boogieshoes: (fresian)
boogieshoes ([personal profile] boogieshoes) wrote2013-10-09 06:12 pm
Entry tags:

timing in RL does not go as planned...

... usually not ever.  the camry is getting to the point where it is no longer cheap to drive, because it is breaking down every time i turn around.  and my preferred mechanic shop is Goodyear, who really are good, and worth the money, but may at this point be worth more than the *car* is worth.  understand, the camry is a '96, and has almost 300k miles on it.

in the the last 3 weeks, the alternator went, and took the battery with it.  fortunately, those were under warranty.  unfortunately, roomie's alternator and battery went *at the same time*, and since this is the first time he's had to replace anything, his parts were *not* under warranty.  and since his car is a honda accura, his parts are 3x as expensive as mine.  i ended up paying for his car fix, so he could get to work.  my total: $250.  his total: $1100.

that next thursday, i got ill from something i ate at work.  and then on the way home, the car stopped working.  kaput.  turns out it was the fuel pump and then, when they were on the test drive... the distributor assembly failed, so they had to tow the car back to the shop to fix it.  total: $1300.

today, i took it in because what i thought was the accelerator fighting the floor mat (because that's the most frequent problem in the world when it comes to cars), was proven to be more since the car kept trying to stutter at stoplights even without the floormat on the driver's side.  turned out one of the cylinders had bad wires in it.  10 minute fix.  $200.

and all of that is *on top of* the $12k i've spent on the car just since I moved to this state, and the $1200 i spent to replace all the seals while i was still at my last place.

you don't have to say it, i know it, i've known since the beginning of the year that i needed a new car.  in fact, the plan was to get a new car - an SUV, actually - *last year*.  but i couldn't quite afford my house in spring, so i had to save 6mos more than i wanted to.  which pushed back saving for the SUV - i wanted at least a third of the final price down on the loan.  and saving for the car has been pushed back even more because every time i turned around this year, the camry broke.  again.

and everyone who told me it was time - *i know*, darnit, but it was a matter of cost, and not just the cost of the car, but also the cost of the car *note*, because i knew the insurance would go up, and the car note was another bill i didn't want on top of the credit card debt and the student loan.  and everyone who tells me they got their car fixed with the same problem - i'm at the point where they need to stop telling me that because my reply is 'then come over and fix it for free, if you can do better!'

the flip side of the problem is doing the research and deciding on a vehicle going forward.  i'd been thinking, frex, an SUV, but the price is fairly expensive for me, even for a used vehicle.  this means more savings time while trying to hold the camry together.  so i mentally 'downgraded' my choice to a pickup truck.  i can *barely* save up enough in the next couple of months for a third down on a 2004-2008 pickup - but i have to move finances around (in a manner i'd rather not, because you really shouldn't with a trip reimbursement), *and* use whatever i'd saved for a fenced yard for the dogs.  but ok, presumably, newer vehicle = better overall savings ability.

i narrowed down my choices to makes and models capable of doing what i needed and at that point, i need a person invested in cars to help me with the pros and cons of each choice.  not the mpg, but 'these break down like this, but it's cheap' 'those break down like that, which is hella expensive, but they're good mpg'  'timing chains vs timing belts'... and when i mention this, just about everyone is all 'well, just do the research'.  um, no.  'doing the research' of those kinds of items involves more understanding of cars *and* more interest in cars than i'm really invested in, especially if you're going thru several years of makes and models.

finally, finally, with this last set of visits to Goodyear, Dustin the Goodyear Guy says he'd be happy to go shopping with me when I narrow it down.  i'd been describing at what point i was at, and he was 'hey, i'll do that.  i'll come with you and look at trucks and help with the MAN discount, no problem.'  so i took him at his word, and today i brought in the list of requirements (crew cab/ extended cab, standard/XLT bed, 4WD, towing package), and the list of models i'd come up with that people had said would have that, and we went through pros and cons.

alas, to the disappoint of my fannish side, the Dodge Ram 1500 is a cheap piece of crap of a vehicle, largely because they're all made in Mexico.  hence, no Dodge Ram with Larabee spraypainted on the hood with 'i *am* the bad element!' for me.

otoh, the information i did get was gold.  i've narrowed it down to Chevy/GMC vs Toyota, and the trade off is essentially durability for fix-it costs.  Both will have around the same mileage and the Chevy has a timing chain instead of a belt.

so now i've narrowed down the choices to something i can handle, and i felt pretty happy coming home, like ok, i had problems, but i had a handle on it, and could see the light at the end of the tunnel, and it might not even be a train.

and then i get home, and roomie tells me he ran over an iron bar of some kind with the lawn mower, which certainly wasn't in the yard before this week.  and so we need a lawn mower mechanic because either the blades are bent, or the blade wheelbase-thingy is bent.

ARGH!

-bs
hardboiledbaby: (baby legs)

[personal profile] hardboiledbaby 2013-10-10 08:54 am (UTC)(link)
Yeesh, that is a money pit on wheels. Hope the bleeding stops, and soon.

[identity profile] boogieshoes.livejournal.com 2013-10-10 10:13 pm (UTC)(link)
in about a month or so. due to my 'financial rearrangements', i just need a few more hundred dollars to get to the $5k i want to put down. the camry's been a good car, but yeah, it's quickly going downhill.

-bs
ext_18980: dichotomystudios.com (m7 hug meee)

[identity profile] slavelabour.livejournal.com 2013-10-10 02:17 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh man, when I was a newlywed I went through that whole mess with a loved-but-dying car. I totally agree about the Dodge Ram. I've known too many people who owned one and had problems, lots and lots of problems with it. It's a beautiful vehicle, but fanon is so wrong about Chris Larabee choosing style over function. Most of the ranchers I know here in Texas own some variant of a Super Duty Chevy. That truck is a work horse. Good luck on whatever you choose.

And fwiw you made me LOL about wanting the Bad Element on the hood of your truck. You're such a fangirl, I adore you. :D In case you missed it, Tarlan and I are reviving the Michael Biehn comm so stop by. The least we can do is pretty up your flist. :D

http://michaelbiehn.livejournal.com/

[identity profile] boogieshoes.livejournal.com 2013-10-10 10:16 pm (UTC)(link)
*looks completely innocent* can i help it if the man has a nice ass?

*marks comment about Chevy* that's good to know. in the used car ads, i've been having problems finding both extended (or crew) cab AND a standard bed. and frustrated because evidently neither of these features are searchable on many of the websites. :-p

oh, well.

*joins MB com*

-bs
ext_18980: dichotomystudios.com (m7 apoca-chris and vin)

[identity profile] slavelabour.livejournal.com 2013-10-11 03:49 am (UTC)(link)
Unless you're planning on regularly pulling a boat or a trailer full of animals or carrying heavy loads you probably don't need that much truck, boog. But I do look forward to you sharing pics of what you buy eventually. Are you searching in Ebay Motors? It's an addictive site. I kept wanting to buy autos I didn't need, just because they looked like a good deal. *facepalm*

[identity profile] boogieshoes.livejournal.com 2013-10-11 09:55 pm (UTC)(link)
ah, but i actually do expect to carry heavy loads from time to time - i have a number of landscaping/ garden projects that will go easier with a truck, and i do middle ages re-enactment, and the big events, you end up bringing the kitchen sink. even the small events can be pretty amazing in terms of what you bring.

if i was going regular camping, screw it, take a VW Bug!

-bs
ext_18980: dichotomystudios.com (misc war horse)

[identity profile] slavelabour.livejournal.com 2013-10-18 02:09 pm (UTC)(link)
I was talking to one of my rancher friends in San Antonio who said they've just bought two Ford trucks (they used to own a Chevy), an F-150 for driving around and hauling light stuff and a F-350 (King Ranch edition) for ranch work. Which prompted me to talk to two more rancher friends who both told me they own Ford's! Actually, one has always owned a Ford and I thought it was a Chevy. So my apologies, boog, I gave you wrong info. Some of my rancher friends still own Chevys, but it looks like the percentage of Fords outnumbers them.

[identity profile] boogieshoes.livejournal.com 2013-10-18 10:38 pm (UTC)(link)
*nods* B at work told me they started making Fords in Mexico recently, and so they're becoming cheap pieces of crap, too. i'll probably stick to my list, just because adding more choices is a bigger, rather than smaller, pain.

i'm planning on doing a couple test drives this weekend. i don't know if i feel more sorry for myself or the auto dealers, because car dealers are notorious for treating women like dirt, and i have limited patience with that sort of thing. and also, because in the end, i don't really give a shit about the color. if it really starts to annoy me (the color), i'll wind up saving up enough money to have it repainted in a bright emerald green. maybe with bright purple horses spraypainted on it. or hell, i'll go all the way to my *other* fannish side, and have it painted 'MacLeod Tartan'!

-bs

[identity profile] polly-b.livejournal.com 2013-10-10 05:16 pm (UTC)(link)
My husband is getting 'trade-in' fever so we've been looking, too. It's so difficult. If he had his way, he'd buy a 50's or 60's era Chevy truck "Because I can fix it myself, damn it!" and his rants on modern automotive mechanical costs are becoming... epic. *sigh* Good luck.

FWIW, lawn-mower blades are fairly cheap and not that hard to replace.

[identity profile] boogieshoes.livejournal.com 2013-10-10 10:18 pm (UTC)(link)
good to know on the lawn-mower blades.

and i totally understand your husband's wish for a car he can physic himself - it really is cheaper that way, if you can do it. if you can't... you're stuck with the grapevine or trying to figure out if the local car mechanic is a good guy or a complete sleaze.

-bs

[identity profile] valiha.livejournal.com 2013-10-12 06:43 pm (UTC)(link)
Man sometimes it feels like you're the poster child for Murphy's law, doesn't it? I hope you'll get everything straightened out soon, and get the car you need. Wish I could help with advice, but I'm a total ignoramus when it comes to cars - I don't even drive. All the best, bs!

[identity profile] winks7985.livejournal.com 2013-10-16 07:20 pm (UTC)(link)
ain't that the way?

i bought my house a year ago, and recently, i was told that "it might be time to start looking for a new car."

well, no one told me that before i bought the house! i currently drive a 2000 dodge dakota, which hasn't had a lot of problems, save this final rotting (i live in new england... salt and metal don't mix). i also have been looking at trucks, but have been disheartened by prices. i had been looking at chevys and toyotas as well.

if i could i would go with the toyota, mostly because of the size (toyota tacoma is the last of the mid-size trucks). the mid size trucks are comfortable rides, witout being tanks, and ik'm never hurting for room for hauling shit everywhere.

i'll definitely be looking forward to seeing what you end up with.

*hugs*