Andoskyy

iTrader: (1)

Ok, so here is my situation.

my girlfriend's 1996 toyota corolla just threw a rod and the engine is toast. 124k on the original engine and car. Car is in excellent shape otherwise. no shakes, shimmies, or rattles.

I found an engine with 56K on it for $1800 and my mechanic said it would cost worst case, $1200 in parts and labor to install. so thats 3K total.

now my question is...should she get a new car? she wants nothing fancy...just a point A to point B car. The way i look at it, is $3,000 is roughly a years worth of car payments at $200 a month, which is reasonable for what she would get into.

where do you draw the line with repairs vs. new car? I just dont have much experience with this...could anyone older/wiser/experienced explain the pros/cons?

Thank you in advance!

PhantomZX

I think you should be able to find a used longblock for a lot less than that.

I bought a used 5s-fe longblock for $795 + tax. http://www.japanengine.com/

You also may be able to find another used 96 corolla for $3k that's in perfect working condition.

I think where you draw the line in getting another car or fixing your current one boils down to how much you can afford. If you don't mind taking the depreciation hit of buying or leasing a new car, then go ahead and do it and you will be enjoying your drives a lot more. There are also too many variables as to what may or may not go wrong with your current car and the costs of those repairs.

Och

iTrader: (3)

You should be able to find an engine like that for $500 at most.

Lexiss_sc430

iTrader: (2)

I’m not too familiar with your area but down here in LA you could pick up a clean engine for $350-500 max. I’d say for that type of money get something else.... if she could use a write off for her taxes, lease a new civic for her, they will easily give you a civic for under 200 dollars a month.

hass

If everything else is fine with the car, just put a new motor in. I agree with everyone, u can find a cheaper engine for sure. If the 1JZgtte go for $1,300 i don't see how the carolla motor is more expensive.
-hass

Andoskyy

iTrader: (1)

thanks for the imput. i've only checked one place for an engine so far, so i will do more research.

thanks, it seems worth it to replace the motor if i can find one for about half the price or less

plex

iTrader: (11)

Yea do some checking around that price seems a little high for the motor you can get a 2jzgte for that.

DASHOCKER

iTrader: (2)

I had an ex who lives in Lawrence Mass who has a 96 Corolla with high mileage, and she would neglect the car.. Is her car a red Corolla lol? Could be the same girl

ElitistK

iTrader: (4)

QFT. My old 1ZZ engine was under $1G including the labor.

Inabj2

1,800 for a used economical 4 banger that barely cracks 100 hp? Odd when you can get black top sr20dets front clips for maybe 500 dollars more, and motor sets for around 2,000 dollars.

Or complete 1jz clips for not much more then 2 grand.

JDM

Look around the MR2 and Celica forums. Sometimes they'll give away 5S-FEs for free.

krazykanuk

I guess I'll be the lone guy here and say just get a new Civic and get another 10 years of use out of a nicer, newer car.

Who seriously wants to drive an 11 year old Corolla? For me whenever you are putting more money into a car than what its worth, just say goodbye.

mmarshall

I agree. IMO it makes little sense to put a new engine into a car that is worth less than the engine itself.

Time to go car shopping. A new Civic, of course, is a possibility, but you can get good entry-level cars today for less money than that....starting around 12K. In fact, some friends of mine took home a brand-new Accent last Tuesday for $12,600 out the door...including tax and tags. Automatic, A/C, ABS, and stereo CD.

Sometimes mechanics or technicians will buy up old vehicles with ruined engines ...they can get a new or rebuilt engine, install it themselves, and, of course, save the labor that most people would have to pay.