Need oppopinions: Fixing cars

"Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To" (murdersofa)
08/18/2016 at 09:54 • Filed to: None

Right now I have three cars and none of them are 100%. The Miata is a cobbled-together mess, the Nissan could blow up at any moment (and also has no AC), and the Riviera has a transmission that gets worse by the day and an engine that eats a gallon of coolant every week. A buddy of mine that whose family owns the buy-here-pay-here I work(ed) for just got a lease return in the form of a blue Pontiac Bonneville SSEi. The bodywork is ugly, the interior is torn up, but in the five years they’ve leased it it’s had $5k of maintenence done and has a solid drivetrain. Since it shares a platform with my Riviera my buddy is offering to sell me the car for $1000 and swap the good drivetrain into my Buick. I could then put the naturally aspirated wonky drivetrain from the Riviera into the Bonneville and sell it on Craigslist for $750 as a “mechanic’s special” or “school car” or whatever people call a car that will drag itself around town but you wouldn’t want to road trip.

The problem is I don’t have $1000 right now and there’s a window of roughly a week before the car has to go back into the wringer and becomes unavailable to me for that price, so if I wanted it I would be looking at getting a personal loan from my bank. Not that my credit couldn’t use a boost, but even at $50 a month or whatever I’m not sure if taking on another payment is the best idea while I’m trying to move out of my dad’s. Then again, I need a reliable car to move out of my dad’s because the place I’m moving into frowns on me working on cars in the driveway.

EDIT: It helps to think of it not as “jake’s buying another car” but “buying a new engine and transmission that can be tested thoroughly before getting put into his car. Also , $300 worth of scrap metal that could be flipped and fashioned into a rolling but sellable dumpster fire”

DISCUSSION (59)

jkm7680 > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
08/18/2016 at 10:03

Sell all three of your broken cars and buy one reliable one.

And people will lease a beat up old Pontiac?

crowmolly > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
08/18/2016 at 10:04

Cut your herd down to two, maybe one.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > crowmolly
08/18/2016 at 10:05

I’m selling the Nissan which will cut the herd down to the Buick (daily drive) and the Mazda (race car). Problem is I need to fix the Buick and it looks like the way to do that is to buy a new engine and trans that has a pontiac attached to it.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > jkm7680
08/18/2016 at 10:06

People will lease anything with wheels. That’s the nice thing about a lease. You pay a payment and get transportation no matter what happens to it (blows up? they replace the engine and you get a loaner).

And selling all three of my broken cars would not yield one reliable one, especially not one I would be happy with. At least with my current broken fleet I know what needs to be done to fix them.

Captain of the Enterprise > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
08/18/2016 at 10:22

Sell all three and buy something reliable above all else and just chill for a while. Buy some Corolla or Camry and save some money for other things you’ll have plenty of time for better cars later. It’s what I'm doing

Kinja'd!!!

crowmolly > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
08/18/2016 at 10:24

The riv is on its last legs. A gallon of coolant a week is a lot- is it burning it or just leaking? Can you borrow a pressure tester from Autozone and see what’s up?

$1000 for a 13 year old powertrain has me wary. Can you get receipts showing what was done to the bonny for $5k?

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > Captain of the Enterprise
08/18/2016 at 10:33

Kinja'd!!!

shop-teacher > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
08/18/2016 at 10:39

No. This will lead to you owning four cars, and none of them will be running. Then you’ll buy a fifth piece of crap, “because I have to.”

Sell all three junkers and buy one decent car already.

Wacko > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
08/18/2016 at 10:42

brother from a different mother??

Kinja'd!!!

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > Captain of the Enterprise
08/18/2016 at 10:42

I’m not selling my Miata. That would be stupid. It costs me next to nothing in insurance and I love the damn thing. And with what money would I buy a good camry or corolla? I *might* be able to squeeze $1500 total out of the Riv and Nissan. Maybe. On the local Craigslist that will get you fuck-all. Maybe an early 90s Civic that needs another $600 in parts to be drivable. Maybe.

Which is the problem with buying a used car. I don’t know what I’m getting. When I got the Miata I wasn’t really aware of what all was wrong with it. It looked taken care of, and seemed ok but then I got it and was stuck with my only car having: leaky brake caliper, dry rotted tires, bad wheel bearing, in desperate need of a tune up, new exhaust, leaky top, etc. etc. etc. it needed a shitton of work even though it seemed fine.

Or I get $1000 from my bank, buy this Bonneville and have a car with 5 years of documented service and new headgaskets, then either put the good drivetrain in my Riviera and sell what’s left, or drive the Pontiac and sell the Riviera and Nissan and make back the money spent on the Bonneville.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > crowmolly
08/18/2016 at 10:45

It looks like it may be leaking out from under the throttle body. I need to do a pressure test though.

The bonny has had regular fluid changes done to the engine and trans for the past few years, and a top-end rebuild done after a coolant elbow went out and fried the valve stem seals and blew the head gaskets. That was in 2013. Friend offered to do a compression test and a leak-down test. I’m going to go drive it around later today.

crowmolly > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
08/18/2016 at 10:49

That actually sounds promising then. Check the S/C bearings!!

AM3R shamefully returns > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
08/18/2016 at 11:01

I’m gonna agree with everyone else telling you to sell all 3 and get something reliable. You want to move out of your parents place? You have to make the adult decision to do that. Sorry man, but 3 broken cars will just continuously cost you money. You can't even wrench at your new place , how will you work on them?

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > crowmolly
08/18/2016 at 11:02

Coupler is fine. No shaft play that I remember. It drove fine last time I drove it which was a little over a year ago.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > shop-teacher
08/18/2016 at 11:03

I’m not selling the damn Miata. But please tell me what “decent car” I can get for the $1600 or so I would get from selling the Buick and Nissan. I’m waiting.

shop-teacher > Luc - The Acadian Oppo
08/18/2016 at 11:03

He won’t listen though.

BTW, what’s the make and model of that compact car seat you were recommending.? My little one barely fits into the infant seat now, so if I’m going to keep the Roadmaster, I need to buy another seat.

shop-teacher > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
08/18/2016 at 11:06

Fine, be a child about it. You’re broke and constantly complaining about all the money you need to put into your cars, but then instead of fixing them you spend your time and money on paint and stereo gear. You come here all the time asking for advice, you never take any of it, and then you whine when your decisions backfire on it.

The sound advice is sell them all and buy one decent car, and fix it when it needs to be fixed, and it will obviously need to be fixed. Or just keep doing what you’re doing, but stop complaining about it.

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > shop-teacher
08/18/2016 at 11:10

I know he won’t. I was just like him at that age.

The Combi Coccoro

Kinja'd!!!

It’s the smallest (front to back lengthwise) seat you can buy in North America. If that one doesn’t fit you are flat out screwed.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
08/18/2016 at 11:12

If yo’re dead set on buying a “new enine and transmission” why not buy one that’s already out? Then you can have a reliable car sooner. And sadly, you’re probbaly going to want to stick to NA 3800 motors, but they’ll be dead nuts reliable.

Hell, just get a trans and fix the 3800 that’s already installed. You don’t have to sell everything, but come on, take a step back and look down the road a bit. When the SSEi swap inevitably causes issues (and it WILL) what then? Now yo’ve got a loan, a scrap car, and 3 broken cars.

yamahog > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
08/18/2016 at 11:14

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

https://twitter.com/dril/status/38…

Rico > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
08/18/2016 at 11:20

This doesn't sound like a great idea. Also what kind of lease were they on? A 12 year lease??? Or is that code word for a 144 month loan?

diplodicus > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
08/18/2016 at 11:22

You’re completely delusional if you think you’ll make your money back buying this Bonneville.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > diplodicus
08/18/2016 at 11:25

I said make my money back, the $1000 spent on the Bonneville by driving the Bonnie and selling my two beaters.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > Rico
08/18/2016 at 11:26

Who even knows. This dealership is weird. They lease out shitty old cars to anyone with a pulse as transportation. Fix anything wrong with them for a $100 deductible, up to and including a blown engine and transmission. For people with bad/no credit or whatever it’s a way to get to work.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > yamahog
08/18/2016 at 11:27

My candles tho.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
08/18/2016 at 11:29

Buying one that’s already out means you have to take the person’s word that they work. If it’s in a car I can drive it, listen to it, feel it shift, etc. etc.

I’m leaning towards just driving the bonneville and selling the riviera and nissan to pay for it, really.

the cost of getting a transmission (and the uncertainty with a used transmission that I have no way of testing) and replacing the intake manifold on my car would be roughly half of just buying this entire car.

Personally I think the best idea is to use the $1000 I just remembered I have to buy the Bonneville, sell the Riviera, sell the Nissan, just have the Bonnie and Nissan. I’ll miss the Riv though. So damn comfy.

diplodicus > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
08/18/2016 at 11:32

I also said “make money back”

Prove me wrong I don’t give a shit.

Stop asking for advice if you’re just going to whine when people tell you shit you don’t want to hear.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > AM3R shamefully returns
08/18/2016 at 11:33

There’s no way I could get enough out of the Miata to make it worthwhile and I would get, what, $1300-1600 out of the nissan and buick combined if I were lucky. I’m trying to whittle this down to having one reliable car and the Miata, but the inbetween step might be to have four cars briefly while I work on selling some. I dunno. I haven’t even seen this Bonneville in a year.

bob and john > yamahog
08/18/2016 at 11:33

dont even try, its pointless.

just pull out the nachos and watch the carnage.

Forge Crown Victor! > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
08/18/2016 at 11:33

As a guy with 8 cars, 4 that run, 3 of which are legal and reliable, this us what I would do.

Keep the Mazda. I kept a broken truck for 10 years because it was my first and I loved it. I understand. Sell the other 2 for the best price you can. Sounds like the Riv is a parts car at best. $750 if it has good plates and stickers.

Take the money and buy something that’s a safe bet like a corolla, focus, 90s box volvo, caprice or whatever you can find. I’ve owned 30 cars in the last 15 tears and have paid more than $1000 for 4 of them. There are cheap reliable cars out there so you can keep your miata as a spare/project.

EDIT: a drive train swap is not as simple as you may think. Plus there’s always $200 worth of odds and ends to buy to do it. Hoses belts fuses bolts etc. Not to mention things you tear up in the process. Trust me on this.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > Forge Crown Victor!
08/18/2016 at 11:36

Cars here are expensive. Anything under $2000 is going to need, at the least, brakes, tires, tune up, be ugly as sin, and struts. That’s why the Bonneville is so appealing. That, and Bonneville parts are cheaper than Riviera parts for some reason.

Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
08/18/2016 at 11:42

If I’m you, I make three lists. One for each car detailing what is wrong with it, what it will take to fix it, and how much it would cost.

Lots of people’s auto cross car also serve as a DD, so I would first ask yourself, can your Miata be a DD? If yes, then do whatever you can to the other two for minimal amounts of money to maximize what you can get for them. Take any money you get and put it towards making the Miata daily driver able.

If you refuse to DD the Miata, then I would essentially decide between the Buick and Sentra. Whichever one needs to go, again, do the little cheap stuff that makes the car a little more sellable, and put whatever you get towards the other one. If the riviera needs an engine that bad, I’d say it’s probably not the one I would choose.

If you’re set on keeping all three, then I would look at the three lists for each car and figure out which one could be finished cheapest and or quickest and I only work on that car until it’s done.

I don’t think in any of the above situations does it make sense to buy a donor car for the riviera.

Finally, it doesn’t have to be this way. There are cheap, fairly reliable cars for less than $2,000. I’ve put 5,000-7,000 miles on my E34 in the last year without it ever leaving me stranded, AC works marginally well, and I got it for $1,000 and put $600 until it was really roadworth and I also did about $400 in deferred maintenance that probably could have been deferred a little longer but I wanted to have a bit of piece of mind. Lexus sc300, Ford Focus, are just two more that have their respective reliability and driving merits and are cheap.

Captain of the Enterprise > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
08/18/2016 at 11:42

Unfortunately all used cars are a risk, there’s no way around it. You could sell them all and get a personal or auto loan from your bank to buy a Corolla for 3-4000. I bought mine for 3700 with a spare set of wheels and winter tires. Or you could buy an older one for less. Mine has been easy to work on and trouble free so far I’ve just been doing preventative maintenance. But I looked for a little while to find mine, it was a one owner car and the couple I bought it from were trustworthy and just ready to move on as they had bought her her first car since she got the Corolla in 2005.

If you really want to keep the Miata I think an option would be to return it to a more daily driver level of performance much closer to stock and drive that. Either way I think you should probably try to get down to one car for a while and save your money especially if you’re trying to move out. Car’s are cool and can be fun but the amount of stress this must be putting on you and the financial strain must be tough to deal with and will take there toll on you. You may be like me and find that because of the reduction in stress you may greatly enjoy a little corolla and find that you may be happier in the other parts of your life. It’s not a permanent sacrifice but one you make for a few more years and then you will be better set up for future car endeavors and your finances will probably be in better shape.

Forge Crown Victor! > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
08/18/2016 at 11:44

I agree. But a car doesn’t have to look good to be reliable. And yes you will have to put some money into it most likely. You can find cars that have good suspensions and just need a tune up for 1000-1500. Assuming you can sell both cars for $750, you will have $1500 to spend. Find a cheap car with current stickers and you will be golden at least for a while. Then you can concentrate on the miata.

Again just a suggestion

bhtooefr > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
08/18/2016 at 12:02

It sounds like you can’t afford a race car with what you’ve shared about your financial situation, I’ll be honest.

Get down to one car, and make it reliable above all else. That may mean repairing your Buick (although I don’t think buying another car as a powertrain donor is necessarily the right way to do it - don’t the 3800 Series IIs have coolant leaks caused by the intake manifold gaskets? So then it’s just a transmission, which... Better ways to do that than to buy a drivetrain donor). That may mean returning the Miata to stock and selling the parts. Either way...

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > bhtooefr
08/18/2016 at 12:10

The Miata is kind of a wash. I can just let it sit there and not spend money on it (like it’s been doing for months until recently).

With how much service history this Bonneville has I might end up ditching the Buick and Nissan (was going to sell the Nissan anyways) to get the Pontiac if I can stomach an early-2000s Pontiac interior. It’s as reliable as anything else I can imagine, and not *completely* boring. The Riviera needs intake gaskets, transmission, and front shocks, but the kicker is I would have to have a second car to commute in for the couple of weeks it would take to do all of that work.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > Forge Crown Victor!
08/18/2016 at 12:12

I’ll probably end up buying this bonneville and selling the buick and nissan. Rebuild heads, aluminum coolant elbows, it’s supercharged so there’s no stupid plastic intake manifold to break, and it handles reasonably competently. Ugly as sin though and beat to hell inside and out.

bhtooefr > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
08/18/2016 at 12:14

Aren’t you getting into a living situation where you need to get down to one car, though? Which, if you won’t give up the Miata, means you’re going down to just a Miata.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > Captain of the Enterprise
08/18/2016 at 12:14

The Miata is broken to the point where I’d be selling it as a parts car. Ever since I got it it doesn’t idle worth a crap because the compression is so poor, which is why I turbocharged it. I’m trying to get down to having the Miata as a toy/project and having a reliable daily (the Riviera would do nicely if it wasn’t so broken) because my health is very sensitive to stress. I might loan myself $1000 from my savings account to buy this Pontiac if it looks like something I could live with. Then I could take my time selling the Buick and the Nissan instead of rush-selling them and not getting as much as I should for them.

shop-teacher > Luc - The Acadian Oppo
08/18/2016 at 12:22

Thanks!

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle
08/18/2016 at 12:25

Thank you for your reply. Lots of people keep suggesting extremes to this situation and it’s a bit frustrating to hear a constant stream of “sell all your cars and buy something reliable”.

The Miata is a toy. Three months into owning it I realized the engine is basically junk. A 1.8 swap would make it very daily drivable and in fact, fantastic, but Miata parts are scarce around here to say the least. The current motor has low compression, doesn’t idle worth a crap, etc.

The Sentra has rust, bad rod bearings, no AC, and needs four struts. The Riviera needs a transmission, front struts, and (at least) a lower intake manifold gasket. $120 for struts on the Sentra would make it sellable for probably $600-$800, and the Riviera would be sellable as it is for $900-$1200. Hopefully. So neither is really “good” nor is one particularly much cheaper than the other to fix. The problem with fixing them is that neither car could be fixed in just one weekend, so I would need some other method of getting around while one car is being worked on, which is a logistical issue to say the least.

This Bonneville that has been brought to my attention could make a daily driver. My friend has had it in and out of his dealership for 5 years getting mostly general maintenence except for a time the head gaskets blew due to a coolant elbow failure, whereupon it got new head gaskets and rebuilt heads. The issue is it’s only made available to me for $1000 for one week, after which it gets made available to the genital public for far more than that and I lose out. I don’t have $1000 right now. I could get a personal loan for that amount, or borrow it from my savings account. Either way, that is money I would pay back upon selling my other two cars. Who knows? I’ll make a post later when I go look at the Pontiac to see how bad it is.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > bhtooefr
08/18/2016 at 12:26

The Miata needs an engine. I could have two cars since the Miata is so small, but if I could find an inexpensive 1.8 liter engine locally for the Mazda I’d totally keep it as my only car. Sadly, Kansas blows chunks for used cars and car parts. Everything is rare and expensive here.

Captain of the Enterprise > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
08/18/2016 at 12:31

I’m not going to lie it sounds like you’re in a tough spot right now. I think it’s important not to rush anything. If you really want to get the pontiac I would look at it and check it out very deeply to make sure it is a good idea. If your using it as a replacement car instead of engine then remember there are other options other than the Pontiac. Maybe an engine for the miata would be cheaper than a new car also. What part of the country are you were cars are so expensive? I think you may be better off with selling the Buick and the Nissan and you could do it after buying a simple reliable daily driver like a corolla or vibe or something like that. You may need to take an auto loan for a couple thousand but it may be worth it.

Also try to be kind to yourself and try to take a step back and look at this one step at a time. I have a feeling this decision has been built up into a HUGE all consuming thing in your head and it’s hard to make a rational and logical decision when you’re in that headspace (I know form experience).

Spaceball-Two > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
08/18/2016 at 12:37

I read the comments and I’m coming in late here but why get rid of the Nissan? Is that beat? Personally I’d keep the Nissan as the race car and sell off everything else and try and find a cheap, easy to maintain commuter.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
08/18/2016 at 12:39

That’s a pretty good plan. Though I assume you meant keep the miata and not the nissan?

Jayhawk Jake > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
08/18/2016 at 12:42

Why is ‘sell all your cars and get something reliable’ such a bad thing for you?

I get it, you like cars and driving. You want something fun. That’s totally understandable.

But pay more attention to your situation. You’re young, you don’t have a lot of money, you’re trying to move out of your Dad’s house...what you NEED right now, whether you care to admit or not, is a car that can get you where you need to go. That’s it. Once you have a car that can get you to and from work everyday without needing a heart transplant, your quality of life will be higher.

And don’t give me the ‘I have no money to do that’ excuse. You can get a loan, even if it’s not super smart. You do have a job. You have income. Get a small loan for something trustworthy (not another ‘it’s great but has a leaky radiator’ car), make small payments for the short term while you sell off the rest. Then take the money from selling the rest, go to the credit union, and refinance with that money as a downpayment.

Life may be short, but you’ve got plenty of it left. If you do things right now, in a year or two you could actually get your dream ‘one car’ Sky Redline or C5 Corvette. If you keep fixing one broken car buy buying another broken car, you’ll just be in broken cars forever.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > Captain of the Enterprise
08/18/2016 at 12:42

$1000 for a car with a known 5 year service history and rebuild heads is pretty much unheard of. I check craigslist on a daily basis for Miata parts but there’s rarely anything there. 1.8 miata motors are about $1200 plus shipping at the cheapest, which is ridiculous. I’m from Wichita Kansas. A 3800 drivetrain around here commands a $600-$800 pricetag in “go fuck yourself if it doesn’t work” condition. The burnt shell of a Grand Prix people want $600 for. It’s insane.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > Spaceball-Two
08/18/2016 at 12:50

Nissan has trashed rod bearings and a lot of rust. I don’t have an engine hoist to yank the engine and rebuild it, otherwise I might keep it but I really just don’t like it as much as the Miata.

Spaceball-Two > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
08/18/2016 at 12:51

Fair enough.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > Jayhawk Jake
08/18/2016 at 12:54

My problem with selling the Miata is twofold. I’m terrified of saying at some point “I never should have gotten rid of that car”, and also there’s no chance of me getting a reasonable amount of money for a Miata that doesn’t idle when cold, has a homemade turbo kit (though a $120 exhaust manifold would let me return the car to stock), a mismatched door, salvage title, etc. etc. Sure, I might get $1500 if I’m really, REALLY lucky but I don’t know if it’s worth it.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
08/18/2016 at 12:54

Yup. I cannot brain I have the dumbs. I meant keep the Bonneville and Miata.

Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
08/18/2016 at 13:44

Hmmm, I didn’t know the Miata was in that rough of shape.

Assuming you don’t want to just clean house(which, may not be a bad idea* up I can understand that you wouldn’t want to and understand the argument against it) I’d probably go with trying to fix up the Sentra first but don’t sweat the rust(assuming it’s not so bad a seats going to fall through the floor or something). Nothing it needs seems like it would take that long or be that expensive. Once the Sentra is “good enough” then I’d sell the riviera and put the money towards the Miata. Once the Miata is running again “good enough”, sell the Sentra and put the money towards the Miata.

But that’s me, you need to decide what you want and enjoy. Maybe you do enjoy the collection of semi project cars. That would drive me a bit crazy. If I were young and single and not flush with money, I’d want one car that did it all reasonably well and I think above I’m thinking your Sentra is probably your clearest car to get there(but even still, I don’t think you want it forever), and I’d want it to be reasonably reliable but wrench on, but either be saving for something better or add a fun car once it was sorted.

Im still not in favor of getting the Buick unless you are set on the riviera being a long term car and you think it can get to DD status quickly. But considering you are talking a big engine and tranny swap, I don’t think it’ll get there quickly or cheaply.

* One last thought about cleaning house, and starting over. Total up the amount you could get for all three of your cars. Be realistic. Then add the $1,000 you are thinking about taking out for that bonneville. I’m guessing you’re closing in on $3,000-4,000.

manual, reliable, drive pretty well (and if you really want to get some oomph, you can get an aftermarket intake manifold and tune and make decent higher rpm power) https://wichita.craigslist.org/cto/5712240508…

Rear wheel drive, turbo, manual, luxury - https://wichita.craigslist.org/cto/5733253111…

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle
08/18/2016 at 13:48

Good advice, I’ll be thinking about it.

I’ll never own another Ford but that Benz is intriguing. I hate to see what a coil pack or similar costs for those.

Jayhawk Jake > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
08/18/2016 at 14:06

So park it. Rent a cheap storage unit, put it in there. Don’t touch it until you have a sure footing with a reliable car and plenty of money in the bank.

daender > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
08/18/2016 at 18:36

Sell the Nissan at about 500$, preferably to someone looking for a potential LeMons car or a Rally-X beater. Use the money to patch up the Riv or Miata.

Is the Murdersofa still alive, yours, and possibly sell-able?

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > daender
08/18/2016 at 18:40

the Riv will be around $800 to patch up. The Murdersofa is mostly dead, my dad’s, and he wants to keep it.

daender > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
08/18/2016 at 19:26

Ah, well that answers my curiosity about the fate of the ‘Sofa as I haven’t heard of it in a while. Also, I see that the Pontiac is pretty beat. I’ll be honest, I can’t think of a possible solution to your dilemma, sorry. Best of luck with your projects.

Rico > Jayhawk Jake
08/18/2016 at 21:04

He doesn’t understand that he can just buy another shitty, run down Miata down the line once he’s owned a reliable car for a while and have saved money doing so. I say get rid of all those cars, get a reliable car and start stacking your money. If a year from now another $1500 Miata tickles his fancy he can just buy it and have a reliable car already+money.

Jayhawk Jake > Rico
08/18/2016 at 23:05

He’s attached. Also all his cars are soooooper sketch so they probably won’t sell