Opinion time: Kill or keep the beater!

[Zabo]

-If you'd rather have this in GA, Milk go ahead. -

So, here's the skinny.

I've got the T/A set to be undercoated. So far the winter's been mild and may shape up to be that way. But, I'm not holding my breath. I do have my beater, but herein lies the problem.

The beater has begun to go through at least a quart a week of oil and has incontinence all over my parents driveway. SO much so that the entire side of the drive is just one big oil slick.

My father who is the title and insurer of this car gave it to me as a grad/christmas gift to save miles on the T/A during the winter and inclimate weather. Basic liability and all that but its a really nice gesture and I wouldn't look the gift horse in the mouth..

Until we realized how bad the slick was, and that the rear end was being stopped by the pistons on the calipers and NOT the pads. The latter had been going on for around a year now we think since my brother isn't to much of a worrier about cars. If it rolls and stops and gos, it's good enough.

But with a progressively annoying leak, a bad cooling sending unit, tires with slow leaks in them, and no rear brakes it's shaping up to be a big money pit for even using it as a beater.

So after putting a mental budget together we're looking at not fixing the sending unit and letting the LQ4 burn itself to death, let the oil drain out and run her dry and just buy quart after quart every week, eff the tires but put brakes on it. We'd be looking at 500/mo including liablity expenses just to keep it as is.

However, I put the idea of scrapping the whole mess for around 7-800 bucks since it still has several good parts in it on the engine alone (accessories). I COULD part it out myself but HOA rules forbid it. That could net me a cool 2-3K in parts.

In the end as the title states I'm at a crossroads and the title holder/insurer has put it in my hands. He doesn't like the idea of me driving the T/A in the snow but I told him it could be raining in july and the risk would be the same.

I could take the 7-800 some odd bucks from scrap value and finally repair some paint issues with the car and also get some summer tires/wheels to save the winter rubber.

Or I could keep pouring money from both me and my father which we don't really want to spend to keep a half dead car on the road. He still thinks there's value in keeping it going; I think it's just a waste of money because I never drive it due to the crap that's wrong with it from a safety pov.

Well? Kill it or Keep it?

[bigted83]

I say keep it and use it for a beater, it would better if that got hit and totaled with no injuries, if the accident happens. Hoping it don't. Wouldn't u be not as upset if something happened to it and not your t/a

[NoUCantDriveIt]

I have a soft spot for Monty Carlos. Have a bigger soft spot for not throwing good money into a bottomless pit.

I'd check to see if it can be donated in it's current condition and what the tax benefit would be, vs what you could get back from scraping it out. Possibly take the estimated amount it will cost to keep it going, add a few bucks, and get another beater in better condition.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do..

[Big Brunsy]

I said scrap it and drive the T/A, but really I'd sell it and find another beater on craigslist....should be able to find on on there at $1k or less.

[v6sonoma]

Sell it and get a better beater. Perhaps a cobalt.

[Zabo]

Selling it wouldn't be much of an option really since the car is leaking oil a good bit and needs the engine pulled to get to the sending unit (BRILLIANT DESIGN OLD GM!). That's easily 1K in repairs to the engine.

I'm looking to probably sell it to the scrappers for 1400 bucks or Craigslist it for 2400 bucks (KBB fair-poor value) and see if I get any hits.