"G-g-g-g-g-g-thunk. Ssssssssssssss."
That's the sound that my car made Thursday night on the way back from rehearsal when I finally managed (barely) to pull into the city limits of Nowhere, WI. The "check engine" light had been on for about 10 miles, and the disconcerting smell of burning metal had been seeping into the car through the improvised air conditioner (i.e. the open window). It was nearly midnight when the Mazda refused to go the last few feet from the parking lot to the gas pump at the Citgo on Lakebottom Road, so I woke up M and pushed it into place. The top of the radiator was a gooey white mess with steam coming out of it, and there was no visible oil in the engine. I put three quarts in and water in what was left of the radiator, limped the car to the mechanic and left a note and a key.
Keep in mind, please, that I cannot currently afford a single skateboard wheel.
The bill for the radiator, $260, hit me pretty hard, especially coming on the heels of the hard-earned realization--in the form of a $200 doctor bill--that my health insurance covers just about nothing. (I need another job. I can stand either a crap salary or crap benefits, but not both). But even harder was the next blow. Running the engine without a radiator apparently makes this mysterious thing called a "head gasket" take the inconvenient course of "blowing." And remedying this would push the repair costs up to around what I paid for the car in the first place.
Conundrum. I haven't had a car payment because I bought this spiffy 14-year-old Mazda from a good friend for a good price. It's worked out to about $100 a month. Do I want to double that in one swell foop, or do I want to cut my losses and get another car. Unfortunately living without a car is out of the question in this here piss-ant burg.
So I did the latter. I am not the kind of person who just buys a car in an hour or so. I'm the kind of person who researches, compares, and whatnot. But I had no time!
Anyway, I got a pretty good deal (about $1700 under bluebook) on a 2002 Ford Focus. She claims that her name is Charlene. She seems good-tempered and I do look good in green. I haven't signed anything yet (4th of July holiday and all), but I'm approved for a loan. I could still back out.
Opinions? Somebody tell me I'm doing the right thing.
Keep in mind, please, that I cannot currently afford a single skateboard wheel.
The bill for the radiator, $260, hit me pretty hard, especially coming on the heels of the hard-earned realization--in the form of a $200 doctor bill--that my health insurance covers just about nothing. (I need another job. I can stand either a crap salary or crap benefits, but not both). But even harder was the next blow. Running the engine without a radiator apparently makes this mysterious thing called a "head gasket" take the inconvenient course of "blowing." And remedying this would push the repair costs up to around what I paid for the car in the first place.
Conundrum. I haven't had a car payment because I bought this spiffy 14-year-old Mazda from a good friend for a good price. It's worked out to about $100 a month. Do I want to double that in one swell foop, or do I want to cut my losses and get another car. Unfortunately living without a car is out of the question in this here piss-ant burg.
So I did the latter. I am not the kind of person who just buys a car in an hour or so. I'm the kind of person who researches, compares, and whatnot. But I had no time!
Anyway, I got a pretty good deal (about $1700 under bluebook) on a 2002 Ford Focus. She claims that her name is Charlene. She seems good-tempered and I do look good in green. I haven't signed anything yet (4th of July holiday and all), but I'm approved for a loan. I could still back out.
Opinions? Somebody tell me I'm doing the right thing.
posted by James at 10:57 AM
1 Comments:
This sucks! I'm so sorry. You're doing the right thing, in my opinion. I'm not sure this is what your post is asking for, and at the risk of sounding like a know-it-all stranger on the internet (is there a more annoying form of human being?), I'll tell you what I've learned in my years of car buying with very little cash to spare.
Make sure you check out the VIN on carfax.com. It'll cost some money ($20?), but it will let you know if the car's been an accident, etc. Depending on how much you're paying for the car, how many miles it has on it, and its warranty status, you might also want to have a mechanic give it the once over to make sure Charlene isn't justifying going under the blue book value because the car is in sorry state. I'd also ask her if she's spoken with any mechanics recently about what might need to be replaced soon and ask her when the last time she replaced obvious parts, like the tires, and how often she's changed the oil over the life of the car.
Again, I'm sorry if this is presumptuous, but it seemed like you were soliciting a little for advice. And I've had to sleuth through a couple of used cars on my own, and it can be a frustrating experience.
Post a Comment
<< Home