I know this is the conventional wisdom, but it is based on a faulty premise - namely that the resale value is the main indicator of your car's value. In reality, the value of your car is based on it getting you from point 'A' to point 'B' reliably and safely.
Instead of comparing the cost of the repair to the market value of your car, you should compare the cost of the repair to what you reasonably expect to pay for a newer vehicle in one year. So if your choices are a $1,000 repair on a $1,500 car or spending $3,600 (1 year of car payments at $300/month), it's already a no-brainer that you should repair the car, but let's consider other expenses. In one year, your paid-off (1998) car's value isn't going to go down much, but your newer car could lose 20-40% of its value. You also have expenses related to buying a newer car, tax title and license, as well as insuring the new car. If one year of repair expenses is comparable to the cost of buying and owning a newer car then it makes sense to buy a newer car if only for reliability's sake. The conventional wisdom is really just an excuse buy the new car you really want before you really need to, and no car dealer is going to tell you anything different. -----Original Message----- From: Scott Stewart [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, April 30, 2008 10:28 AM To: CF-Community Subject: RE: when to ditch a car? Go to KBB.com, (Kelly Blue Book) and look up the approximate value of the car. Compare that to what you're spending on repairs. If it seems out of line, it's time for a different car. Check out Carmax, I've had good luck and found a couple of good deals. PS: sounds like either the timing is off, or a bad spark plug/cable. -- Scott Stewart ColdFusion Developer SSTWebworks 4405 Oakshyre Way Raleigh, NC. 27616 (919) 874-6229 (home) (703) 220-2835 (cell) -----Original Message----- From: Paul Ihrig [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, April 30, 2008 11:21 AM To: CF-Community Subject: when to ditch a car? last week 300 bucks for an oil change and replace serpentine belt 2 days ago driving home almost 60 miles from work, and engine light starts blinking car stutters on high way and starts to back fire... guess i blew a shock plug. they have to drill it out. and re do weiring. 450 bucks 98 VW Beetle 138k miles tried to buy a smart car today, but they are back ordered from April 2007... i hate money, and dont care for cars... so will drive beetle till it explodes again. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Adobe® ColdFusion® 8 software 8 is the most important and dramatic release to date Get the Free Trial http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;192386516;25150098;k Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Community/message.cfm/messageid:259398 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Community/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=11502.10531.5
