eugenefl
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- Apr 22, 2009
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I saw Doug's thread about his car woes and thought I'd chime in and see if I can get some expert life advice from some fellow TRFers. You guys seem to have a lot of experience in this area and I'm curious what decision you would come to.
SCENARIO: I currently own/drive a 1993 Nissan Sentra 2-door coupe. I've owned it since March of 1998 and have logged 126,000 miles on the car. Mind you, when I bought it there were already 72,000 on the odometer which brings us to a grand total of 198k miles as of today. Recently I've experienced a loud rattling noise on startup which indicates to me a timing tensioner problem. On deceleration I can hear what sounds like a chain dragging on the street. Nissans with timing chains are known to last up to 225k miles before needing replacement. I've researched the mystery sounds on Nissan forums and am spot on with my assessment of what needs to be done. Well, I'm just about at that point to where I know I am operating on borrowed time and need to make a decision on my transportation needs. The first estimate that has come in from a locally referred mechanic is $1100. This includes timing chain, tensioners, guides, head gasket, water pump, chain sprockets, oil/filter, and a few other misc parts and pieces. :y: My regular mechanic - who I kinda don't trust for this job - quoted me a ballpark of $1200-$1600 for an engine replacement. The KBB/NADA value of the car is $900-$1200 which at this point makes this "maintenance" procedure as an investment worthless.
DECISION TIME: So I've got about $1500 in car replacement/repair money apart from an emergency fund specifically to deal with this situation. How I proceed from here is where I'll lean on your thought processes. There are several ways of approaching this scenario - which all make different sense depending on my needs I suppose - but I'm curious as to your insights. I've been pondering this issue for a least 6 months now, but with the recent severity of the engine noise I know I need to act sooner rather than later.
A) Fix it & drive another ~25-40,000 miles car payment free (or 2 years). I have a disdain for car payments nor do I require the vanity of a flashy vehicle, but there is also no guarantee of a trouble-free 40k miles.
B) Replace the Engine (low mileage rebuilt core - no accessories - around $600, $1200-$1600 total w/ labor. Again, no guarantees of a trouble-free ride.)
C) Buy another high mileage used beater cash for $1500-$2000.
D) Suck it up. Get something newer with lower mileage that will require financing and sell my car and get whatever I can for it. The budget would dictate a lower mileage vehicle (<60k miles), no older than 5 years, and a maximum of 3 years financed. ~$8k-$11,000K Tax/Tag/Title.
Thanks always for your anecdotes and perspectives.
SCENARIO: I currently own/drive a 1993 Nissan Sentra 2-door coupe. I've owned it since March of 1998 and have logged 126,000 miles on the car. Mind you, when I bought it there were already 72,000 on the odometer which brings us to a grand total of 198k miles as of today. Recently I've experienced a loud rattling noise on startup which indicates to me a timing tensioner problem. On deceleration I can hear what sounds like a chain dragging on the street. Nissans with timing chains are known to last up to 225k miles before needing replacement. I've researched the mystery sounds on Nissan forums and am spot on with my assessment of what needs to be done. Well, I'm just about at that point to where I know I am operating on borrowed time and need to make a decision on my transportation needs. The first estimate that has come in from a locally referred mechanic is $1100. This includes timing chain, tensioners, guides, head gasket, water pump, chain sprockets, oil/filter, and a few other misc parts and pieces. :y: My regular mechanic - who I kinda don't trust for this job - quoted me a ballpark of $1200-$1600 for an engine replacement. The KBB/NADA value of the car is $900-$1200 which at this point makes this "maintenance" procedure as an investment worthless.
DECISION TIME: So I've got about $1500 in car replacement/repair money apart from an emergency fund specifically to deal with this situation. How I proceed from here is where I'll lean on your thought processes. There are several ways of approaching this scenario - which all make different sense depending on my needs I suppose - but I'm curious as to your insights. I've been pondering this issue for a least 6 months now, but with the recent severity of the engine noise I know I need to act sooner rather than later.
A) Fix it & drive another ~25-40,000 miles car payment free (or 2 years). I have a disdain for car payments nor do I require the vanity of a flashy vehicle, but there is also no guarantee of a trouble-free 40k miles.
B) Replace the Engine (low mileage rebuilt core - no accessories - around $600, $1200-$1600 total w/ labor. Again, no guarantees of a trouble-free ride.)
C) Buy another high mileage used beater cash for $1500-$2000.
D) Suck it up. Get something newer with lower mileage that will require financing and sell my car and get whatever I can for it. The budget would dictate a lower mileage vehicle (<60k miles), no older than 5 years, and a maximum of 3 years financed. ~$8k-$11,000K Tax/Tag/Title.
Thanks always for your anecdotes and perspectives.
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