mentioned unicorns to a Freudian.” – Dottie (“Jumpers” by Tom Stoppard)

14

Total cost of ownership goes beyond the payment. The repair cost may be more than a new payment but unexpected repair can be more than inconvenient. Not a big deal if my car breaks down in a convenient place but having a water pump blow on a secondary highway last year was decidedly inconvenient. I frequently make a 100 mile trip and that’s more than a little walk home. A new car can break too but is less likely. If it does I have both a warranty and roadside service for the next three years which is worth a little peace of mind.

Happily fooling myself every time I write a check for the payment.

15

Paula:“I have a '91 Tercel with 112,000 miles, that I am just about ready to drive over a cliff.”

Please jump out first!

Actually, upon further search at the msn site, found this shocker: http://carpoint.msn.com/Vip/UsedRelOver/Toyota/Tercel/Used.asp
Significant engine problems 1991 to 1995 for Tercels! Dump the car quick!

16

My suggestion…You can do what I did with my old Toyota:

:smiley:

Roots&Radicals,
-ldiot8oy
JerkWaterJive
…Ska and Punk never tasted so good together!

17

That’s the problem with asking this kind of question. Five people tell you one thing and five others tell you the opposite. I guess I’ll hang on to it. Thanks for the help, everyone.