My poor, poor baby. The clutch finally had enough on Wednesday, when I actually made it home in second gear.
It needs the clutch kit and flywheel. The cheapest price I can get to have it fixed is $1500. In general, the car also needs a new power steering hose and valve gasket seal. Whatever those are, they are apparently leaking. I'll also need tires about mid-winter, they guestimate.
To get the car back to where I need it to drive, it will cost me about $2000, which includes tires. I've never replaced anything on this car besides the tires, so this is my first major repair. It is 11 years old, and has almost 100,000 miles on it. Everything on it is original.
Decision time. Should I put $2000 into a car that is, at best, worth $500? Kelly Blue Book value for this car is $690 for "fair" condition. If I repaired the car, and got into an accident tomorrow, I'd only get something like $250 from the insurance company. As my boss said, when I pondered this with him, it does not make good economic sense to put $2000 into an 11 year old car with 100,000 miles on it.
So I will take my money and put it down on a new car. I found one I really like, too. It reminds me of my last favorite car, a 1981 Citation, that died when I lived with my brother. I loved that car, and I cried my eyes out when the tow truck came to take it to Chevy Heaven.
Anyway, the Chevy Aveo is my choice. I test drove a bunch of cars, but the Aveo is the most comfortable for me, not only in price, but also in size. Here it is:
