I love this forum and am really excited to be an active part of it! And yes, you read the title correctly, I was the proud owner of a mint condition 2003 Pontiac Vibe Base with only 80,000 miles on it. It was my grandfather's car. He was a meticulous man with impeccable taste. As he came close to 90, and was not feeling well enough to drive on his own anymore, he began to discuss leaving this car to me. I had never owned a car before (or even had a drivers license for that matter), but was just about to begin nursing school and was in dire need of one. Before he left this car to me, and then left this world, he took it into Midas and had them tune up everything. This baby had new breaks, tuned suspension, all new belts hoses and tires. He spiffed her up down to the windshield wipers. I can not imagine a better car for me to have been driving, I felt so safe every time I got behind the wheel thinking of him and what good care he took of it. Not to mention having the peace of mind knowing that no expensive repairs I could not afford were likely to crop up.
Fast forward only a year and a half later: I'm driving to the hospital for my first nursing school day in the ER. I am. So. Excited. I'm more broke than I've ever been, late on my rent in fact, but in a year and a half everything in my life is about to change for the better. Traffic on the 101 freeway in Los Angeles slows to a stop, and so do I. 3 seconds later BAM! This guy on his cellphone rams me from behind, going about 60 mph. I'm propelled into the car in front of me. Hard. If I hadn't left so much space between us I probably wouldn't have any legs right now. My car is filled with smoke and I immediately burst into tears because I know she is totaled. I was right. I have two wonderful amateur mechanic friends who said fooey, that's just body damage, we'll get her running again! That engine and transmission are gold! But the front of my car is so crunched, she'll never hold another radiator again. Not to mention a busted fan, severed exhaust, cracked windshield, deployed airbags, and the rear plastic interior shell is cracked too. But that engine! She had so much life left in her! Both my friends pronounced her dead. Or more accurately "Not worth it"
So here's what I'm working with now...
I found an '05 Vibe with 180,000 miles on her for $2,000. She's in pretty sweet condition as far as I can tell, clean title, one owner, a little scuffed up sure, but well taken care of. My roommate was kind enough to loan me the money while I tussle with three different insurance companies (that's a whole other story) trying to get paid out for my losses. Whatever they pay me, I know it's not going to come anywhere close to the true value of what was lost. It is what it is I guess. I own this car now and her name is Sherry Cherry. She drives real smooth, the custom camping curtains I made for my old Vibe fit her perfectly, as do a few other odds and ends I've been scrapping from my old car, windshield wiper blades, my old center console (the '03 version is far superior IMO) floor mats etc.
And then I had a thought... What if I were to take more than a few odds and ends from my old vibe? What if I could put her engine and transmission into my Sherry Cherry? This task is beyond my friends, but I was quoted from a fantastic mechanic at $1,500 for a job like that. This added to the cost of the '05 goes well above what I'm likely to get paid from insurance. And I'm broke as hell. So maybe this is a bad idea. So then I thought maybe just take out the '03's transmission? $600 to rip that out and reinstall it. If I keep my '03 vibe, I have to pay the insurance company about $200 to salvage it, so that makes this an $800 job. And Sherry Cherry my '05 runs great. But for how long? 180K miles is a lot even for a Vibe. Isn't that right around when the transmission starts to go? I really need this car to last me at least a year and a half with no trouble until I can get my first nursing job. I would just hold on to my '03 for parts incase something goes wrong, but I live in LA, there's nowhere to keep her. So now I'm thinking, should I just scrap her? I'm looking at online quotes and got an offer as high as $430. She still runs, and drives, but as soon as that fan tries to kick on, oof..... and can't get her far with no radiator. So I could pay $200 to salvage her from the insurance company, and then scrap her for $430, and make $230 off my troubles? Keep in mind that's a lot of money to me right now. OR, should I try and part out my '03? I don't have the time or skill to rip her apart, but I feel like her engine and transmission are worth more than $430 right? I mean check out this '03 matrix engine with 115K mi on it for $1,114 https://automotix.net/usedengines/2003- ... NEQAvD_BwE
I could really use some advice on how to to either squeeze as much money out of this '03 as possible, or as many back up parts for my '05 out of her. But by the time something goes wrong maybe I'll be a nurse and able to afford car repairs just fine. Can I trust this new car to get me there? Do I just need to let my '03 go? I dunno I gotta lotta homework I should be doing right now instead or writing this novel... Thanks to anyone bored enough to actually read it <3 Your advice and/or commiseration alike would be greatly appreciated.
TLDR: Beloved 80K '03 totaled, working with a 180K '05 now. Broke nursing student trying to make sure I have a safe car to drive and hopefully a little money in my pocket in case something goes wrong, OR put some parts from my old car into my new car to insure she lasts me at least until I finish school with no trouble. Leaning towards money in my pocket because soon I'll be a nurse and I'll be able to afford to keep this new Vibe alive. But do I scrap her to some clunker car company for $430, or post her on CL? Post her on here? Try to part her out? What would you do if you were in my shoes?
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