Crossroads: repair, replace, or both?

"BoulderZ" (BoulderZ) 08/24/2015 at 02:49 • Filed to: None

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My truck failed emissions. It actually failed for a legitimate reason, and the (no charge) tech appointment laid out an easy fix. I converted my ‘89 Toyota 2WD 22R pickup with the awful carburetor to a 22-RET, using an SDS EFI system, a T3/T4 hybrid, ARP rod bolts, and connecting bits from LC Engineering. There are a lot of other upgrades and fixes, too. For the initial pass, I must have snowed the technicians. I have in the past 6 years passed by using the drive-by emissions testing (convenient, cheap, and awesome). Due to !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! I had to go with with the in-person appearance this time, and was flagged for missing the AS System. However, I do now know I am missing a system that reduces particular difficult cold weather cold start emissions. It’s a legitimate problem, and the mistake is mine. The parts cost is probably about $200, not a big deal.The availability of parts and time to install are the bigger problem.

It does leave me wondering, though. Should I fix it and keep going? Should I fix it, sell it, and replace it? Should I sell it “As Is” and replace it?

Considerations:

This is my first car. From the link above, heritage and history are quite important to me, especially now.

This truck is paid for, cheap to insure, cheap to register. Assuming it passes.

I don’t put many miles on it, maybe 2,500 per year. It’s about hauling home owner DIY materials, camping, and sentimentality. In no particular order.

The Agreed Value policy on my ‘78 Z requires I have some other vehicle as my daily driver. Unfortunately, though my commute is two miles and best done by bike or running, they think that requires a “motor vehicle”. We do have another vehicle already, a 2004 40k miles 1.8T MarkIV Jetta that we love.

What this truck does is, for a very low cost, haul crap for house/property work (1/2 ton 6’ bed is plenty, 2WD with LSD is fine), Xtra Cab is nice bonus space, clearance w/ 29” tires to get to USFS campsites, carries the driver plus a kid seat and passenger.

Suppose I just dive in and fix it this time. What’s the next thing? How soon and for how much?

So, I’ve allowed my mind to wander. If I fix the truck, I want a nice Miller TIG welder to make some new bumpers and an integrated trailer hitch and spare tire rack. And I want to finish my A/C re-install. And a working stereo.

I’ve also looked at replacement options:

A new Tacoma. Pros: 4WD, decent power, nice options. Cons: $42k MSRP and up for a f*ing truck, automatic only, higher registration, higher insurance. Chevy Colorado similar but theoretically with a diesel option.

A new Nissan Frontier, manual. Mid $30k MSRP, decently equipped.

CPO or decent used of the above. Pros: cheap Cons: Nobody here sells a used truck that has any value left in it. I already own a used truck that has concerns.

Instead of a truck, what about a wagon and maybe add a cargo trailer for the Home Depot and camping purposes?

A new VW Golf Sportwagen, TDI, loaded and manual. $32k MSRP. Cons: new car registration and insurance, the usual rants about VW reliability and so on. Pros: In 10 years of problem-free VW ownership, I think the owners have more blame than the mark for the supposed problems. The $10k savings vs. a new truck would hire the Home Depot truck a crap-load of times, and/or I could get or build an open cargo trailer.

Aston Martin Rapide or Porsche Panamera, new or CPO (put the new Jag or Maserati in here, too). Pros: Aston V12 or Porsche 6 (TT?) engine, all the lovely bits and performance that come with it. Cons: just because you could spend the money doesn’t mean it’s a good idea, let alone registration and insurance and maintenance and parking and...

BMW, Volvo, or Audi AWD wagons. Pros: checks all the boxes for functionality. Cons: a bit of concern on initial and ongoing costs, let’s say. Don’t bother suggesting an SUV or a Subaru to me; it won’t happen.

Odd options:

Pre-1950 COE, set up for car (track days with the Z) and cargo (home ownership, total drag...) hauling. Pros: awesome vehicle, runs forever, cheap to insure. Cons: possibly high cost to purchase and/or restore, driver and two passengers may be tricky, collector/vintage difficulties, probably bad mileage, questionable restoration or upgrade work that I’ll have to fix.

Buy a truly impractical car for the fun of it, and put a hitch on it to get some modicum of practicality. Lotus Exige. Audi TT. Porsche 911. Citroen DS or 2CV or H-van. Fiat Cinque Cento, or X19.

Military sale dual-fuel deuce-and-a-half.

Right now, I’m leaning towards getting a temp tag on my truck while I fix my mistake and get it emissioned and re-registered, then seeing where I’m at with keep vs. sell and replace. What are your thoughts?

Tareim - V8 powered > BoulderZ 08/24/2015 at 03:03

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Sounds like you’ve already put a lot of work into it so just as well fix it and carry on using it

Echo51 > BoulderZ 08/24/2015 at 04:09

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It’s a 200$ part and a few busted knuckles and some beers to fix and have a functioning car where you KNOW what you have, other then buying a different vehicle you have no clue about what’s been done to/not done. I’d have fixed it, assuming you can do it yourself.

NotUnlessRoundIsFunny > BoulderZ 08/24/2015 at 04:19

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This is the clearest write up about this dilemma I’ve seen, nice work.

Personally I vote for keep and fix...you’ve got a lot of work in it, you know what you’re dealing with, and there are intangibles that say hang onto it. You can always decide to sell it later for something else, but that process alone will probably take longer than fixing it from what you’re saying.

Plus, I regret not grabbing a Toyota truck back when they were actually small. The Tacoma just seems enormous!

BoulderZ > NotUnlessRoundIsFunny 08/25/2015 at 00:29

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I compared my truck to my neighbor’s crew cab Tacoma, and the size difference was giant. I think I can find the parts, they shouldn’t cost much, and installation should require minimal fabrication. The time is the main problem. Me and Mrs. Boulder both work full time, and we have a two year old to chase around, and due to that link above I am now out of PTO until the first of the year. If I can get creative with some time swaps, it might be do-able. I think you’re right that selling it would take quite a bit of time, and I’d probably want to fix the emissions issue to make it easier to sell, anyway. It does seem to make a lot more sense to keep it, though.

BoulderZ > Echo51 08/25/2015 at 00:32

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It’s a pretty easy DIY job. I’ll have to tap a port in to the intake upstream of the turbo compressor, and a port in to the exhaust, just upstream of the cat, and some tubing to connect it all. The parts are just a valve and two switches, albeit very particular ones from only 2 or 3 model years. If I can figure out the time to do it, I think it’s making more sense to keep the truck.

BoulderZ > Tareim - V8 powered 08/25/2015 at 00:33

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Yeah, I think that’s what it’s coming down to.