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Re: Expensive to repair? Posted by Saana88 [Email]  (#207)  [Profile/Gallery]
(more from Saana88) on Wed, 26 Oct 2005 19:20:51
In Reply to: Expensive to repair?, BobK, Wed, 26 Oct 2005 16:56:52 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
'90 is an awesome year, but it's still 15 years old. Do your homework, make sure the major stuff (esp. transmission) is in good, solid shape, and decide whether you want to take a chance on a car without maintenance records if they are lacking.
For example, my '92 S (no turbo, but the pricey power doodads nonetheless) killed its alternator in September. I had to have the car operable the next day, so I paid out the earlobes to have a mechanic charge me retail for an Advance Auto-quality alternator and put it in all wrong. He bashed up the firewall (look, I TOLD YOU how to get the thing off and you didn't listen) then tensioned the belts with the wrong bolt (bye bye bushings) and used a crowbar to put my brand new belts back on. I am not amused. If I had four days so I could order a Bosch alternator (and bushings) I would've done a way, way, way, way better job myself for half the price. That's what I've learned from this board over the years. The combination of having the right tools (usually hand tools) and the advice and connections from this board and doing the work myself has probably saved me in excess of $10k since mid-2002, and I have two efficient, reliable, fairly pretty cars to show for it. Although I have grown pretty specialized in car knowledge, I put it to good use and it pays off.
Depending on which "mileage" you ask for, my cars are in excellent condition and I drive easy, so they return around 30 MPG, maybe more, maybe less, and they're great in bad weather. If you meant high mileage, I bought my convertible a year ago because it "only" had 108k on it (my 4-door snow car is pushing 200 and doing fine) and it has been reliable, comfortable, efficient, and it got me to the job interviews, then I got the job, then I moved, then I commuted, and the car's been there for all of it. I'm not so sure the older one would've done so well through all of that, so my purchase is justified.
I cannot guarantee you will have the same results. I dodged most of the major work that is due at this time only because it had already been done. That left lots of little things, and I'm picky this time around. If you basically know your way around cars, and the car feels good, I encourage you to give it a try. You'll come to appreciate all the quirks (there are many) and adjust to some of the shortfalls (every car has them). My main advice is to be very cautious if you're considering an automatic or if the engine shows signs of abuse, and if you get any bad feedback from a five speed, walk away. Most of the other stuff is repairable with basic hand tools and a few special bits, which you can get from sponsors of this site or elsewhere.
I wouldn't be able to own a convertible if I didn't do the repairs myself, but I'm kinda cheap too. Keep in mind that it does add up in a hurry, and while you drive it you can work your way back to a state of good repair if things need attention.
100k list- change gearbox oil (and all the rest of the fluids), ball joints getting close, take a long look at your alternator brushes, do a complete tune-up, and that's it.
Tell us what you think.
, Thu, 27 Oct 2005 12:24:37, Wed, 26 Oct 2005 19:20:51 <-- Viewing This Message
, Fri, 28 Oct 2005 12:46:38
, Wed, 26 Oct 2005 18:07:42
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