I own a 1993 Cadillac Sedan DeVille with about 278,000 miles.

[MISSDem]

It still runs good and looks good and gets around 20 MPG. Now it needs a new starter and wheel bearings that I figure will set me back at least $500 - probably a little more. Should I do it? Where do you draw the line as to how much money you put into an older car?

[Bluzmann57]

1. Starter and wheel bearings for $500.00?

Hmmm, if it were me, I'd likely keep the car just for the simple fact that $500.00 for parts isn't all that much anymore. And what the heck, if the car is in good shape, maybe you can sell it for a tidy sum. Good luck.

[Richard D]

2. How many months of payments and increased insurance . . .

. . . would $500 cover? I'm driving a '94 and I'll keep in going till it won't go anymore to avoid monthly payments and giving more to the insurance companies.

[FKA MNChimpH8R]

3. Fix 'er up

That beast will probably run for another 100K. You've already driven it to the moon, so why not?

[HillbillyBob]

4. Depending on whether you can do the work yourself

parts for $500 is a good price. If you have maintained oil changes etc. I would keep it unless there are other pending problems. Changing out a starter and wheel bearings should not be too difficult if you are mech inclined or even if you hire it done. Does it have to pass emissions where you live?
I have had very good service using Merchants Tire/Tire Kingdom (same company).
The found a code problem with our 98 Dakota pickup that 7 Dodge dealers and 5 differen't tire, transmission, and garages kept saying did not exist. It was a solenoid in the trans shift that would let it hang up in 2 gear and not go into 3rd or overdrive. Do check for references. I go online and google up customer reviews of every thing before I go buy...So far it has worked well for me.
Another thing I always do is get the Chilton's service book for every car when I buy it, read that then when a garage says something like you hookamajix is bent. You know if it has such a thing and if it can break.

[LakeSamish706]

5. Look on something like Craigs list for a back yard mechanic....

If you find one, be sure to get references etc.... I found one that will do mechanical work for $30 per hour... Going shop rate is around $100 plus... Also see if he can get a good refurbed starter instead of new.

[Hardrada]

6. I have a 1993 Lincoln Town Car which is an elegant car

and it has 119,000 miles on it. I am carefully maintaining it and would put more money into it if need be. It is a rather vintage car by now but I have had few problems with it functionally except once it did need a new ignition. We don't need any car payments either and so maintain what we have (wife has a newer Mercury van).

[LeftyMom]

21. Town Cars last forever.

My Dad buys them for his business, not quite that old but all of his quickly wind up with way more miles than yours has.

He hasn't had an engine go out on him yet, though we've lost a few to some absolutely epic car crashes where nobody was hurt. It's not unusual to see limo companies selling *still drivable* TCs with just under half a million miles on them.

Good cars.

[Hardrada]

22. Mine is for business also. I can get quite a few boxes into that big trunk.

I had a 1989 Town Car before this one and that one is probably still on the road somewhere!

[frogcycle]

27. I have a '93 Continental

not as classy as the Town Car, but I will keep it up and run it forever. Only about 70,000 miles so far.

[RB TexLa]

Of course you should, we've had DeVilles from that era. I bet it's still smooth as glass

on the interstate.

[bemildred]

7. As long as the engine and transmission are good, fix it.

If you can't handle $500 now and then, no disrespect intended, you ought to have a bicycle or a scooter or walk. Cars do not get cheaper than that.

[nilram]

24. I'll second that, every word. -nt

[DainBramaged]

8. Parts cost at Advanced auto parts

$64.99 with refundable $30 core charge at Advanced Auto Parts for starter and the solenoid is $16.29. If you have ABS the wheel baring/hub assemblies are $100 each.



http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/

[SeeHopeWin]

9. If you can afford it, buy a NEW AMERICAN CAR please...

I just did. Good for America, good for all of us.

[RB TexLa]

10. They should spend more of their money because it's good for someone else?

:crazy:

[Dont_Bogart_the_Pretzel]

23. Good for China and Germany too...

In my Ford SportTrac it's "American" but the engine is made in Germany, the wiring is from China(probably) and no telling where the fenders and tires are from.




After saying that, I love it.












A couple of weeks ago my roomate bought a 2008 Toyota Prius....yes a Toyota! It is one of the best cars I've been in a long time.

[galileoreloaded]

30. A Nissan made in Tennesee, or a Dodge made in Mexico???

which actually helps more?? Supporting Labor (Nissan), or management (Dodge).

It get confusing after a while!!

[RB TexLa]

36. Not really confusing if you think about them as human beings instead of Americans and Mexicans

Unless you are a person who puts human beings into different classes based on where they live.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

11. I'd keep it -

just what you save in insurance makes it worth it, but the biggest question for me would be: Do I love this car?

Sounds like you love it. If you do, drive it until it dies.

Good luck, and happy driving...........

[TahitiNut]

12. Of course you should That's a no-brainer, imho.

As long as repairs and maintenance cost far less than payments and higher insurance, I do it. I have a 1990 Chrysler LeBaron wit 110,000 miles. I figure on keeping it at least through 200,000 miles.

[LSdemocrat]

13. I'd advise you to take the car to an independent mechanic you trust

Get an idea of what sort of costs you'll likely need to incur over however long you'll want the car.

[MISSDem]

14. Thanks yall. You have made me feel better about what I wanted

to do anyway. I'll fix her again.

[hunter]

15. The average age of our family car fleet is 18 years.

If the car's not trash yet, and you still like to drive it, fix it.

[BlooInBloo]

16. Sounds like you need an "expected cost of ownership vs car age" graph, for your model...

Naturally I have no idea where to find such a thing.

[safeinOhio]

17. Hope it isn't a Northstar engine

Changing the starter might require pulling the head to get at it. I loved my 94 STS, until the repairs got out of hand. To replace 2 $35.00 coolent lines cost $500.00 to unbolt and lift the engine to get at them. I found a dealer that was giving a thousand dollars for any trade you could drive, pull or push in. Got a 02 Sunfire that has been great. Good luck.

[EOTE]

28. I believe Caddy switched to Northstar in 94.

Prior to that, they were all pushrod V8s (aside from that damn Cimmaron that had Chevy's pushrod V6). I believe the 93 Deville had the 300 CID or 4.9 liter. Pretty stout engine and a lot easier to work on than the Northstar with all those cams and valves. Not that I have anything against the Northstar, I had an Oldsmobile Aurora that had a smaller version of the Northstar V8 in it, but I tend to like the torque curves of OHV V8 engines better and they're much easier to tinker with to get more power.

That said, if the Caddy is still in good condition disregarding those few small repairs, I'd definitely get it repaired. New cars ain't cheap, and a new car that has anywhere near the level of luxury of the old Caddy is going to cost a pretty penny. I'd say drive it into the ground.

[TheCowsCameHome]

18. If it's in overall good shape, by all means fix it.

That's what I'm doing with my 271K Buick.

$500 is barely a month's car payment these days.

[TheCowsCameHome]

19. Self-delete. Duplicate post.

[MADem]

20. I have a 1980s era Pontiac that gets incredible mileage--incredible!

I've had the thing fixed up here and there over the years, even got it painted.

Insurance is next to nothing. Now that I've gotten all sorts of work done on it, little by little, it runs like a top. Oh--and it has less than a hundred thousand miles on it, too.

If you put 1200 bucks a year into an old car you genuinely like, and it runs reliably, why, that's cheaper than four hundred bucks a MONTH for a car note, to say nothing of the obscene insurance costs.

Weigh it all out--how much you drive it (which affects your gas costs and your maintenance as well), what your insurance costs are, what kind of neighborhood you live in (do they jack nice cars, or steal 'em around your vicinity?), if it's a good time for you to buy a new car....and come to your decision based on those variables. There's also the "I wanna new car" factor--can't ever argue with that one, I suppose.

Good luck with your decision!

[ConcernedCanuk]

26. LOL!! - - $1200 a year is less than $400 a month - you betcha! - it's only 100 bucks a month

.
.
.


At least by my Canuck math

:silly:

OH - and unless you need a different kind of vehicle, it's always cheaper to fix the one ya love

Mine turned 30 years old this year (my truck)

I've replaced the engine, rebuilt the transmission, replaced the rear differential and all the regular maintenance like brakes and so on during the 19 years I've owned it.

When I'm broke, I park it - no bank is gonna take it away from me

I bought it for 3 Grand cash 19 years ago

I figure I've spent less than 800 bucks a year on maintenance

some years nothing(depends on income) some years thousands.

Keep it - enjoy it

:thumbsup:

[MADem]

32. Yep--people forget the car note. Then they forget the cost of insuring a newer car.

Then they forget that people want to steal newer cars. Then they forget about the agita and worry of getting a ding or a scrape. It's very liberating to have a car that you know is reliable, is simple to fix, and no one wants to steal.

[Historic NY]

25. A 73 Plymouth put a new engine in it 2 yrs ago.. 22mpg on highway

sometimes it cheaper to just save the car payment. I use the Plymouth as a summer driver. It was a beater until I fixed it up saved from the crusher in California. I do plan on replacing a 10yr old SUV sometime this fall.

[old mark]

29. Do you like the car? 20 MPG is only slightly less than my 99 VW

Passat, which requires high test gas and near $3/gallon. Your caddy probably has the famous GM 1500series v-6, one of the best engines GM ever made. It can be made to turn in much better mileage, too.
If you like the car, spend the $ to fix it and keep it a few years longer - you will never see another one like it in the future.

Mark

[kcass1954]

31. 97 F150 - rebuilt the engine last summer.

Transmission is in good shape (did I say that out loud?!?), body is okay, has more than 160K miles - odometer works intermittently. Our mechanic couldn't do it but he recommended some guy in Hialeah, who turns out to be licensed and bonded and has a really good reputation. $2200 later, it runs great.

We didn't have the money at the time, so we had to put it on a card, but we paid it off in 5 months.

$450 for 5 months versus $400-500 for 5 years. That was a no-brainer.

[itsrobert]

33. Impossible, you are lying. American cars crap out just after the warranty expires

About 30,000 miles. Every fly by night expert knows that. :sarcasm:

[bertman]

34. Sounds like a keeper. And when these dinosaurs are outlawed you'll have a collector's item.

My 94 Dodge Ram pickup gets only 12 or 13 around town, but it's still a good firewood and trash-hauling truck. Plus, my stepdaughter loves it. She said she never drove anything before that "jumped" when she hit the gas. Of course, she only drives it in emergencies or when she wants to look like a real woman.

[zagging]

35. When the cost of maintenance exceeds payments

Time for a new car if you can't make it dependable with fewer dollars.

[MISSDem]

37. I'll throw in one last comment. Here in mississippi you have

to pay tax on the price of the car when you license the car so a new car can cost a pretty penney to put a tag on.

[MISSDem]

38. For the record, the total bill was $444 and cents for

left front wheel bearing, new starter and an oil change including labor. I even got better gas mileage on the way home - how can that be? 22.3 MPG