So I brought in my car to the mechanic....I simply do not have the time or space in my garage (painting the outside of the house and have a lot of material stored in the garage) so I opted to bring it to a local mechanic.
My question is....
My vehicle is worth about $1,500. It is in decent shape but the age/mileage is starting to show. The water pump, starter, alternator, radiator, etc is all original and I am unsure of what will go next.
The car does have two new fresh tires, a clutch with 20k miles on it, and in general is in decent shape.
Some issues I have are constant brake issues (due to bad calipers), signs of a bad belt tension-er or bearing (squeaking), a wheel bearing that sounds like it needs replacing, partially blown stereo speakers and a finicky cd player.
Otherwise, the car runs decently. I am unsure when to cut my losses and get something different versus keeping this vehicle on the road. I do realize that even if I spend a few hundred dollars on this repair it will pay for itself from not having increased insurance costs and car payments. One factor that holds some weight in my decision is the inconvenience factor...I put decent miles on my car for work and various other things. I do a decent amount of highway traveling and road-side breakdowns are definitely in the back of my mind.
How do you know when you are putting good money toward bad?
Depending on how much $ the mechanic quotes me may be my deciding factor. If he quotes me more than I feel is worth putting toward it, I just may simply drive it as-is as I look for other options.
What say the smart and frugal BITOGers? This economy still has me worried about making a commitment to a few years of car loans.
Thanks.
