W
woj product
1997 SL2, 5-speed manual - dark blue w/ gray cloth interior, 88,000
miles.
It was purchased from the dealer as a used car w/ 990 miles on it, and
I got an extended warranty because of that. It went out of warranty a
while ago, but I still take it to the dealer for maintenance out of
habit to avoid hassle, to keep the records all in one place, and the
mechanics have been there since forever (the "new guy" has been there
4 years).
I’ve had it paid off for about 2 years now, and the majority of the
money that has gone into it since then has been routine wear and tear
- muffler, tires, battery, brakes, oil changes, things like that.
About the only two things that were "above & beyond" routine were
having the inside of the doors repainted about two years ago (they
were starting to get surface rust on them) and recently had to get the
fuel pump replaced. There was a service bulletin for the fuel pump,
so that was not as bad financially as it could have been.
The car still looks good, nice and glossy, not too many shopping cart
scars. I put better speakers in it, but kept the stock head unit
(paranoid mindset left over from my days in Milwaukee, where I spent
almost as much on VW Rabbit auto glass as I did on beer). I’ve never
smoked in it, and I put heavy rubber winter floor mats in it to keep
the interior looking ok - I get it washed every now and then, that
sort of thing. It’s not beat on, but it’s not babied either.
It runs well, and always has. Some things are annoying - noisy door
panels, the windows sometimes creak as they are lowered less than all
the way down, but for the most part it is a nice car. Nothing fancy,
by any means, but trustworthy.
The miles that are on it are mostly highway miles, my folks live 300
miles away, and I make that trip 4 or 5 times a year since I’ve had
it. I’m in a metro area, so I do my share of "creep and beep" driving
as well.
Well, it’s decision time for me. I recently had it in for it’s 90,000
service, and they mentioned the quill bearing is showing signs of
leaking. Right now there is no noticeable change in how the car
feels. They said it’s a matter of time before the clutch becomes
"contaminated" and will slowly but surely fail. They did not give a
time estimate, but said it would be about $1700, because the tranny
needs to come out. So now I’m thinking either,
A: the car is giving me the courtesy of letting me know way beforehand
so I can save the money, get the clutch done when it eventually fails
and benefit from all the maintenance I’ve given it so far - drive it
trouble free for another 50,000 miles or more after it gets the new
clutch, or
B: this is the start of everything else falling apart, and my lovely
car becoming a hated money pit and the first event marking my eventual
financial demise. Right during the holidays, just to rub it in.
I really don’t want to take on payments. Trade in blue book on it is
about $2800, but there are really no other new cars out there I’m
dying for. The only one I can think of would be a 2002 L300, maybe.
I know the interest rate situation is different now than when I first
bought it in 1997 - but still...payments.
So my three questions are - #1. ballpark - how much time do I have
until the clutch goes? #2. Does $1700 seem way too high for a new
clutch? #3. What would you all do in my situation?
Opinions, speculation, scorn and good natured ribbing are welcomed and
appreciated.
miles.
It was purchased from the dealer as a used car w/ 990 miles on it, and
I got an extended warranty because of that. It went out of warranty a
while ago, but I still take it to the dealer for maintenance out of
habit to avoid hassle, to keep the records all in one place, and the
mechanics have been there since forever (the "new guy" has been there
4 years).
I’ve had it paid off for about 2 years now, and the majority of the
money that has gone into it since then has been routine wear and tear
- muffler, tires, battery, brakes, oil changes, things like that.
About the only two things that were "above & beyond" routine were
having the inside of the doors repainted about two years ago (they
were starting to get surface rust on them) and recently had to get the
fuel pump replaced. There was a service bulletin for the fuel pump,
so that was not as bad financially as it could have been.
The car still looks good, nice and glossy, not too many shopping cart
scars. I put better speakers in it, but kept the stock head unit
(paranoid mindset left over from my days in Milwaukee, where I spent
almost as much on VW Rabbit auto glass as I did on beer). I’ve never
smoked in it, and I put heavy rubber winter floor mats in it to keep
the interior looking ok - I get it washed every now and then, that
sort of thing. It’s not beat on, but it’s not babied either.
It runs well, and always has. Some things are annoying - noisy door
panels, the windows sometimes creak as they are lowered less than all
the way down, but for the most part it is a nice car. Nothing fancy,
by any means, but trustworthy.
The miles that are on it are mostly highway miles, my folks live 300
miles away, and I make that trip 4 or 5 times a year since I’ve had
it. I’m in a metro area, so I do my share of "creep and beep" driving
as well.
Well, it’s decision time for me. I recently had it in for it’s 90,000
service, and they mentioned the quill bearing is showing signs of
leaking. Right now there is no noticeable change in how the car
feels. They said it’s a matter of time before the clutch becomes
"contaminated" and will slowly but surely fail. They did not give a
time estimate, but said it would be about $1700, because the tranny
needs to come out. So now I’m thinking either,
A: the car is giving me the courtesy of letting me know way beforehand
so I can save the money, get the clutch done when it eventually fails
and benefit from all the maintenance I’ve given it so far - drive it
trouble free for another 50,000 miles or more after it gets the new
clutch, or
B: this is the start of everything else falling apart, and my lovely
car becoming a hated money pit and the first event marking my eventual
financial demise. Right during the holidays, just to rub it in.
I really don’t want to take on payments. Trade in blue book on it is
about $2800, but there are really no other new cars out there I’m
dying for. The only one I can think of would be a 2002 L300, maybe.
I know the interest rate situation is different now than when I first
bought it in 1997 - but still...payments.
So my three questions are - #1. ballpark - how much time do I have
until the clutch goes? #2. Does $1700 seem way too high for a new
clutch? #3. What would you all do in my situation?
Opinions, speculation, scorn and good natured ribbing are welcomed and
appreciated.
Try it sometime.