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Car Forum / GMC Cars / October 2006Important question, at least to me
hi, I have a 1995 Buick Century. Love the interior and comfort. It has 175,000 miles on it. RECENTLY, I have had done : --all new brake lines $400 --all new tires $250 --new alternator $45? i forget --new battery $50 --new hood release cable $25 --new rack and pinion $380 It is needing a right wheel-bearing now. $145 for the part...we'll probably do it here ourselves, like all the other stuff, other than rack 'n pinion. ALSO, it needs a new right side STRUT.. Everyone says replace BOTH! Got a good price @ MIDAS for $250 for both. THAT IS ANOTHER $400 RIGHT THERE....... CRAZY! It all started with the brakelines @ $400, then on and on. Engine is like new even at 175,000. Have had it for 5 years this month. ADDING all the money for parts and maintenance over the 5 years, it averages out to about $70 a month now..... GOT THE CAR FOR FREE AS A GIFT..... SHOULD I stop now before the wheel bearing, and struts? HA! Thanks guys!! <funkfreedom@yahoo.com> wrote in message > I have a 1995 Buick Century. > Love the interior and comfort. > It has 175,000 miles on it. > THAT IS ANOTHER $400 RIGHT THERE....... > > CRAZY! It all started with the brakelines @ $400, then on and on. > > Engine is like new even at 175,000. > SHOULD I stop now before the wheel bearing, and struts? I would, but I'm not you. What are the alternatives? Can you afford a new(er) car? I just got rid of my '91 Regal. If it was in good condition, the book value would be $845. To get it into that good condition, I would have had to spend at least $1200, maybe a bit more. While I was enjoying no car payments, I traded it and got a new car, putting my '01 as the second car now. If I was in your circumstances, I'd drive it as long as I could without spending more money and carry the phone number for a junkyard with me. I did that some years ago. My Olds Cutlass (185k) was on its last legs. I left work one day, started the car, put it into gear, and it went 3 feet and died. Did not restart . Grabbed the company pickup; stopped at my local dealer on the way home and bought a new car. Junk yard picked up the Olds the next day. Getting back to you, if buying something newer, but still used, it may be better to stick with what you have rather than starting over on the next vehicle. Everything you are doing is wear stuff that any car will need at some point. > hi, > [quoted text clipped - 33 lines] > > HA! Thanks guys!! I'd say for 75 bucks a month , I'd keep it . Sounds like you've replaced most of the high dollar items , excepting motor and tranny . My point is that a new(er) car is going to cost you more than the maintainance on the one you've got - plus insurance costs will likely be higher . My wife's 96 Corsica has over 225k , with about 50k on a motor rebuild . Gets good mileage , and is PAID FOR ! I spend less than 50 a month on average for maintainance . But then I do all my own work , excepting only auto tranny rebuilds .  SignatureSnag aka OSG #1 '76 FLH "Bag Lady" BS132 SENS NEWT "A hand shift is a manly shift ." <shamelessly stolen > none to one to reply I did replace the tranny a couple years ago too ! --- $1,553 BUT ALL IN ALL, it would be about $70 a month x 5 years or 60 months = $ 4,200 + gas and insurance, if i go ahead and replace wheel bearing and both struts. MY LOGIC is after replacing all these parts, they are all new now, AND IF I bought a newer USED CAR, for maybe $ 2500 or 3,000, I would be not getting all the NEW PARTS like mine is now or will be if I keep it...... I think I am becoming a CAR ADDICT! I used to have a 1970 Nova, put headers on it, traction bars, aluminum manifold...it MOVED!! A SLEEPER. Had a 1969 Z28 CAMARO, bought it in 1972 or 3, for $1,200 !! Beautiful interior, engine with the aluminum manifold, etc, 302 cubic inch, 275 horsepower, racing cam, 4 speed Hurst linkage, had it for about a year, started to rust on quarterpanels (IS ALL!!), and sold it to a guy who wholesaled cars, for $900 ! boy did i make a mistake there! Prob worth $20,000 today, oh well, live and maybe learn. I can not understand why anybody would put so much money into a vehicle, any brand vehicle, with 175K on the clock? One of my grandsons is running a Honda with 165K on the clock that seems to brake down every two weeks and cost him several hundreds of dollars. It would make a lot more sense to buy a new car, or at least one with lower mileage, with those hundreds of dollars every month. I offered to give him on of my cars or buy him a new car, but he wants another Civic because 'they are good cars.' After getting ripped off on several Lexus' I will no longer by any car from a none domestic manufactures. If he wants a Civic he will need to buy it himself ;) mike hunt > hi, > [quoted text clipped - 33 lines] > > HA! Thanks guys!! you know, partl of the reason i am writing about this car of mine is THERAPY! Because, on one side of it....... I AM FED UP WITH PUTTING MONEY INTO THIS CAR!!!!!!!!!!goddammit! Fed up!! Little by little it sucks the money out of my bank account! Little by little!!!!!!!! I'm FED UP WITH IT. I should just go and get a newer used car, maybe a 1998 or 1999!! I am on a "fixed income". This is DRIVING ME FREAKING CRAZY!!!!! I should just drive this BOTTOMLESS MONEYPIT till it cant be driven anymore on its STUPID BAD WHEEL BEARING, till it GRINDS to a halt and then i start to hear metal to metal GRINDING and maybe some smoke, no fire please! I AM OVER IT!!!! I have put in over a $1,000 in the last 4 months, to keep it going, NOW IT NEEDS a wheel bearing and the STRUTS!!, and then when we replaced the stupid ball joint, the damn cv joint-axle thing with the BOOT on it, ripped the boot, and now grease has come out and THAT would need to be replaced in the future when THAT starts to grind to a smoking dead halt!!! SHOULD I GET RID OF THIS BEHEMOTH YET??!!!! YOU KNOW, I THINK I WILL.. :-) > YOU KNOW, I THINK I WILL.. I think I would too. GM sucks elephant phalli. Get yourself something that will hold up, or can be fixed reasonably, or at least that you enjoy. >you know, partl of the reason i am writing >about this car of mine is THERAPY! [quoted text clipped - 35 lines] > > :-) If you need my approval to dump the mother... go ahead...cars wear out... Matter of fact, the highest amount of repairs are often put into a car just before it wears out completely i.e. the strange parts in all systems start to fail.. your heater core, air conditioner, power steering springs a leak, cooling system etc.... sounds as if this is happening with your car...time for a new one. two choices.... you can purchase a similar vehicle which uses much the same parts and use your existing car as a parts supply depot.... I did this with GM mini-vans.... lumina, silhouette, transport. Most of the parts are swappable to a new vehicle. OR offer your existing car for sale as a parts car OR drive it to a grinding halt, get stranded somewhere and then have to get your car towed ($$$$) and have to rent a car ($$$$.). If you buy a new car, it will be covered under warranty, and you will only have to deal with the warranty issues i.e. repeat trips to the dealer cause they can't fix the problem first time..... and renting a car while the dealer ties your vehicle up for repairs while waiting for "parts". If you buy another used car..some things might have to be repaired but if you get a good deal from a used car dealer with warrantly... it will be a while before the little things go. Life is full of choices... Cars don't last forever, yours sounds as if it is at "end of life". Get rid of it BEFORE it continues sucking any more $$$ out of your bank account. YOU HAVE MY APPROVAL !!! dR. pHIL Thanks guys!! Alot of good ideas and opinions. I will drive it till it cant be driven any longer. In other words, I will get my moneys worth out of it! I don't really want to go faster than 35 mph with the bad wheel bearing, but I don't need to! I am disabled right now, don't work, all i need a car for is to go to doctor and get food, and to stay reasonably sane right now. The car runs other than the wheel bearing and strut, excellently...good heat...no leaks, doesn't burn any oil, have changed it myself over a dozen times now...average gas mileage, about 23 to 27 i'd guess. So, if i want to go faster than 35 mph, i'll need to do the wheel bearing, I can buy it for $140 at AutoZone, and my brother (...and I.. :-) ..) would install it for "free", after I pay him off, it wouldn't be that bad at all. Then thats about it because the struts would be $260, and THAT would be too far to go... Maybe someday I'll get past this "poorboy" "low faith" "tightwad" "cheapskate" attitude of mine............. <funkfreedom@yahoo.com> wrote in message > So, if i want to go faster than 35 mph, i'll need to > do the wheel bearing, I can buy it for $140 at AutoZone, > and my brother (...and I.. :-) ..) would install it for "free", > after I pay him off, it wouldn't be that bad at all. Normally, I'd not recommend the junk yard for a bearing, but it may be a good $50 or so invested. Worth a phone call anyway, to check it out. Got a used WHEEL BEARING for $40. It came with a rotor, and caliper, and some nice very thin pads! Took the caliper off, for i got new ones in last 8 months. Took rotor off, for it was kind of rusty, got new ones too in last 8 months anyway. JUST TOOK out the 3 bolts from the wheel bearing to the "frame" of the whole unit they gave me., with my handy dandy "leverage pipe"... SNAP!!...nice. Just cleaned off the remaining piece with the used wheel bearing with some degreaser and WD40..... NOW W W W ................... .....a more difficult task is ahead of me! That is to remove the wheel bearing from the "unit" they gave me......... Lord have mercy....I see some light.... Father forgive me for I have sinned...... ANY KEEN TIPS ON HOW TO remove the wheel bearing hub from the "frame kinda thing" they gave me??? Hopefully, it won't get damaged..... THENNN...it is time to take the front tire off the car, take off the caliper, take of the rotor...... uncrack the 3 bolts......take out the bolts..... THENNN get the OLD WHEEL BEARING out of there. We did the other side about a yr + a half ago. ALL THIS TO SAVE $200 !!! Worth it? > ANY KEEN TIPS ON HOW TO remove the wheel bearing hub from the > "frame kinda thing" they gave me??? > > Hopefully, it won't get damaged..... Just take your steering knuckle off and put the one on from the junk yard. Signature-Mike- mmarlowREMOVE@alltel.net find a nearest cheapest junk yard. the car will keep you busy however donot try to spend any more money on it. if you find it on junkyard, use it otherwise use it till it dies. i personnaly believe the car problems are cronic. I mean, if a car start to creat a problem it keeps coming. My 97 blazer at 100km: every mounth something new, radiaotr, wipers, fuel, alternator. not a single same thing 91 gmc safari at 270km. not a single problem for a year. (i did not have ac though) > > ANY KEEN TIPS ON HOW TO remove the wheel bearing hub from the > > "frame kinda thing" they gave me??? > > > > Hopefully, it won't get damaged..... > > Just take your steering knuckle off and put the one on from the junk yard. find a nearest cheapest junk yard. the car will keep you busy however donot try to spend any more money on it. if you find it on junkyard, use it otherwise use it till it dies. i personnaly believe the car problems are cronic. I mean, if a car start to creat a problem it keeps coming. My 97 blazer at 100km: every mounth something new, radiaotr, wipers, fuel, alternator. not a single same thing 91 gmc safari at 270km. not a single problem for a year. (i did not have ac though) > > ANY KEEN TIPS ON HOW TO remove the wheel bearing hub from the > > "frame kinda thing" they gave me??? > > > > Hopefully, it won't get damaged..... > > Just take your steering knuckle off and put the one on from the junk yard. I NOW have an attitude of driving it until it starts squeeking or sqawking or smoking or whining or rumbling or rattling or barking or screeching or sounds like this or that......and that is final....It needs a strut, but i can live with that, and someday the broken booty on the CV JOINT will allow vast quantities of road junk into the axle, but, i think that is a day months away.....so, for now, i drive it and enjoy it, and the lower gas cost. I drive it until it starts squeaking/squawking/smoking/whining/ rumbling/rattling/barking/screeching or sounds like this or that. I can live with that. Someday the broken booty will allow road junk into the axle, but that is a day months away.....so for now, i drive it and enjoy it, and the lower gas cost. __________________________________________________ LOL. Just turn the radio up until you can't hear the noise. As Jeeter Lester said when one of his fenders fell off, "It don't hurt the runnin' of it none." Rodan. |
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