WOW! i got the bad news.

[davidpizzica]

The car repair place I go to quoted a price of $i,068.18 to replace my head gasket (why tack on the 18 cents?). I'm going to call my brother about the bad news and take it from there.

[caseysmom]

I have a friend that just paid $3000 for one...your getting off a little cheaper....sorry to hear about the big expense....

[davidpizzica]

Now I'm weighing the idea of getting it fixed (it's a 1994) and having something else go wrong, or putting the money towards something more reliable like a chevy cavalier (easy on gas and must have a CD player!)

[caseysmom]

Yeah my friend that spent the $3,000 I was wondering if it was worth it also.

[Jessika]

Now I'm weighing the idea of getting it fixed (it's a 1994) and having something else go wrong, or putting the money towards something more reliable like a chevy cavalier (easy on gas and must have a CD player!)

If its a 94 I suggest just getting a newer car. That's what I did! Chwevrolets are VERY reliable and durable vehicles. I have a '92 Lumina with its engine still in pristine condition! Everything under the hood is in top-notch working order. The body adn interior I can't say the same for but it runs well even for its old age! But as all old cars tend to do, it will slowly fall apart and so instead of just fixing every little repair the car gets as we go along it was cheaper to just buy a newer used vehicle. (I don't recommend the Cavalier actually, but I've heard amazing reviews on the new Cobalt!!)

[Logan]

Good luck, whatever you decide, David.

[Lady's Human]

It all depends on how attached you are to the car. $1000 for a headgasket is a good price, but the mechanic hasn't seen what is wrong on the inside of the engine. Once the head is off the price is likely going to go up substantially.

Cavaliers are rolling pieces of tinfoil. They fold like paper in crashes, and the engines are not that reliable.

If you are looking for a used econobox, I would suggest looking at a civic (reliable, good on gas, relatively cheap) or a Focus. New I would suggest a cobalt, (very good reviews) Focus or a civic.

[moosmom]

David,

I think you should save your "Oh Wow" for for the sticker shock you'll suffer when you look at the prices of new cars. It's a bummer that Ole Blue pooped out on you, but think of it as a new beginning!!

Good luck car shopping, honey!

[Cinder & Smoke]

something more reliable like a Chevy Cavalier ...

DRIVE one before you buy one! :rolleyes:

I had to drive one to the fire station for storage after the driver took sick ...
:eek: - not the "roomiest" shoebox on the road!
Nor was it the softest riding econobox!

Friends just had a Cobalt for a week while their car was in the shop ...
Same story - a lil bit "cramped" to get into, and a rather "harsh" ride.

[buckner]

Hm, I don't understand why you people are advising against Chevy Cavaliers. New, any car is good. Why? Because it's new. As a used car, things may be a different story as to which cars you should be looking at, but that also depends on the year of them.

I drove a 1993 Mercury Villager (my Big Tan Sexy Beast) for roughly 6 months. I was getting 11 miles a gallon. Of course, it started having problems with the fuel lines (is that the right term?) and other things. That's bcause it was 12 years old. My dad and I went car shopping and we looked at many different cars. I knew what I wanted in a car, but I didn't want know where to begin. We looked at a Civic (way too expensive!), Focus (I just didn't like it...), Aveo (good price, but I didn't like it), Cobalt (too expensive for me), and a Neon (decent price and I liked how it drove, but it just didn't "click). Then I laid eyes on a black beauty.. a 2005 Chevy Cavalier Coupe. I fell in love, and I've been VERY happy with it. We only paid about $11,000 for it (it was originally $17,000) after the trade in of my van. I get roughly 30miles a gallon IN town, and even better on the road. And that's important to me because next year, I'll be doing a lot of back and forth from college and home. :) It's been nothing but reliable for me and I really love it because it's "me", if you can understand that. It's small, black, two doors, automatic (I'm still a loser and can't drive stick), and just "me". Just thought I'd tell you my story with Cavaliers. I don't think anyone should really diss them unless they'd personally owned one. :p

If you're buying something new, good luck! The prices will blow you over if you think $1000 for a head gasket is a lot.

[Jessika]

Hm, I don't understand why you people are advising against Chevy Cavaliers. New, any car is good. Why? Because it's new.

I REALLY beg to differ... although you're right -- a brand new car is a brand new car, period. But trust me, brand new cars can have just as many problems as a used one. ;)

[Lady's Human]

I dislike cavaliers for a very simple reason. At less than 5 MPH my wife hit a truck in front of her at a toll booth. The damage to the cavalier? Needed a new hood and 2 new fenders. It literally crumpled like a ball of tinfoil. The engine started seeping from the head at about 70,000 miles, and it rode like a buckboard. Yes, it got good gas mileage, but that was about the only thing it had going for it.