Hello, I do not know much about cars and need advice.  I purchased a 1995
Chevy Lumina 3 years ago.  I paid $2500 for it.  Since then, I have put
about $3000 into it for various repairs.  In January, it would not start.  I
had
it towed to the garage.  The mechanic said it is leaking oil and
transmission
fluid.  He said it also needed a new starter.  He charged me $550 to clean
the
fluid off the engine and to put in a new starter.  I went to pick it up in
the
evening, after it had been sitting in the icy cold all day, and it would not
start.
It was in the same condition as before I had paid the $550!  The next day,
he told me that he would need to put in some kind of new wires for $220.
I paid for him to do that, and the car now starts.  However, it runs just as
poorly as before once it starts.  Sometimes, I have to start it 5-10 times
to
back it out of my driveway.  For the first 10-20 minutes, it will stall out
when
I idle at a red light, and the brakes to not work properly.  When I try to
push
on the break pedal it is like there is an object in the way, and I have to
push down with quite a bit of force.  Once the car has been running
10-20 minutes it runs fine (for now?!??!).  .... Now, the muffler is
suddenly making a tremendous amount of noise.  It sounds like a
lawn mower, or louder.

I never had the two leaks fixed that the mechanic told me about.  He said
that it will cost about $600 to have the leaks fixed.  Right now, according
to him, the car is leaking oil and transmission fluid and it is getting all
over the engine.

What I am wondering is this.  At what point would a person who is
knowledgeable about cars decide that enough money has been put into a
vehicle and that another used car should be purchased?  I presently
cannot afford to buy a new car.  If I buy a car it will have to be another
car in the $2500 price range.  This Chevy is now in need of the $600
repair for the leaks, the muffler needs to be fixed, and soon I will need
new tires and brakes.  It is getting to the point where it will need so much
money in repairs that I could buy another used car.  On the other hand,
if I buy another used car for $2500, won't that quickly need repairs too?
I am wondering if it will be a case where I will spend $2500 for a used car
and then it will need $3000 or more in repairs, like this Chevy has
needed?  If that is the case, I might as well just keep the Chevy and
pay for all the repairs.  Or, since this car is 13 years old already, would
I be better off spending $2500 to get a newer car?  Would a newer
car generally need less repairs for awhile?

I know very little about cars and I am confused.  I hope someone will
give me advice.  I am a college student and I am in a financial disaster.
I almost can't afford the tuition payments for graduation, and now I am
having all this trouble with my car.  The drive to school is an hour each
way.  Every time I get in the car I wonder if it will make it.  There is no
bus system in my area, and I have no one to drive me to school, even
for a short while.  Please give me advice if you can.  Should I keep
sinking money into this 1995 Chevy or should I start thinking about
getting a new car?

Thank you in advance for any advice you can give!