I have a 1994 Plymouth Voyager that is in very good condition, interior is great, exterior needs a paint job on the hood and the roof, rest is fine. The engine runs fine but it has blow by and the A/C doesnt’t work. It has 130000 miles. The questions is should I replace/repair the engine and A/C, get it painted or just let it die a slow death. Not sure if I should repair it or look for a new car.
Thanks for the advice.
I’d be concerned that the tranny could go, then you’d have to either put more money in or junk it. Doesn’t seem like older Chrysler minivans age well.
IMHO, it has had a good life, just keep it running as long as you can for cheap…every month you keep it is one more month without a car payment…
Until you really HAVE to spend money on it, keep it, but look for a good deal on a used car in the meantime, or figure out what new car is likely to replace it when it finally bites the dust, so you are prepared
I agree with the rest - - Let it die peacefully. You’d spend a lot more just in what you want to do than it’s worth. Take the 4+ grand it would cost you to repair it well and apply it toward another car when this one finally goes.
You can count this as one more vote to allow that 16 year old vehicle to go.
Why would you spend more money to replace the engine and repair the A/C than the vehicle is actually worth?
I’m not an economist, but to me, repairing this vehicle just seems like a fairly illogical use of financial resources.
Don’t let me miss this opportunity to jump on the band wagon. If you accumulate the amount of money equal to monthly payments while you keep this sled moving with normal maintenance you may be able to find a bargain that suits your needs and tastes before dooms day arrives. Very few cars are worth the cost of engine overhauls. But be sure that the maintenance is up to date on the Voyager. Keep the crank case vents open, the oil & filters changed and everything safe… As texases said, the transmission could fail the day after you replace the engine and you could buy a lot of car for the money spent on an engine and transmission.
Look for a new car as long as you don’t actually buy one. 2005 isn’t too old.
I have no idea what you mean “The engine runs fine but it has blow by”? What is blow by? If the engine is in bad shape and needs to be replaced then bye bye old Voyager.
If the engine just needs $200 in repairs perhaps it is worth it. If you are looking at a new engine, then it is time to put the old Voyager to rest.
On a '94 car you are looking at virtually no value, so the amount of money you spend on the car depends totally on how long you figure the repairs will keep the car on the road.
Take the 4+ grand it would cost you to repair it well and apply it toward another car when this one finally goes. And add the amounts that you would have been paying for car payments to that 4 grand and use all that money you have saved towards paying off the the replacement.
Blow by is hen the rings become tired and worn they allow some of this compressed and burning mixture to leak past and escape into the crankcase. The “Old Girl” runs so I monitor the oil and fliters every week, maybe winter will be kind to her and I can then look in spring for a new one.
Thanks for the advice and I guess I will save the $ and just keep her running for now.
MJG
I’d drive it until it dies. It can be replaced with a comparable 1994 Caravan/Voyager for less than $1,000.
So the car runs, but leaves a trail of blue smoke in your rear view mirror? Oil is cheap, but your neighbors won’t be giving you a “citizenship” award for non polluting the area air. Your blow by means less compression, but you must still have enough to get it started and keep running. You need a ring job, and it might not be worth the money on a car this old.
You must live in a state without emission testing. Many states would fail your car and you’d have to either fix it, or send it to the crusher.
I’d keep on driving it while taking a long look for a good replacement. That’s assuming that the crankcase pressures from the blowby aren’t pushing oil through the seals and staining the garage floor. Heck, lots of us older fellas have owned oil burners in the past, and we all survived. And as for the AC, it isn’t until recent years that defrosters used the AC systems anyway. Most of the cars I’ve owned didn’t even have AC. My '89 pickup didn’t even have it.