Is it worth spending money to fix up an old car?

This week alone I just spent $1,000 on my 11-year-old car. Don't you just hate it when that happens?

I've had my '98 Toyota Corolla for about five years now and put about 62,000 miles on it. (Has 76k miles in total.) I love the old gal cause she's my first car, but she's been looking pretty banged up for awhile. I've lived with a dent in my bumper for about three years and one of the outer door handles broke off about eight months ago and I didn't fix it because I didn't want to spend the money. Two nights ago, roommate Amanda accidentally broke off another door handle while trying to exit.

That made it the 5th door handle (inner and outer) to break in the short time I've had this car. Stupid things were made so cheap! Either that, or I have friends with super-human strength.

So I went to the dealer to get two handles fixed. The cheap plastic parts cost $27 and $89. The labor for each door was $150!?! GAH! $478 to fix two stupid door handles.

While I was fixing door handles, my brother got a little paint touch-up on his car. The nice guy who did my brother's paint job tells me he can fix my dented bumper and all paint dings (two bumpers and the hood) for $500. Not too shabby. But I wasn't looking to get a paint job anytime soon, since I have a craving for a new car. But my dad is telling me that the places where paint that has chipped off will soon rust, and a rusty car is much worse than one with paint nicks.

So after much internal struggling over what to do, I decided to just spend $500 to fix the paint and dent. I dropped the car off today and before I did, the nice independent body shop guy gave me a call. It went something like this:

"Hey, um, don't take this the wrong way, but could you please pay me half in advance? It's nothing against you, it's just I've been screwed over too many times."

I told him right away that I had no problem with it, but he kept going on about how people have cheated him and didn't pay (he apparently doesn't have you sign a contract so he doesn't have much legal recourse). He even brought it up again when I paid him half, double checking that I would pay him the other half when I get my car back.

What is wrong with the world? Are people that horrible that they aren't paying after they hire him to do a job? I felt bad for the guy. Here he is trying to give people a fair price with his own small business, and he's freaked out about people not paying him because he's been burned too many times. Sheish!

I was planning to get a new car in a year and a half or so. But maybe now I will wait a little longer and save up a little more, since perhaps now I won't be embarrassed about driving around a dinged-up car.

Comments

[Amanda]

I don't know my own strength!!!

[Stefan]

I have a 1996 Suburban with 132,000 miles. My mobile mechanic that comes to my house, Ivan Ortega, keeps up the maintenance on all the small issues so I don't have a one time large ticket item. He recently changed my manifold intake gaskets and valve covers. I saved $475 compared to the dealer and $225 from a local independently owned garage. I even use Ivan Ortega to change my oil so I know what is going into the car and also can save a couple of bucks. The car is running great and I don't have to hassel with a garage. You can contact Ivan Ortega at 786-439-9496.
Stefan

[javgua]

Most people I know keep a car for a long time, even if they have the money to purchase a new one in cash. I personally have a mercedes with over 300 thousand miles as well as a dodge truck with 133 thousand miles. It makes economic sense to keep these vehicles, almost as if you are writing yourself a check for $500 every month you keep it.

[IVAN JALOPKIN]

I have a '47 Plymouth and a '55 Chrysler that I did Frame-Off rebuilds on ... For the sixty thousand dollars it would have cost me to buy an new full size Luxury car, I completely rebuilt and updated TWO cars, to 2010 specs ... They are made of Steel, and very crashworthy, have no Ralph Nader plumbing, comfortable with six adults inside, eight if they are friendly, and both cars get aound 18mpg ... Both are completely brand new in every way, and Insurance is quite reasonable ... No Car payments, dependability, Safety, more Trunk Space than any rice burner, and they are American made ... THAT, is Economically intelligent ... Recycling at its best ...

[Bridget Carey]

Thanks for the comments. I got my car back and I'm so happy that I spent the money to get it fixed. Having it fixed has given me a renewed sense of pride and joy in my car. I think it cured me of my urge to spend money on a new one. (For at least a few more years, ha.)