<p>It needs a rack and pinion unit. Felt like I was going to lose control of the car. can’t see spending more $$$ on 1991 Civic</p>
<p>Really aggravated because I just had oil changed and new belts installed as well as a full tank of gas</p>
<p>If only my car had been considered a clunker, I could have gotten a new car.</p>
<p>But I have my eyes on a 2007 Toyota Corolla with 34K miles on it that’s listed for under 11K. BF is taking me there on Friday</p>
<p>I have known this day was coming, but it’s not going to be fun writing that BIG check (and it makes no sense to finance at used car rates if I have the cash, which I do).</p>
<p>I have rationalized it like this. I will have this car for 10 years. So that’s 1100 a year or $3/day for 10 years. Silly things like that make me feel better about forking over huge amounts of money. It will only cost about $800 for full coverage (and I live in a city with high insurance rates, but I have a clean record and drive less than 7500 miles a year)</p>
<p>If anyone has any words of wisdom or caution about this car, speak up please!</p>
<p>Hardly. A good used steering box will cost under $200 or so and a few hours labor to install. Well under $1000 total. I had to put a new one on my Alfa and it’s been fine for years now. No biggie.</p>
<p>I’m looking at easily $600, I spent $350 a month ago (which annoys me in retrospect)</p>
<p>big difference in prices, I wonder why, any ideas why the big difference in price for seemingly the same part? That url you gave was in Canada, don’t want to deal with that. I will call my mechanic tomorrow. I would also need an alignment.</p>
<p>I just think that as some point it’s time to stop fixing a nearly 20 year old car, my BF says I deserve something nicer (and maybe with a clock in it). Of course, I’m PAYING, so I have the final say.</p>
<p>I hope the Toyota works out. If it gives you the same service years as that Honda, you’ll be mighty happy!! But I know you’re going to miss that Honda. </p>
<p>Why didn’t it qualify as a clunker? Mileage too good???</p>
<p>yes, it got 23 MPG, so no clunker for me. I got the Civic when it was 7 years old and have had it for nearly 11 years. So getting a 2007 car, I should be good for more than a decade. </p>
<p>I joking told my BF I’ll still be driving this car when I’m his age. I’m 48, he’s 61 :-)</p>
<p>Sue, I know you don’t like spending a $ more than you have to, but you might want to take your 1991 to a good mechanic and have him give the car a once-over. If the only repair if needs is the steering rack, you might well be better off repairing it, because you’ll save a lot on a car that doesn’t need collision insurance, etc. Those old Hondas last a long time.</p>
<p>The rack and pinion at Kragen/Checker/O’Reilly is around $200. I don’t know what the labor would be to install it. This probably doesn’t help you but you actually have a choice between spending whatever the fixit cost would be or going with the replacement car for lots more money. </p>
<p>Corollas are generally good, reliable, inexpensive, practical cars so unless there’s something wrong with the particular one you plan to buy, it should be good. As a 2007 it should still be under the factory warranty unless it’s been abused somehow or has a salvage title or something.</p>
<p>Sue, sorry to hear about your car. What a hassle! It sounds like you need to get a new car. I personally know a Corolla that was bought new in 1993 and had over 250K on the odometer when they traded it in for a Scion this year. Never had any major problems except for the body damage inflicted by a teenager. These little cars used to last! A 2007 with 34K will have 2-3 years/50K powertrain warranty. The list price might be negotiated down, especially now since the clunker program is over (the dealers still want to move their cars, don’t they?). If your Civic’s “unfixed” value is Z, the repair cost is X, and you can sell it fixed for Y, and Y is significantly geater than Z+X, I’d go through the trouble of repairing it. I’m sure you are a math whiz when it comes to personal finances. :)</p>
<p>grrrrrrrrrr… if you only had the foresight to buy a Suburban or maybe an F150 pickup truck you would be eligible for a $4500 govt subsidized tradein.</p>
<p>I LOVE my ‘new’ used 2008 Scion XD (even though I just heard of a brake recall).
Would have loved it even more if my 1997 Mercury Sable had qualified as a clunker but it got ONE mile over the mpg limit.
Still got a few bucks on trade but $4500 would have been grand!</p>
<p>update. I bought the 2007 toyota corolla with 34K miles. paid 11,647 to drive it home. List price of 10,750 plus tax 7% and tags/registration. Pretty soon taxes will be 8% in my city. </p>
<p>LOVE IT. feels like I upgraded from a horse and buggy to something from the current decade. Haven’t had a car this new in over 20 years.</p>
<p>I was out with a friend looking at cars yesterday. He has a 96 Integra that needs a timing chain and an 88 Buick that has all sorts of problems. I think that they both have over 200K miles. We looked at Toyotas, Mitsubishis and Hyundais. There’s nothing that inspired him and the deals weren’t very good. We looked at used cars too.</p>
<p>New cars are not inexpensive. Even with current incentives.</p>
<p>He wants something that feels like a nice car with good gasoline mileage, reliable, feels solid, front-wheel drive, roomy for under $20K. We didn’t find that in looking around. This guy does about 80% of the work on his cars and he’s good with a torch. He’s even done work on gas tanks.</p>
<p>“New cars are not inexpensive. Even with current incentives.”</p>
<p>And that’s why our family favors low-mileage used cars that have been well taken care of. I do most of the work on our family’s fleet. FWIW I’d have bought the Corolla too … Congrats Sue! Barrons is right about parts being cheap. But at some point you just have to let go … especially if you drive on the Northeast’s crummy roads.</p>
<p>Sounds like you got a good deal on your new Corolla.
I had been stalking one and two year old corollas, hondas and scions…and did not find anything that new with low mileage around here in northern NJ. I paid $14000 for my 2008 scion xd with 5500 miles on it, including all fees, taxes, etc. I love it so far, hope it lasts! </p>
<p>Wish you the best with your new car, congrats!</p>
<p>actually I looked for a Corolla but like musicmom I could not find anything with low mileage at anywhere near the price that Sue did.
I was amazes to see how much of a price hit a used manual transmission car takes. If you are willing to drive a manual you can get a real deal.</p>
<p>But that assumes one CAN drive a manual transmission, tom1944!</p>
<p>It vexes me that it is a skill I have never been able to master.
My husband tried in vane to teach me several times. The last time, someone called the police because they thought we were casing their neighborhood. I was only lurching around in his old VW Rabbit. Sigh.</p>
Here is the most important question: what color did you get?</p>