Sell it or junk it?

[Russ]

The water pump on my 95 Galant finally went out.
Looks like the seal is bad - coolant gets dumped all over the accessory drive belts, which in turn slip, which eliminates the power steering and probably the alternator.
This is a fairly decent car (for a Galant, that is). It has almost 150,000 miles on it, runs well, transmission shifts fine, A/C works, pretty clean inside and out (aside from the wear and tear you would find on any 10-yr.-old car), all of the maintenance has been done on it while in my care (past 2 yrs. - tires, battery/cables, distributor, all 4 wheel bearings were replaced during this time, couple of tune-ups, A-Rx treatment for the engine with noticeable improvements, multiple tranny and cooling system flushes, new belts, hoses, nothing sqeaks/rattles/sticks/binds etc.)
The problems (outside of water pump): broken LR ABS sensor (a $200 part), non-functioning cassette player, and broken radio antenna.
As far as I can remember, water pump replacement on this vehicle is somewhere around 8 hrs (~$80/hr labor rate in this area). OE pump is about $200, parts store version is about $50. There is a possibility that I can find someone to replace the water pump for a little less (I'm not so sure about that yet, and I don't want to do it myself, since this is a first OHC engine I've been in contact with).
Edmunds TMV on this car in this condition (assuming a functional water pump, of course) is around $700.
I no longer need this car, since I don't have to perform a 30-mile one-way commute 3 times a week anymore, and I have a second vehicle to drive around town.
So what should I do: try to find somebody to fix it for less than $500 and then sell it, or just call it a day and junk it? (Where can I find the salvage value for this car, or is there such a concept?)
Thanks.

 

[drive it forever]

You should "drive it forever"! Junkyards only pay $50.00 for cars around columbus. If you dont need the car, it's just another useless expense you can do without ie insurance.. .

 

[drive it forever]

I would "try" to dig into replacing the water pump yourself. Dont let it being a OHC engine scare you. Work on it before you buy the pump and if you can manage to get it off yourself, then go buy the parts to finish the job. if you screw up mid process and you feel the car is a pos anyways, call a junkyard up to get rid of the sucker.

 

[JohnBrowning]

Is the replacement of this pump anything like a Quad 4 2.4L that GM used? IF so parts and labor at a private garage would probably run about $350-$400. You have to ask yourself what you think you could get for it like it is right now? I doubt it would be much! You also have to consider saveing up to fix it seeing how it is not a priority. You do not have to fix it right away. It is already paid for and runs good other then this most recent failure. So you never know when you might need an emergency car. You could lose your job tommorow and need to sell almost everyting! A car that is paid for then becomes a hug asset if you have to let the other one go!

 

[ediamiam]

I'm with 'drive it forever' on this. For $50 at a parts store you can get a pump. Attempt the repair yourself. If you really screw it up, or quit midpoint, you can always send it to the junkers. It sounds like you already put a bit of maintenance into to, so aside from the problems you mention, its a good driver. If you are just looking to downsize, cut expenses like insurance, just junk it now. If you get it fixed, you can always sell it for much more than the junk rate, or even sell it w/o the repair as a 'mechanics special'.

 

[eljefino]

Don't pay someone to fix it hoping you'll get your money back on a sale. Dollar for dollar, that rarely happens.

The only exception is if it needs a couple hundred bucks to meet minimal requirements for a fresh, new, transferable smog/safety inspection. That has value to the new owner, if those are done in your state.

I wonder if the Galant has any popularity with the "Import tuner" crowd, i.e. dropping that powertrain into something smaller and lighter. Try and get a few hundred bucks for it, as is. Start off near a thousand and drop the price if noone shows up over a week or to. You might be pleasantly suprised.

If you're going to junk it, tear into it! Save the airbags, computer, light lenses, sensors, throttle body, etc., and sell them on ebay. Search ebay for galant in the parts section and see what's worth stuff! The scrapyard will be happy to get the leftovers because of high steel prices.

 

[Russ]

Thanks for the replies!
The thing that holds me back the most from doing the work myself is the fact that timing belt needs to come off in order for the water pump to become accessible. That is the part that I've never messed with (I'm used to working on my own vehicles, and only take them in for things like alignment, etc).
A friend of mine replaced the timing belt himself on his Acura last year and the thing hasn't been right since (mostly rough idle, vibration, etc.) I don't want to spend a couple of days messing with this thing going through a whole lot of grief and misery (I don't have a compressor, so I'll have to hand wrench everything) just to find out that I'm right back to where I started.

I don't know if Galant has any popularity with anybody. I have a friend that works at a Mitsubishi dealership. He told me that in 2003 they have sold 17 units that entire year.
I found a couple of Galant forums. I see mostly complaints on there about what a pos Mitsubishi in general, and Galant in particular are. Somebody there mentioned that they have a little over 100K miles on original tranny on their Galant. There was about half a page of "Ooohs" and "Aaahs", and inquiries in regards to how such a miracle was accomplished... (Maybe I should contact Mitsubishi; what if my Galant is some kind of record holder with its 150K miles

)
I'll definitely have to investigate the E-Bay angle.
Thanks.

 

[robbobster]

In my experience, there's a huge demand for used-up, late-model Japanese cars. I live in SoCal.

A few years back I advertisd an Altima I had, 187K miles showing on a broken odometer, but it really had closer to 225K miles, which I disclosed in the ad.

My phone rang off the hook, sold it for more than I advertised it for.

My dad recently sold his 92 Vigor, 273K miles showing. Likewise, his phone rang off the hook and it needed a new tranny, also disclosed in the ad.

But I think that the car may be worth more to you than you can get for it. A wise poster in another thread said it best: The best car is the car that's paid for.

 

[TooManyWheels]

Having it junked would be a huge waste to someone. I can guarantee there is someone out there with more time and mechanical skills than money who desperately needs that car. If you don't fix it yourself, just advertise it for sale with a truthfull description of condition. It WILL sell.

Otherwise you are handing some junkyard a bonanza.

 

[rjundi]

The car is very undesirable in its current state. A mechanic may want to pick up for little money to deal with hassle. Why not call around and get a few quotes to fix and then decide? Given its a Mits. they are not the most desired cars out there so saleablility may not be great.

 

[obbop]

Can you donate it to a charity and receive a tax write-off as great or greater than the value from selling it?

Or, donate it to the local high school auto shop? Imagine the wondrous warm fuzzy feelings you would bask in after assisting those youth in learning how to jimmy door locks, hot wire the ignition, all the little tricks of the trade when it's time for those vile spawn to begin stealing cars. Or, sumpthin' like that.

 

[Winston]

Is it a V6 or a 4cyl. Contrary to many people I have been very happy with my Mitsu's. They have required almost zero maint. other than fluids etc. I have a 10 year old Montero and from other forums it is not unheard of to get 2-300k miles without a rebuild. The transmissions are also very reliable (aisin). If it is a V6 I can give you some tips on replacing the water pump and timing belt. 4-6 hours tops. (as long as you can get the crank bolt off) Check ebay for timing belt replacement kits/parts with a water pump. I got a used mitsu CD player to replace my broken cassette player for $35.

If you don't want to fix it I would part it out on ebay as suggested.

 

[GreeCguy]

I've sold several junk cars to junk yards, (and they were truly junk). Usually, you get the going rate for steel. Depending on the market, that could be anywhere from one dollar per hundred pounds to four dollars per hundred pounds. Find out the price, (call your local junkyard and ask), find out the weight of your car, (should be on your registration slip), and do the math. Personally, I'd give the car to a local charity if you're not going to fix it. That way, you get a write off and somebody gets some a to b transportation.

 

[CardGuy]

If you have a local technical college with an automotive program or a high school program you might think about letting them do the work. Around here they just make you pay for the parts and do the labor for free. I've never had anything bad happen to my cars or anyones cars I've know to be taken there. I'd think about it.