Hi,
i have a 1991 Honda Accord which has some major problems. The motor is leaking badly (needs all the seals renewed), the seatbelt on the driverside is not working and sometimes the car does not start.
But i recently got it smoked and it passed. The problem is that the repair will cost me a lot of money, just for the engine around $500 done by a mechanic i know.
Now i don’t know if you can even sell it or if its better just to junk the car. I don’t use it anymore.
Oh, and the car got new tires a couple of month ago. In case i junk the car are there shops who buy good tires, so to get some money for the tires.
I really don’t know what to do with it.
Donate to school or college auto repair department and write it off taxes
$500 is not a lot of money to spend on fixing an engine oil leak. If you really want a new car, and can afford one, go ahead and buy one.
However, it is ususally cheaper to keep an old car going than to buy a new one.
It’s not worth selling unless a mechanic buys it to fix up in his spare time for his kid. You can also donate it and get a tax receipt.
If it runs, either sell it or donate it to a charity. It seems a shame to junk a car that still runs. Someone could be using this car as transportation, and $500 is not that much to spend on a car repair.
the repair will cost me a lot of money, just for the engine around $500
How much will one new car payment cost? Maintenance and minor repairs (like $500) are far cheaper then replacing a car.
You must have another car if you don’t drive this one. You might try to sell it on Craigslist or another no-cost service. Since it just passed your smog test, it could be good-to-go for the new owner, unless it must pass a safety inpsection. You need to repair or replace the seat belt (at least) to pass safety inspections. You’ll probably get a couple hundred dollar deduction if you donate it. The donee will send you a bill of sale stating what they got for it, and that is your deduction.
yes, i do have good running car besides this honda.
The problem is that the engine needs an overhaul, plus new shocks and the seatbelt. For the seatbelt i went to honda and got the seatbelt replaced but the latch i have to pay ($300) which is not covered by warranty. I should mention that it has one of these automatic seatbelts which has a motor.
So the total cost to elevate the car to a good condition is more than the $500.
And since i have another car, i was asking myself what to do with this one. I really don’t want to spend a lot of money on an old car.
I live in california and i think we don’t have a safty inspection, but i worry that police might write a ticket for that. Altough a mechnic told me that he might disable the alarm for me. It just doesnt retracked the seatbelt.
Difficult decision.
Since you have another car that’s in good running shape, and since the seatbelt retractor doesn’t work (that problem is MAJOR in my book), then I’d recommend selling it as a “parts” car. Face it, it’s old and tired and you no longer need it. From the tone of your post, you also no longer want it.
Seat belt parts are available from salvage yards. Your car would be fine project car for a high school kid. You can be honest about the motor needing work and all of it. If the car’s body and paint are in good condition then you car ranks “fair” by KBB, or Edmonds standards. Just price it according to its true condition and be honest with the buyer. It still sounds like way to good a car to junk.