Ok, I took some of the recommendations some of you gave me and told me dad about them. He and his mechanic friend, he says, share the same philosophy - "If you're going to do a complete engine rebuild, then just clean this one up, sell it, and buy a new one". That kind of annoys me sense you get a sense of ownership with your car "it's a pos but it's my pos" etc.... but also the hassle of having to find a new one, pay for it and then get insurance etc...

What opinions do you guys have on that?

TIA!

really depends on how much stuff you have done to you car. For me it was hard to find reasons to sell it because of the work i have done. painted the inside, new carpet, headliner. etc. Then i have to go thru the hassle of changing the rims, springs, etc. SO i got the jasper. had the car back for a few days now and everything is fine so far. knock on wood. good luck

Tell your dad that millions of drag/WRC/motorcycle racers, ect... can't be wrong. They all rebuild engines to keep costs down plus you know what you're getting.

My pops tried the same with me, if you buy a 1000 kit from howell, and do most of the work yourself, you can't go wrong...

Old guys aren't as adventuresome as we are...he's just worn out and doesn't want to get his hands dirty and cut-up ;)

i can see your parents point. the majority of people on this board are pretty young and dont have as much cash to blow so we view a rebuild as being a preferable option. parents have a little more cash to burn and convenience plays a lot into their decision. i plan on rebuilding the engine in my car because i like not having a car payment. but once my car costs more to fix than what its worth, i'll ditch it. i just hope it never comes to that! ;)

kc

see here is my opinion...and my parents..
you already spent money in purchasing your car right...im guessing 6000 right...and if u spend the time cleaning it and getting it to the point here someone would actually buy it you would spend roughly 500 or more ad believe me you will probably sell it for 4000 or if your lucky 5000..maybe..but if you trade it in for a diff car in a dealer they will give u abou 3000 for your car..i did the same thing i went to a dealer and ask how much would mine be worth if i was to trade it in for a GST and he said 4000...with all the mods
look up your value here... WWW.KBB.com
and thk about it if you rebuild your engine wether its stock or aftermarket you know that its going to last u a long time but if you buy anther car your going to have to go through te hassle of looking for a car selling yours putting more money for the new car andmore money to get it insured and if you do on payments your insurance will be higher since you have to pay fullcoverage...then you haveto deal with a total stranger if its used maybe youll get luckyand get a good one or maybe not...
i say rebuild it and keep it for a long time i spent close to 2000 on my car tune-up and i dont regret it because if i has sold it i would have lost the 3000 i have spent on mods and all he time i have spent working on it and i would have to come up with 4000 to get a GST so ..think about it..

This is how much I spent on a stock rebuild.

Machine Shop Invoice:

Hot Tank Block: $55
Magnaflux Block/Crank: $65
Polish Crank/Balance: $35
Hone Cylinder Bores: $10/ea or $40
Drill and Tap BS hole: $15 (doesn't apply to you)

Labor Total: $210

Federal Mogul Rings: $60
FM Main Bearings: $32
FM Rod Bearings: $11

Parts Total: $103

Head Bolts/Rod Bolts: $30
8 Quarts Mobil Dino Oil: $11
Plastigage: $4
Spray Paint: $15

Misc Total: $60

Head Gasket: $35
Intake/Exh Gaskets: $10
Ultra Black: $5
RTV: $5

Gasket/Sealant Total: $55

Grand Total: $428

Add in the 6 hours of labor and beer it took to put the new motor in, and you're still much cheaper than buying a new car.

damn, now that was thorough! i say you print that out and show it to your pops then see what he says.


kc

I have a how-to as well if you want ;)

That's for my 2.4L (Stratus/PT Cruiser), but it's pretty damn close to the 420A (Eclipse/Neon)

To add another point, if you like the body style you may be hard pressed to find one that doesn't need an engine rebuild to replace your current one with. A '99 might give you a year or two, but then you may have both payments and a rebuild on your hands.

If the interior is clean, and the rest of the drive train is still solid, I say rebuild, maybe beef it up and get ready for turbo.....

I am diggin all of your replies, I love to hear more opinions!

JT: Definitely hook me up with the how-to if it's easy for you to get it to me!

Oh yeah... I don't know how well the other parts of my car are running....

http://www.2gnt.com/dcforum/DCForumID14/2089.html#3

^^ steering/suspension problems?

Would that hold me back from rebuild or partial rebuild or make it not worth it to keep car, etc.... opinions anyone?

TIA!

http://forums.stratusphere.org/cgi-bin/ib3/ikonboard.cgi?s=a04ad9337b57a41f85285385c091df6e;act=ST;f=21;t=164

There's the giant stupid link to my how-to on stratusphere.org

It's a rough guide at best, it's merely meant to give the reader a good idea of what all is involved in the rebuild process.

My mom says I am crazy spending so much on my car. But she has no say so on the matter because it is my car. Hehe and i can do whatever I want to it. Its an addiction and sometimes I think I am crazy spending so much money on it oo. Oh well.

How much does MOM spend on purses and shoes.....talk about a crazy way to spend money.

I told my mom I was thinking about getting a turbo kit and she was cool with it and asked how much it would cost, I told her $2600 (the group buy price) and she got pissed and thought I was nuts, I haven't told her yet that I'm actually getting it. But it's my car, my money, and if she gives me shit I'll just point out how much she spends on horses (it's in the tens of thousands of $$ range) :).

I wish I had parents as understanding as some of yours. I think my father still thinks money is worth the same today as it was back in the 50's. For example, when I first started modding my car by getting a CAI, which was like $230.. my father asked how much it was and I told him $180 and he still freaked out and got pissed off.
Now if I told him that I have spent over $4700 since January.. I'd be in a grave right now.


Thanks, Richard (97 ESi)
http://www.ourformerselves.com/


BEST TRACK TIME -- 16.46 @ 86.03mph (before turbo)
----------------------------------------------------------

CURRENT MODS:
NER 1F Turbo Kit w/ Turbonetics T3/T4 S-Trim Ball Bearing Turbo || Autometer Phantom Boost, Oil Pressure, & EGT Guages || Autometer Cluster Benzel || Autometer Full Pillar || HKS Type-1 Turbo Timer || NKG BKR7E Spark Plugs || Magnacor 8.5 Ignition Wires || Front & Rear Strut Bars || Eibach Springs Pro-Kit || KYB AGX Adjustable Shocks/Struts || AF/X Underdrive Pulley || Pacesetter - Monza Exhaust System || OBX Racing Sports - B5 Bomb Tunable Muffler || Energy Suspension - Motor Mount Inserts || Bored Throttle Body || Konig 17x7" Silver Rated R Wheels || Yokohama Avid H4/V4 215/45R17 91H Tires

POINTLESS MODS:
Sylvania Cool Blue Headlights || Cobra Eyes Windshield Washer Blue LED Lights || Nokya Motorsports Sport Pedal Set

my father doesnt really care although he tells me that i should save up money for the future and stuff but that is it..my mom on the other hand preaches at me everyday saying that i dont know anything about life and that i waste all my money in crap and should save it..and on and on onon on..blahh bhall..dont get me wrong i love my parents but the preaching is toomuch im 21 its my money they understand that but the preaching still goes on..they are right though in the saving money part but im 21 and stupid ill regret it once im 31lol..if i leave to be that age...