Can anyone guess how much MORE money I can spend this month?

[glocke]

So this month has already seen the following:
 
$1500.00 for repairs for my 2003 4runner just to get it to pass inspection
 
$500.00 to have my hot water heater repaired
 
$300.00 to have my pellet stove repaired  
 
$600.00 on some other needed household related repairs
 
Than last night i think engine in the above mentioned 4runner  blew...so Im looking at spending about 3k-5k on a new engine for a 7 year old 4runner with 173k miles on it.
 
thats all just since the start of october...at this rate Ill be close to spending almost 8k of emergency spending in the space of three weeks....
 
Sorry, i know everyone has money issues, just need to vent!!
 
(Message edited by glocke on October 15, 2010)

[serialnumber12]

where in the heck do you work and are they Hiring?

[glocke]

If I told you that Id have to kill you..
 
Thats all coming from my savings. I spent the past year being frugal and trying to save some money, and also had some cash in the bank from selling a few instruments...Unfortunately I it looks like most of my savings will be depleted to take care of all this...I may even need to do an emergency withdrawl from my 401k plan at work to get my vehicle running again, or to get a newer vehicle.  I find it hard to justify putting any more money into a car with that many miles and that age on it.

[terryc]

glocke..old vehicles can suck money fast so my sympathies are with you.
I have never bought a new car, most of my vehicles have been over 5 years old, I am lucky that I know people in the business so I know I am going to get something fairly reliable.
I always run my vehicles until it becomes too costly to repair..if it costs more to repair than the value of the vehicle then I scrap it BUT it is a double edge sword..you need a car to get to places so you have to outlay at some point.
Has the motor gone tits up for definite..what are the the symptoms(I am ex mechanic..maybe I can help or someone here can)

[benson_murrensun]

I feel your pain!
In August I spent about $1200 on maintenance for my ElectraGlide (40,000-mile service, two tires, battery, some gaskets, etc.) and then the cam chain tensioner took a dump, so I upgraded it with a gear drive system and new cams. Total for the bike in August and September: $3300!
Then my old Ford F-150 needed a u joint this week, but it was a mere $175, spit in the ocean. Now it's time for studded snow tires for my PT Cruiser and I'm looking at $600 because it has low profile 16 tires.
The Ford has 240,000 miles on it; if the engine goes south I don't know what I will do. A replacement engine is still way less than a new truck.
I don't know why I always look at the Swap Shop section of this forum - I can't afford to buy any more music gear anyway!

[wideload]

My daughter's car (2003 VW convertible) was becoming an endless sinkhole for repairs. I gave her a new car instead of staying on the treadmill. At least now I have 4 years or 50,000 miles of quiet! ( and 1.9% financing!) Yes. I am an indulgent sap.
Larry

[glocke]

Hi Terry
 
Really dont know how to explain it well except to say the engine was stuttering and kind of jerking, and was very sluggish..When I tried to accelerate it seemed to hesitate.  Symptoms were pretty much the same as my previous toyota that got to about 190k miles and than died.
 
Had the dealership I bought it from take a look at it and they confirmed its a blown engine cylinder.  
 
After weighing the pros and cons of dropping a new engine in a vehicle that has 173k miles on it, trying to get financed for a new vehicle, or having the local backwoods mechanic who is a friend of mine rebuild it, I decided to go for the rebuild.  He has his own machine shop and  has been taking apart and rebuilding engines since we were teenagers.  He said it would run me about $600.00-$800.00 depending on what needs to be replaced.  All I really want is to get another two years out of this vehicle so that seems like the best way to go.
 
 
As far as new vs old, most of the cars Ive owned have been new.  I know that there is depreciation, but I always figured that would be balanced by no major repairs for the first three years.  Plus, I always end up driving my vehicles until the wheels fall off, sometimes literally.

[tmoney61092]

every car i've driven has been 30+ years old. i'm only 18 but in my family we trade cars around depending on who needs what, i've driven 1980 Datsun 280ZX(lord knows i miss that car...) an old 80's Atro Van(just blew headgasket and not worth the fix), and am currently cruising around in my 1980 Subaru Brat(trying to sell to get an SUV for moving band equipment/being able to carry more than 1 friend at a time without 2 being stuck in the seats in the back)
 
~Taylor

[pace]

Vent away Greg! I'm sure many of us have several high-pressure situations running in tandem.... and the only sanity in our lives comes when we get a couple of minutes in w/ our Alembics!...  
 
If it's any consolation, my neighbor across the street has a 4-runner which is probably 4-5 years older than yours. About 2 years ago he dropped a new engine in it, even after buying a NEW 4-runner, he still can't let go of the old one!!!  They are great vehicles, and good for the duration. If your redneck-friend is gonna crack open the crankcase, it might be worth it to do some extra preventative maintenance while it's apart.... I don't know what the schedule is on the timing belt, but also check for any valves that look like they might drop or burn in the near future...... If you think you've got it bad, just imagine the expense if it was a Range/Land Rover!!!!

[terryc]

glocke..did they confirm by using a compression tester on all four cylinders??
Blown cyclinders can mean a myriad of items, broken piston rings, bent inlet/exhaust valve,holed piston.
Most modern engines will run albeit lumpily on three cylinders.
If you friend can do the job to a good standard at a good price then go for it, it's not the parts that cost, it's the labour which is added on.
I have just spent two week ends on car mechanics, the Nissan Almera failed it's MoT(Inspection to you USA guys) on ball joint control arm and centre exhaust causing a over rich lambda reading(too much unburnt hydrocarbons). It was easy fix but the hard part was getting the siezed and rusted bolts off.
This week end was my girlfriends car, brake inbalance cause by a seized slider pin on the caliper mounting bracket.
I hope next week I have a mechanic free week end as it is getting colder here in the UK

[glocke]

Hey Terry
 
Yeah, they tested all the cylinders..Theres actually two that are blown it turns out...I also had a another mechanic I trust alot more than the dealer,  tow the car back to his garage to have a look..He confirmed what the dealership says, and also found other problems..broken sway bar, bad CV joints, and a leaky transmission  (makes sense as Ive had to top off the tranny fluid  once a month the past year).   With the engine rebuild, Id be looking at well over 2k in repairs, and Ive already spent $1500.00 this year on it.
 
Thats just way too many problems and way too much money for me to be putting into a car I've already spent tons on so far this year...
 
So yesterday I ended up getting a 2011 4runner Trail Edition for about 200 dollars over invoice.  I figured there isn't much difference between spending 2k-3k a year on car repairs when you can spend just as much on a car lease.  Ill probably convert the lease over to a loan in about a year or so, and than hopefully get close to another 200k miles out of this vehicle.

[terryc]

glocke..that sounds like good sense, adding on CV joints plus auto transmission(they are an absolute b*****d to take apart!!) it seems you have made the right choice.