I need proffesional help...buy another car or fix it?

  • Thread starter Thread starter AlenaT
  • Start date Start date
A

AlenaT

Guest
I have a 2001 chevy malibu (around 97000 miles) had been running great till we used new coolant and the car broke down..head casket...what should I do? fix it for I guess 2500 or get another used car? I really need help...I can't afford very expensive solution...thanks :-)
 
I would fix it, if it is only a head gasket. A head gasket is not that hard to replace, and it is not that expensive. It is certainly cheaper than buying another car. If it has only 97000 miles, it still should have alot of life left.
 
30 years in the auto parts business, we must answer the same question 10 times a week. do you like the car? is it a pile of crap or really worth putting money into,thats what you have to ask yourself. are you willing to spend much more money on an unknown comodity,or shell out 2500 bucks on something your familiar with. the technology being what it is in the 21st century,these vehicles are designed to last a long way past 100000 miles. good luck with your choice!
 
First question is whether you had to have that "zippy' v-6, or could be satisfied with a 4 cylinder engine! One is about 50% more to fix than the other! Even at that it sounds pretty "pricy" to me! But lets not go into that at this point!

First thing I would ask, is can you find anything that you can replace it for --- for this amount of money! I'm not talking about "taking on payments" that go on ad-infinitum!! Your car has a "junk value"l -- Lets say maybe the junkyard will give you $100, - so now you are talking $2600 replacenment money! ................ Can you replace it for this?

I have never had a car, - or seen a car that "blew" head-gasket because of a coolant change, - so there must be more to this! You must have blown a hose and lost coolant and overheated or something, -- now let set this aside too!

Main subject .. my guess is that you can get headgsket replaced for closer to half that amount mentioned! If this is a garage estimate, -- look for more estimates! Even rebuilding or replacing heads with rebuilt -- it shoulodn't run much more than this! Of course the determining factor here is just how far you drove it oveheated, -- Engines just aren't designed to run indefinately without water!!

As a matter of fact, I wouldn't be surprised if you could get a used engine from a wreck or somehting, - and have it "swapped" for around $1500. True this is not a new engine, - but it is not a new car!--- (I must tell you though that it is about 6 years newer than my 280K miles car!) This would get the car back on the road,- and if you did not want to keep it then, - it has some value at least! now from what I see 01' cars are bringing around $4K now (or more).. If you don't like it,-- sell it outright and then go for another car! Don't buy a new one, - buy a used one (preferavbkly one you can pay cash for)! let somebody else "loose the depreciation" for a while! Unless of course you believe that nothing but a new car is any good (and of course a $35,000 car has a really good warranty). You can buy an "aftermarket" warranty on your "lateish" model car for about $800 a year , - if you don't want to take the risk yourself!
 
Unless this car is paid off I would sell it outright and like everyone else said, get another one. If it is paid off...2500 would be better than several thousands in interest and etc..
 
Back
Top