need car advice

[howard]

ok, here is my situation. I have a 94 ford escort that needs a new exhaust system. Looking around $350 for the repair. I was planning on getting rid of this car in January as I am moving and won't need a car, however now i am thinking of the possiblity of getting rid of it now instead. that would mean that in the next 3 months I would have to ride my bike or catch the bus to work each day in the winter... not fun.. but possibly doable.

My question/need for advice really is this: If I do this repair do think I can recoup the cost of it when i sell it? or is it not really worth it. the car is fine otherwise, however it seems that repairs have been popping up all over the place. its kinda been ridiculous this past year.

for any of you that have had experience selling/repair used cars, what would you do?

blue book for dealer is 275, for third party its 650. Not really sure if this is before or after the repair. And guys, please keep in mind that I have very little money and am trying to save up for my move.

 

[Warbrain]

Are you talking catalytic converter, pipes, and muffler? Cause if it's just that, you might as well get it repaired. It'll sell better with it fixed and you should be able to recoup some of the cost.

 

[Abstract]

I say sell it and deal with the whole "riding a bike to work" issue.

 

[sierra oscar]

it's a hard one - as you also don't know what is around the corner

Say you get it fixed now... but what if something else needs repair before January - or you have to get it towed home etc if it is proving unreliable (extra cost etc).

If you did sell it - one thing is certain - you won't be shovelling extra money into it. However your question about recouping the cost of the current repairs when you sell it - I can't answer.

 

[howard]

thanks for the tips so far,

also, as far as I know, the exhaust pipe is cracked right at the catalytic converter and both would need to be replaced, as well as the muffler. Both places I took it to could not do any "quick" fixes.

does 350 sound a good price?

 

[adk]

thanks for the tips so far,

also, as far as I know, the exhaust pipe is cracked right at the catalytic converter and both would need to be replaced, as well as the muffler. Both places I took it to could not do any "quick" fixes.

does 350 sound a good price?

Take a half a soup can and use metal ties to hold the soup can over the pipe and cover up the crack. I doubt you'll have to pass an emissions test before january, and it will end up being much quieter. Worked like a charm on my buddy's old jeep.

 

[Frisco]

thanks for the tips so far,

also, as far as I know, the exhaust pipe is cracked right at the catalytic converter and both would need to be replaced, as well as the muffler. Both places I took it to could not do any "quick" fixes.

does 350 sound a good price?

That sounds like a very good price. Around here they charge $200 just for a muffler installed. I know it's a rip off as a muffler costs much less, but that's what they charge.

 

[beatsme]

thanks for the tips so far,

also, as far as I know, the exhaust pipe is cracked right at the catalytic converter and both would need to be replaced, as well as the muffler. Both places I took it to could not do any "quick" fixes.

does 350 sound a good price?

sounds like a good price.

if the car is in good repair otherwise, I'd go ahead and get it fixed. Warbrain makes a good point i.e. at least you'll be able to recoup the cost of that repair when you sell it. You aren't going to get much for a 12-year-old compact anyway, and if you try to sell it "as is," the number of prospective buyers will drop to just about zero.

here's how I see it: Cars aren't an investment, since they're always going to lose value. So think about how much you paid for it to begin with, and then figure how much it cost you overall. I bought an 88 Escort in 1997, and by 1999 the block had cracked and the clutch was going. I paid $800 for the car to begin with (various repairs eventually put the cost at around $1250), and wound up putting 40K miles on it. After it more or less died, I was only able to sell it for about $150. But I had the car for two years, so basically it cost me $26 a month. That ain't bad.

 

[howard]

Take a half a soup can and use metal ties to hold the soup can over the pipe and cover up the crack. I doubt you'll have to pass an emissions test before january, and it will end up being much quieter. Worked like a charm on my buddy's old jeep.

hehe if that actually works its almost worth a shot. unfortunately I'm the furthest thing from a mechanic you can get... I'm not evern sure I can fit myself under the car.

 

[adk]

hehe if that actually works its almost worth a shot. unfortunately I'm the furthest thing from a mechanic you can get... I'm not evern sure I can fit myself under the car.

You won't fit. You would need to borrow those ramp thingys from somebody.

 

[wimic]

I'd get rid of it now - unless, of course, it's worth the money for you to keep it. and what i mean by that is you never really know what to expect to get for a car when you sell it. if it is, in fact, worth what you say it's worth, there are no guarantees that you'll get that much for it when you go to sell it.

don't bank on getting your money back. if you're really intent on having your vehicle for the next few months then fix it, but consider the $350 the price of having a car for the next three months.

all in all what i'm trying to say is that market prices and demand are completely unpredictable when it comes to resale value.

Having a ford doesn't help either, they don't hold their value like honda, toyota or VW.

good luck with it.

 

[howard]

thanks for more advice

now does anyone have any good resources for selling a car?

I may have a hard time selling this thing considering it really needs the repair to function... sort of.

 

[wimic]

thanks for more advice

now does anyone have any good resources for selling a car?

I may have a hard time selling this thing considering it really needs the repair to function... sort of.

not sure if this is an option for you - but have you considered scrapping it for parts and selling it that way? my boyfriend and i just had to order an axle/spindle off of ebay for our 2000 civic si... a fairly specialized part. we paid in excess of $200 for that specific part.

i'd say there's someone, somewhere out there who's dying to get their hands on a certain part that you might have, and they just might be willing to pay top dollar.

in any case, i think it deserves some consideration.

my primary resource for used cars is autotrader.ca (if you're in canada)

cheers.

 

[jamone80]

thanks for more advice

now does anyone have any good resources for selling a car?

I may have a hard time selling this thing considering it really needs the repair to function... sort of.

I dont know if you guys have it, but "The Recycler" ad is pretty effective (and free). Or you can park it on a busy residential street with a "for sale" sign. I sold my '70 vw bug in about 8 days just parked on the street. just make sure its not illegal to park there though....

 

[howard]

I might just have to get the repair done. Today I was going to get up and ride my bike to work only to be greeted with a thunderstorm and pouring rain. Its already been a big crutch not having a car and to be honest I don't think it would even sell with a bad exhaust system.