How much is too much?

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RedByrd

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Dec 16, 2008
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My 1995 T-Bird is in the shop again. Fuel pump.

Since I bought the car in January of 2008 for $3500, I have spent a total of $1954 in repairs/fees, not counting oil changes and a set of tires. While most of the cost is genuine, I would estimate about $400 or so was spent in unneeded repairs and high labor charges for a shop I do not use anymore. With 100,000 miles on it, has needed a set of new plugs and wires, a MAF, oil filter adapter gasket, alternator, and now a fuel pump since it has been mine (bought it with 87,000).

My question to you all is this: I love my car, but how much should I put into a fifteen year old car that is only worth about $1000 trade in? I am a college student and unemployed (unfortunately), so I can't just buy a new car and start over - but I also have limited means to recoup the cost of repairs.

It's a difficult question, and I'd appreciate your advice and experiences!
 
F.O.R.D.
(Fix Or Repair Daily)
Get a repair manual and do some of the easier repairs yourself.
And get a trans flush or drain soon,Before it blows.
 
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Get yourself a chilton book and a decent set of tools and start fixing things yourself. You will see that the manual and tools will pay for them selves very quickly.

Fuel Pumps, alternators and plugs are regular maintenance.
 
Buy an old Honda.



27.gif
 
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Most any car of that age and mileage is going to need work for it to be right. Don't mistake yourself into thinking that another vehicle of similar vintage and mileage won't give you issues of one costly sort or another.

My biggest concern would be lifecycle cost due to fuel, etc. The car is in reality, worth to you what it costs to replace it. Doing as much of the work as you can yourself is a great start at saving cost, from there, you should determine your needs. I know that as a college student, I didnt really have the need for a car, do you REALLY have the need, particularly if unemployed? Could you park it a while?
 
Originally Posted By: silverrat
Buy an old Honda.



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An old Honda that has not been maintained will be no different than an old Tbird that has not been maintained. Both will nickel & dime you into submission. As for the OP...start doing your own wrenching.
 
$3500+2000 / 24mo of ownership is only about $230/mo. That's not too shabby.

Joel
 
as long as you are in school, perhaps there's a class in auto repair? my community college has one cheap. or trade your services with someone who is handy with cars and will teach you. it's really hard to predict the condition of your car without seeing it. it might be in really good shape - or it could be pending disaster, mostly depending on the care it got earlier.
 
Thanks for the input thus far. Yes, I do need my car as I live at home and commute to campus each day, 16 miles total.

I do try to do some basic things myself, I always change my own oil. The biggest hindrance is that no place around here has a code reader for 95 and older models (96 is the first year for mandatory emissions inspection in this state). I would have done the MAF myself if that was the case, but I had no way of knowing without taking it to a shop. The fuel pump required dropping the tank, and I felt that was outside my limits of mechanical ability with only a Haynes manual.
 
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Originally Posted By: PT1
Originally Posted By: silverrat
Buy an old Honda.



27.gif



An old Honda that has not been maintained will be no different than an old Tbird that has not been maintained. Both will nickel & dime you into submission. As for the OP...start doing your own wrenching.


Generally old Hondas are easier/simpler to fix and so any ol mechanic will have no problems finding most parts and doing cheap repairs. I got an engine a used engine installed in my old 91 Hatch and it cost $650 parts and labour. Auto transmissions can be done for $300. These are Canadian dollars 5-6 years ago.

I personally would stay away from any used car with an automatic transmission. Find any old box with a stick and not only will you get better gas mileage but it will be for the most part easier to fix.
 
Originally Posted By: RedByrd
Thanks for the input thus far. Yes, I do need my car as I live at home and commute to campus each day, 16 miles total.

I do try to do some basic things myself, I always change my own oil. The biggest hindrance is that no place around here has a code reader for 95 and older models (96 is the first year for mandatory emissions inspection in this state). I would have done the MAF myself if that was the case, but I had no way of knowing without taking it to a shop. The fuel pump required dropping the tank, and I felt that was outside my limits of mechanical ability with only a Haynes manual.


Can't you use the paper clip jumper trick to get your CEL light to blink? You can decode the sequence online or from a Haynes manual.
 
A Ford forum may give you a lot of detailed information on repairs, maintenance, and understanding potential repairs or weaknesses. I am fortunate to have a great forum for my Saturn. Nothing like having people who know what they are doing guide you step by step in a way a Haynes or Chilton manual could never do. Welcome to the reality of older cars! Either save money for car repairs (done by others), learn to do them yourself, or get money to buy a new car (reliable model). At least that is my reality. I would look for a trustworthy independent mechanic. Mine retired. He would not do repairs that were not needed and saved me a lot of money. Avoid chain repair shops like the plague. Most times I have been ripped off was by the major chain repair shops that "wanted my money", as my mechanic used to say.
 
And some bondo, rivets, scrap sheet metal too


Originally Posted By: silverrat
Buy an old Honda.



27.gif
 
8 miles each way? Get a road bike or a mountain bike with some slicks. Even when I had a summer job during college I rode my bike about 12 miles each way to work and school was maybe 5 miles. Atleast have a bike as a back up so your not dependent on getting someone else to fix the car for the next day.

As for the car, unless you suspect its going to need a new engine you are probably further ahead fixing it at this point. Even if it needs a new engine, can you get a more reliable car for that cost? Probably not.
 
Any used car will need work.

My Xterra was 5 years old and had 32k on it. So far I had to replace:

-Front/Rear Shocks - Nissan OEM were SHOT. Replaced with Bilsteins($230).
-Fuel Filter - $10(maintenance)
-ATF/Transfer Case - $190(maintenance).
-Front/Rear Diff Fluid - $60 (maintenance).
-Air/Cabin Filters($30)
-Spark Plugs / Wires - $125 (2 plugs were shot, replaced all).
-4 Tires(3 out of the 4 were bald) - $700
-Replaced Spare Tire carrier - $15 Forum purchase.
-Steering Stabilizer repair - $50 Forum purchase.


It adds up, I did most of the work myself(minus the Tires and ATF change). It may appear to be a money pit to you, but use this as an opportunity to learn how to do a lot of the work yourself and you will save money. A car around 100k will need a good amount of servicing but after that it will be fine for another 50-100k again with maintenance and minor repairs.

My Xterra was a money pit initially(close to 2k in repairs/maintenance) to bring it back to decent condition. Car now has 43k on it, about 10k miles since last March.
 
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for 1500 bucks you could buy a pretty new honda scooter. 8 miles each way. not that far to drive.
grin2.gif
But seriously, I was in your situation back in 1997 when I was in college. I lived off of credit card cash advances to buy my 87 toyota corolla hooptie. Then I learned to wrench on it myself with my sears craftsman 236 piece tool set, but I dumped it when the headgasket blew. it was a neglected P.O.S. man those were the days.
 
Thanks for the input, you all.

Turns out the problem was a faulty Intake Air Temperature sensor. Apparently it was reading the air temp as extreme temperatures, causing it to either choke down or run way lean. No way I could have diagnosed that at home. $188 to diagnose, the part, and labor, a much better rate than the crooks that ripped me off.

Also, glad to know that the OBD II stuff was put on the T-Birds in 1994. That will make my trips to Advance much easier (or get me banned from the store, either way).
 
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