Exhaust system - any way to hold this together?

Maintenance/Repairs
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22

2001, 160K? I’d be inclined to repair the exhaust system and drive it for another 50-60 K or so. If you drive the typical 12K per year, that would give you another 4-5 years of use. Seems worth it. You’ve got the advantage that there are few unknowns in the equation, you know its service history, you know how much it costs to insure, and no monthly car payments.

Suggest to abandon the idea of keeping/restoring it for 10 years. At least if the purpose is to benefit your kid. Most kids at 16 years old just need basic transportation, and would prefer something newer. They don’t want to have to deal with problems finding a mechanic who can work on an old car, and with having to go to the junkyard to find repair parts.

23

Exactly what is meant by that?
Are there holes in it?
How does he know it is “fried”?

Because I have local muffler shops that will patch things together if they can to get you back on the road for the minimum outlay. They won’t do anything sketchy but will fix what they are comfortable doing rather than replacing an entire system.

24

Even if the car was in great shape, putting a new driver in a (by then) 26-year-old car is a bad idea. Imagine how much safer a 2020 whatever would be!

So if saving it for your kid is no longer an option, do you still want to keep it (with all the $$ that will be needed)?

25

I would be more concerned with safety features available in a newer car vs what a 2001 Saturn has to offer before I would look at a teenagers preference, but that’s just me! :wink:

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26

If you peruse the glue section at Home Depot or Lowes, you might be able to find a high temperature metal epoxy to hold it together. A product with the name “steel stick” has worked for me on similar jobs.

27

OP here with another update . . . forgive the long post, but I want to share details and put my thought processes out there for you guys to digest and dissect. I really appreciate all the feedback you’ve offered. This is a good forum and you’re a knowledgeable and entertaining group.

After going over the car, my mechanic said the only work he’d recommend beyond the exhaust system is an AC recharge and rear brakes and springs. Total cost would be in the neighborhood of $1350. KBB on this car is about $1100. I’m seriously considering having all the work done and keeping the car for a few more years.

I was kind of speaking tongue-in-cheek about teaching my son to drive on it when he’s older. It’s one of those “relaxing in the back yard with a beer and thinking that would be really awesome” kind of thoughts. I really do think it would be awesome, but I recognize as some of you noted, that it’s not the most practical idea.

Even though it doesn’t add up mathematically to invest more than the car is worth, I’m trying to look at this from all perspectives (other than my sentimental memories – trying hard not to let that enter the equation). The car is basically a backup in case something happens to one of my newer cars. The insurance is dirt cheap, as I don’t put many miles on it and don’t carry comp/collision anymore. I do know the maintenance history. In fact, I’ve done a lot of the basic stuff (oil changes, plugs, wires etc) myself. It doesn’t even burn oil at this point. And, I do like my cars simple. When I think of the features that a new (or newer used) car would have to offer, the only things I’d really be interested in would be a backup camera and a permanently-mounted dash cam. I don’t know that either of these features would be worth the $200-$300/month in auto loan costs I’d likely have to incur to buy something several years newer.

I can’t really pursue the option of going to a muffler shop for some lesser-scale work on the exhaust system. I appreciate the suggestions, but the only shops I have in town are corporate chains - your Midas and Meineke types. Based on past experience, I’d prefer to avoid them.

The other thing that comes into play is that I have thoughts/ideas/dreams of making this car into a project of sorts. I work in an office every day, sitting in front of a computer all day. So, I really enjoy spending time on a weekend getting grease under my nails. I wouldn’t try to do the exhaust system myself, but the next time my brakes need work or a sensor goes down, I might try the repairs myself. It would be a good chance to learn new things and gain some skills. And, if I botch the job, I’m doing it on an old car that’s beyond its prime anyway.

So, I’m thinking I might plunk down the money and keep on rolling with this car for a bit. I welcome any thoughts or suggestion. I’m sure there are angles I haven’t considered.

28

I’ve spent more on a car that was worth less, and in the end, it was worth it because it helped me avoid a car payment for several more years. I suspect you’re in a similar scenario, although you’d have to keep the car going for another 3-4 years after sinking this money into it to make it worth it. Will the car last another 3-4 years? You’re in a better position to make this call than anyone else here.

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$1350 is cheap to get a decent car, so I have no problem with you spending that amount. Given what you’ve described, I’d keep it, too.

30

Your mechanic said it needs rear brakes, and you said you are looking for a project like repair brakes… Looks like a fit.

AC recharge is needed only if you need the AC, depends on your location. Rear springs could perhaps be postponed, ask him how serious it is.

31

The current market value of a used vehicle is not directly related to whether a repair makes economic sense. Any 16 year old car is going to require some ongoing expenditures for service and repair. That’s normal, it’s not a new car after all, where every part is brand new. All the parts are 16 years old. If the vehicle is sound structurally (no severe rust problems) and the engine and transmission remain serviceable, most repairs like the ones your shop recommend make both economic and risk management sense compared to buying another car. Were I in this same position the only other factor I"d consider is the transmission. Especially if it is an automatic and hasn’t been maintained according to the service schedule, or if it has been misbehaving. The reason is that automatic transmissions are very expensive to repair.

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At $140 I would gladly purchase the new assembly and bolt it on.