For the past 13 days I have been without a car since it was overheating terribly and was essentially not drivable. My boyfriend had promised to help me with the costs fix it once he returns from the road (he's a long haul trucker), since we thought it was just a bad thermostat and maybe a busted radiator. Today we finally had the time to work on it. We replaced the thermostat and confirmed that the radiator wasn't leaking. It's still overheating. After a lot of poking and prodding, we found the source of the problem: cracked head. As you can imagine, this won't be cheap since this is now in the territory of engine repair. We will be doing a DIY repair to keep costs down, but I still need a new head. A quick search online has pulled up a range of prices from $395-$600 depending on whether it's just the head, or a complete repair kit with gasket, bolts ,etc. I am offering bust sketches at $10/each to help fund the parts needed to repair my car. I'm going to shoot for $500, which sits in the middle of the price range and will hopefully give me wiggle room. Sketches are on a pay-upon-completion basis and you can view examples of them here:
Ugh, while replacing a head is a fairly straight forward process, it's not a job to look forward to. I wish I could offer more help beyond something you've probably already looked into - a re-manufactured head.
Ugh, while replacing a head is a fairly straight forward process, it's not a job to look forward to.
Yeah, I'm fortunate enough that I took an engine class at my college last year (they have a VERY nice automotive service tech program) so I know my way around an engine and, armed with tools and a shop manual for my vehicle, I could tackle this. It's just a matter of saving up the costs for the part, and doing it reasonably quick since I have payments on the car. My wallet hemorrhages almost $300 each month in the form of car payments, and I don't want to be stuck paying for a car that doesn't run!
Yeah, I'm fortunate enough that I took an engine class at my college last year (they have a VERY nic
I took steering, suspension and brake classes myself. While I was taking those classes, my college was replacing the automotive AND aviation buildings. Even the temporary building (a freshly built warehouse) was very nicely suited for the auto shops...
I took steering, suspension and brake classes myself. While I was taking those classes, my college
Awesome! I want to take the transmission class next. I'm hoping to eventually save up some money so I can buy a running 1973 Datsun 240z. I've grown tired of newer model cars because of all the electronic bits and over all hassle when it comes to repairs. I've owned a 2002 VW Beetle and now have a 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee and both cars were money pits with nothing but problems. The Beetle keeled over at around 80,000 miles, and the Jeep has around 165,000 miles and has a laundry list of problems (bad ECU and cracked head being the major ones). As a broke college student, my best bet is an older, all-mechanical car where repairs are easier, there are few/no sensors that can fail, etc. If I can ever get my hands on a decent, running car that I can work on restoring over time (as long as it runs, I don't care about the paint/interior/etc) I'll try to sell my current one for what I owe on the loan, so I can just break even (it's not worth more than that, sadly) and set myself free of car payments AND headaches. Plus, old cars are built to last. New cars these days fall apart too easily. :/
Awesome! I want to take the transmission class next. I'm hoping to eventually save up some money so
While I agree with you on the electronics part to a point, sometimes having those electronics make diagnostics a lot easier.
That also confuses me that a small block Mopar would have such issues with so few miles on it. Maybe it's because that I'm weary of domestics these days.
I've got an '88 Nissan pickup that I bought from a friend a while back. Was my first vehicle and through a bit of luck and trials I've got no reason or plans to get rid of it anytime soon. I would like to get something that's about as big as my truck that is a bit better on fuel for commutes, but that's for later. I can live with 19 MPG for now.
While I agree with you on the electronics part to a point, sometimes having those electronics make d
I suppose if the electronics work as they should, it would make things easier. In my experience, all the DTC codes I got (if the car threw any) were very vague and almost always useless. In the case of the VW Beetle, it kept throwing codes that weren't even relevant, and the Jeep won't throw any codes at all. I do get to enjoy such gems as my gauges spiraling out of control (35mph? No, car says I am doing either 0mph or 130mph), loss of power, misfiring, hard start when the engine is hot, 'transmission over temp' warning even though nothing indicates transmission cooling issues, etc. Gotta love it! >.<
19mpg would be heavenly! My Jeep gets around 15mpg and, with gas hovering around $4.25/gal where I live, it's just brutal. I would love something more economical, but eh, gotta make due with what I have. I do laugh though when my ECU burps and my car's EVIC displays 44mpg. It's like "Aww, how cute, it thinks it's a Prius!"
I suppose if the electronics work as they should, it would make things easier. In my experience, all
Awwww yisss! Muthafuckin' Datsuns! I knew I liked you for a reason! I have a 1981 Datsun 510 four door (named Barney) sitting out in the shop, waiting for the weather to get better so I can replace the fuel line. Not as 'sporty' as the 240s, but he still hauls butt and is ROCK solid.
Awwww yisss! Muthafuckin' Datsuns! I knew I liked you for a reason! I have a 1981 Datsun 510 four d
If you're replacing the head, replace every part that is designed to fail (gaskets, et al)... better to avoid the need to go back in since you've already got the head off.
If you're replacing the head, replace every part that is designed to fail (gaskets, et al)... better
