When is enough...enough?

(As per my usual, a somewhat mis-leading title, sorry.)

This has been discussed here a few times, but I really would like some serious advice about "end of life", so to speak, for my current DD. I currently drive a '97 Civic DX coupe with close to 230K miles on it. I recently discovered a crack in the windshield that isn't interfering with my vision (except on some nights when it causes a strange reflective pattern on the upper right side when it is hit by random light so that it makes it look like a car or truck is coming at you from the right). This wouldn't be too serious, since this state has no vehicle inspection, but this car was also involved in 2 different front end..."bumps" that have left the front bumper with a bare minimum of attachment. The car still drives and stops in a straight line.

So basically, it drives okay (for now), even the A/C works, and it starts with no problems, and it's (obviously) paid for. BUT, it does look kind of shabby inside and out and I think it could only be a matter of time before I start getting "unwanted attention" for that windshield.

Do I continue driving until the wheels fall off? Would you bother with a glass fix? or if it comes to that....park it / send it to a pull-a-part? This car is like a pair of old sneakers that I think a family member might have to "steal" from me when it gets worse.

How much (actually, what's the least amount?) that would make you say " That's it, no more money down this rathole".

You will know it when the time comes. I've hauled more than one DD to the junk yard because it was completely used up, but usually it's a case of enough is enough.

My wife had a 1999 Chevy Venture. We had it 10 years. It survived 4 kids and was pretty worn, inside and out. She got hit, taking out the front bumper cover, headlight and hood. That was the last straw. The next day we bought a newer car.

The Roadmaster I'm selling is on the market because I just got tired of it. One too many times of the car not being able to do what I wanted. I replaced it with a F350.

If you like it and are comfortable with it, drive it until it dies. Then you can decide to either fix it or move on.

I'm done with a car when it is no longer reliable and cannot be made reliable without extensive work costing more than the value of the car. I am pretty much scrapping my '96 Sunfire because it needs a fuel pump, which requires dropping the tank, which requires dropping the exhaust that will probably have to be cut off due to rusty hardware. I'll mine it for useful parts and then call the junk man to haul it off.

You can get windshields for $100-150 in a lot of places. That's not a killer deal for me personally.

I'm kind of in the same situation with the wife's Turd. THe accent is over 215k miles, it's been the recipient of more than one parking lot bump (come out to find new places where people hit it and left), she hit a plastic trash can that was twirling across the interstate at 65mph and fubar'd the right front corner. The interior is.....well..... destroyed would be a good description. It's loud (no floor sound deadening on that car), it' slow, the rear windows don't work, the AC clutch bearing is making noise. But it starts every single day, it gets almost 40mpg, is reliable as hell and it refuses to die. Hell, I'd not be afraid to hop in it tonight and run it non-stop to LA. It would suck (no cruise and I'd be deaf), but I have no doubt in my mind it would get you there without a single issue.

So when is it time? My personal limit is when I am spending more than 2 weekends a month fixing something (normal maintenance items don't count). Once you start eating up my time and money fixing stupid broken stuff, it's time to go.

Fix the glass and the front, maintain it, and drive it until it can't be driven anymore.

My Mazda was still running like a top... I had new Ice Racing Tires on it and a new radiator. I even drove it to Nashville the week before I sold it. However, even though it had never let me down nor I it on maintenance. Everytime I drove it and the wind blew and I heard a strange noise I'd tense up... Smell a semis brakes smoking... Same thing. Hit water and the belt squeal made me paranoid.

When I got like that... It was time to be done with her. I'm certain it's still on the road today but ( I ) was finished.

Toss a JY bumper cover on it, fix the glass, done. If it was taken care of and the timing belt kept up with, it should last at least a couple more years.

I was content driving my rusty, 300k mile Civic Si until the sunroof seal failed. By the second time it dumped a gallon of cold water down my neck, I was done. I tried making it seal tighter after the first time, but it didn't do the trick.

I would imagine you can get a windshield from the junk yard on the cheap.

In reply to Woody:

One tube of RTV, no more problems.

I start getting sketchy about driving long distances at the 200k mile mark. Just a hangup, I suppose.

I got rid of my beater Ford Taurus because it got a flat- seriously. The front end was so wrecked because of subframe rot it wasn't worth replacing the tire. So I dumped it.

Rust for me. I've never owned a car that wasn't killed by it. Pretty much anything mechanical can be fixed, but once a car start to have rust holes big enough for my fist to pass thru, I quit.

Ask yourself, "What would Ramsey do?"

I give up when it gets too rusty for safety, the engine blows, or it just nickles and dimes me too hard(problems every time it senses tools are nearby). Or some combo of the three.

Mitchell wrote: Ask yourself, "What would Ramsey do?"

Beans and rice!

Will the car start?

Will the car start EVERY time?

Will the car get you to your detestation and back every time?

When you (or I) start to answer No the key questions it's time to let the car go. If you are tired of the car or you know a major $$$ repair is on the way it might be a good time to sell the car.

Paul B

BTW: Most of my cars leave around 380K-410K

I remember when 100,000 was the holy grail.

My dad would do 20-30k/year and would give 5 year old cars away when they hit 6 figures - they were used up. An odometer that had 'rolled over' was an oddity.

However, then more than now, rust killed cars before miles.

My car only has 168K. Engine pulls STRONG. But...

Rust is bad, back half of the driver side rocker panel is GONE, and it take at least 2 attempts to find a solid lift point in back.

CEL is always on, code 31-something with the evap canister, $200 to fix properly. Needed to pass inspection in June.

Battery is going, has already left me stranded once. It was of questionable history 5 years ago when I bought the car. New one is $85 for the cheapest one at walmart or auto zone. Needed to make it past next winter.

Snow tires are shot after 5 winters. About $100 per tire installed. Needed to make it past next winter.

I am done putting any more money in this car. Anything more than $10 and 30 minutes of my time is the end of it. If the dealer will give me $500 on trade in they can take it when it's time comes.

I stopped driving my 318ti when rust ate one of the rear suspension mounts...

fanfoy wrote: Rust for me. I've never owned a car that wasn't killed by it. Pretty much anything mechanical can be fixed, but once a car start to have rust holes big enough for my fist to pass thru, I quit.

That was what put me over the edge for my old Elantra. No visible rust on the body except one spot, but once you got under it, the story was much differnet. 10 Indiana winters had taken their toll and the core support was trying to rust off the front frame rail.

Time to go.

neon4891 wrote: My car only has 168K. Engine pulls STRONG. But... Rust is bad, back half of the driver side rocker panel is GONE, and it take at least 2 attempts to find a solid lift point in back. CEL is always on, code 31-something with the evap canister, $200 to fix properly. Needed to pass inspection in June. Battery is going, has already left me stranded once. It was of questionable history 5 years ago when I bought the car. New one is $85 for the cheapest one at walmart or auto zone. Needed to make it past next winter. Snow tires are shot after 5 winters. About $100 per tire installed. Needed to make it past next winter. I am done putting any more money in this car. Anything more than $10 and 30 minutes of my time is the end of it. If the dealer will give me $500 on trade in they can take it when it's time comes.

And that day is today. One of my long front-rear brake lines just gave out.

So far the only vehicles I have given up ownership on have come down to one was still a wreck I didn't want to fix, one was I didn't, and still don't, have a place to fix it back up from its shell state, one was a nickel and dimer, and the other was going off to college and the parents didn't want to keep it around. This doesn't count the one I flipped for $150 out of a $25 investment, it drove too.

After that, I still have the rest of all the vehicles I have ever purchased.

When you can't get to work on time, enough is enough.

Florida will pay for a new windshield. It is a "zero liability state". Read about it here: Broken windshield replacement law

Hell, the A/C still works (very important down here); I'd keep it until the wheels fall off.