Radiator, thermostat, or worse?

[the3rsss]

headgaskets really are not that big a deal. The engine needs to come out but afterward it should run a very long time. I think i spent about 500 and it took about three weeks, mostly waiting for parts. car runs great now. looking forward to another 130k miles.

[Kwhistle]

headgaskets really are not that big a deal. The engine needs to come out but afterward it should run a very long time. I think i spent about 500 and it took about three weeks, mostly waiting for parts. car runs great now. looking forward to another 130k miles.

 

I wish I had the means to do that, like a house garage and a back up car... So far got an estimate for $1300-1400 from an AC Delco shop with a good reputation amongst locals. But that seems like a good downpayment on something newer.

 

If anyone wants a 98 OBW with everything working, good tires, no leaks, and really not known major problems aside from HG, I'd be game to sell mine. I'm just north of Indianapolis.

[GeneralDisorder]

Find a local board member that can do them - I do them all the time for around $800 to $1100 - depending on the need for timing belt, seals, clutch, etc that needs doing while the engine is out.

 

The cheapest car is almost always the one you already own.

 

GD

[davebugs]

Find a local board member that can do them - I do them all the time for around $800 to $1100 - depending on the need for timing belt, seals, clutch, etc that needs doing while the engine is out.

 

The cheapest car is almost always the one you already own.

 

GD

 

Great advice. A lot of us here have been through this many times.

[Red92]

The cheapest car is almost always the one you already own.

 

^ Agreed.

 

 

I suppose the fix-or-junk decision hinges on this:

errrrrrrrrrr.... this really blows. I kinda figured when I bought the car with 195K on the odometer, the HG would've been taken care of by one of the previous owners. And was gonna sell the car in a couple months, too.

 

If you were already looking to switch cars, you'll have to make the decision. Normally, this sort of repair is well worth it if you like the car, have kept up on maintenance, and plan to keep it for a while.

 

But if you're planning on getting rid of it, then the repair might not be worth it. The car is only worth so much as scrap or parts... and you know (approximately) how much it would cost to get it fixed, and you also can check how much a similar (running) car sells for in your area. If you do the math and you won't recover the cost of the repair (end result less than or equal to the scrap/parts value), then it isn't really worth messing with.