New car vs. new engine

[iqqi]

My car has recently had some probs, an oil leak that lead to a bad smoky exhaust. Had some little nitpicky work done to rule out anything small, but it now appears that I may need a new engine. When I was told this by 3 different mechanics, they all say "get rid of it", and get a new car.

Is there something I am missing completely? Because when my common sense kicks in, it tells me that $1-2000 for a new engine is a hell of a lot cheaper than $5000+ for a decent used car. I have a very nice looking '95sports car, and I got it for a sweet deal 3 years ago. It seems to me like a bad decision to trash it over a $1-2000 bill, and then spend more on another used car that could have worse problems in a couple of months.

What am I missing here, or am I a genius?

 

[MrS]

I think you're missing something, such as: The new engine not working with your car, more than the engine having a problem, etc etc. Ask the mechanics why..

 

[S1NN3R]

External oil leaks on to the exhaust causing smoke are generally an easy fix if you know what you're doing. Internal oil consumption causing smoke through combustion is generally moch more expensive. Find out from the mechanics which it is (somthing they should have told you by now anyway). If it's external, take it other places until you find someone smart enough to fix the problem (no offense if your mech are you buddies, but if it is external and they can't find it, well.....). If it's internal, scrap the engine or pick up a new car. Burning oil in the combustion chamber is generally a major problem with either the block or the heads, not a cheap fix.

Just a thought, you said '95 sports car, and that made me think RX-7 initially. I know odd are low that's what it is since only 500 '95 RX-7s were imported to the states, but just in case, RX-7s are supposed to smoke! It's when they're not smoking that you get nervous.

 

[iqqi]

External oil leaks on to the exhaust causing smoke are generally an easy fix if you know what you're doing. Internal oil consumption causing smoke through combustion is generally moch more expensive. Find out from the mechanics which it is (somthing they should have told you by now anyway). If it's external, take it other places until you find someone smart enough to fix the problem (no offense if your mech are you buddies, but if it is external and they can't find it, well.....). If it's internal, scrap the engine or pick up a new car. Burning oil in the combustion chamber is generally a major problem with either the block or the heads, not a cheap fix.

Just a thought, you said '95 sports car, and that made me think RX-7 initially. I know odd are low that's what it is since only 500 '95 RX-7s were imported to the states, but just in case, RX-7s are supposed to smoke! It's when they're not smoking that you get nervous.

It had an oil leak for awhile, and there were a couple of times where it ran on no oil at all, and that is probaly why the engine is most likely messed up. I will still make sure it isn't external, but some things were done to make sure. In order to check the heads and what not, they'd have to take the whole engine out anyways, not a cheap fix I know.

It is a talon.

 

[S1NN3R]

Talon TSi, or base model? If it's an AWD TSi it's worth it, if not don't watse money on an engine unless you can get it for less that what you said.

If it ran on no oil, it's usually pretty much done. Any money spent on that is wasted. You might try to find a local auto racing forum in your area. Eclipses/Talons are still fairly popular and there are probably some guys who would know the best place in your area to find an engine for it. Then talk to a high school auto shop class and see if they'll drop it in for you.

Is it smoking from the tailpipe or from the engine bay? (I should have asked that to begin with)

 

[Big Eee Zee]

talons aren't that amazing. the turbo ones are ok, but anything other than a totally worked one isn't worth the open heart surgery of an engine swap. (unless you wanna put a chevy 350 in there )

i'd agree get a different car. if you really want to keep it, you should be able to find a mechanic to do it for about 1500-2000, depending on if you get a new or used (get used) motor.

 

[ShizamDaMan]

Mmmm... DSMs. I'd totally pimp one if they didn't break down every week

 

[iqqi]

It only smokes from the back, and not constantly, either. Just when it does, it is bad.

It is not Tsi, but that doesn't make it worthless, I don't think.

I mean, the whole point I am thinking along, is that it is a VERY nice looking ride, I got it for a steal, and for $1-2000, fixing the engine will leave me with something much nicer, than what it could buy me.

Is there a big problem with replacing engines? Is there a chance that it won't fix the car?

I've had it for 3 years, no probs, and just recently I've been droppin $ on it, for the oil leak, for brakes, a bad front wheel bearing, and now maybe the engine. I'm used to real junk, so this has been the most reliable car I've had, and these issues now, seem normal to me. I'm not even mad! I just want to be sure.

 

[organizedconfusion]

what year is it? is it the late generation ones? i was gonna pick up a clean TSI for $8k..
http://finance.beelink.com.cn/20051008/eagle.jpg

it's kinda hard to say really-if you like the car,why not? depending on how much you already spent on it of course and how long you plan on keeping it..$2k really is a good deal if it's a late gen. model,even if it's an RS -they still look tight..and if you don't plan on going too fast.You could always get a totally different engine in there,but that'll just mean more work and money..all depends on the type of car you want..

 

[iqqi]

It is a 95, looks alot like the one in your pic, except it is red. I call her Lolita.

 

[iqqi]

This is what it looks like: http://www.rankmyride.com/?func=image&file=data//f/e/15544//.large/storm_2.jpg

 

[iqqi]

BUMP DAMMIT

I am serious, I am trying to make a real life decision here, and I need more opinions. Am I making sense? Or am I naive?

 

[penkitten]

ok i had a 90 dodge caravan that i bought in 2000 from the precher, it was nice.
they sold it to me when i was very poor single mom of 3 making seven bucks an hour with no child support coming in yet for 500 bucks and it rocked.

a year later, as soon as i bought a house, it started leaking oil badly. when i got my tax refund i took it in to my auto repair guy. he said the leak was due to bad rings and that the amount of time and money that it would cost to repair the problem was not worth it. he immediatley suggested i get a new vehicle with my tax money instead. so i did.

the van sat there in my drive way for years and i was scared to drive it.
i bought a cutlass for three grand and within a year it had to have a new transmission that cost me 2000 grand.

i could have put that five grand into my van but i didnt due to what they told me about the van.

finally last year, my ex husband needed to buy that old van to use as a work vehicle and i wasnt using it and needed him to get back to work to collect child support and i sold it to him for 100 bucks thinking that was all that it was worth and trying to get rid of it anyhow.

he did a tune up and drove it for a while, then a supertine belt broke and its just sitting there in his drive way. the belt costs like 30 bucks.


long run, i probally should have put the money in the van but i didnt.
once you buy something new, it could have problems also that cost alot too. if you like your car and you know it, sometimes sinking money into it is safer in the long run, because you know its history on what has already broken that you had to repair .

 

[S1NN3R]

it started leaking oil badly. when i got my tax refund i took it in to my auto repair guy. he said the leak was due to bad rings

And this, lady and gentlemen, is why every single person ever should take at least a basic auto mechanics course at your local college. It's not your fault for not knowing better if you have no experience, but even a basic course would have imparted to you the understanding of how an engine works that you would have known that bad rings can not cause bad oil leaks. Bad rings will reduce performance and cause you to burn oil, but never leaks. Had you been privy to this knowledge, you could have saved yourself thousands and paid back the college course ten times over in one day by going to a different shop because what the first one said just didn't jive. It's not that all shop owners are stupid or shady, sometimes they are, or sometimes they just don't really want to do the work so they tell you it's worse then it is or tell you it can't be done or they can't do it. If you'd been able to recognize that what the shopyou went to just didn't quite make sense, you could have taken it somewhere else for a second opinion and they might have told you the truth and gotten your problem fixed the right way.

BUMP DAMMIT

I am serious, I am trying to make a real life decision here, and I need more opinions. Am I making sense? Or am I naive?

If the car means that much to you, you should replace the engine. you said it was run on no oil. There's no two ways about it, that did permanent damage to the exixting engine regardless of what symptoms it's displaying now. Any money you spend on that engine today to fix the minor problems it's displaying is wasted, because that engine will continue to degrade to the point that it is utterly useless. Depending on the amount of damage to it, it might die in a month, it might die in a year and a half, but it will die.

If you like the car that much, and intend to keep it, put a new engine in it.

Even better, find out exactly how much a full engine install will cost you, down to the dollar. For the sake of simplicity, let's just say it's $2500 installed. Now go shop for another car that you would be willing to buy. Anything you find, haggle him down to his lowest price, then mentally subtract the engine cost from your current car from the new one's price tag and ask yourself if you'd be willing to pay that. The reason you do that is because if you do what needs to be done to your Talon the right way, that $2500 is gone anyway. If you keep your car, you're $2500 out of pocket, but if you just get a new car, you don't have to spend that money. So say you find a car you want that's $5500. You'd really only be spending $3000 more than if you get your car back up to the condition it should be.

Insert the actual numbers and you'll find the true cost of buying a new car vs keeping yours.

 

[iqqi]

The reason you do that is because if you do what needs to be done to your Talon the right way, that $2500 is gone anyway. If you keep your car, you're $2500 out of pocket, but if you just get a new car, you don't have to spend that money. So say you find a car you want that's $5500. You'd really only be spending $3000 more than if you get your car back up to the condition it should be.

Insert the actual numbers and you'll find the true cost of buying a new car vs keeping yours.

the reason this isn't accurate in my situation it - I am broke. So raising $2000 is not an easy feat, and that is all I am working with. So it is Should the $2000 go to the talon, or a new, most likely junker and uglier, ride?

Do you think if I get a new engine, it will still have some major issues, or should that fix it good?


Penkitten, you are exactly what I am talking about. I can go get another used car, but most likely it is also going to have some other hidden bad issue.