Ok so a few weeks back I had written how both of our cars broke down on the same day ... well we got the older one up and running for a mere 50.00 .. the newer car, 2000 chevy prizm, my car, has been diagnosed with a very very sick engine like there is no hope for it .. it would need a new engine to make it run again ... well our mechanic found us a used engine with around the same mileage on it for 750.00 parts only .. that would be on top of the 800.00 for parts and labor we have already put out on it ... so we are looking at putting close to 2000.00 into this car to "hopefully" have it running again ... the problem is, we don't know what to do now .. we've already put in money to get it running, which it isn't, and it would take more money to make it run again .. and then we would try to sell it off and "hopefully" recoup what we put into it .. we have seen these cars selling on craigslist and e bay for around 4000.00 so it's not impossible for us to make money off this car but its not guaranteed either .. is there anyone out there that would be willing to give us advice on what to do? we are both very frustrated at the whole situation and it's making my dh sick to his stomach to just "give up" but it's making me sick to my stomach to keep piling money into this car .... sigh ....

You could tr to sell it 'as is'. At least then you don't have the outlay of cash. Let the buyer do the work

we talked about parting it out ... because the body of the car and the inside of the car are immaculate ... we don't have any children so the backseat has never been used, there are no stains, rips, or holes in the upholstery ... I think we could get what we have already put into it by parting it out, and then taking the rest of it to the recycling center ... I think my dh is determined to get an engine into that car ... we are at a standstill ... the thing with this car is, it was a gift to my dh when he graduated from college 8 years ago from his parents .. he drove it everyday for three years until we got married, and then they purchased the car for us (it had been a lease deal) for our wedding gift .. so we have never paid money for this car, his parents basically bought the car for us brand new ... so my brother is telling me that after 8 years if all we had to put into it was a few thousand dollars to keep it running for another few years, it would still be in our best interest to do that ... because we know the history of the car, everything else mechanically *knock on wood* seems to be in great shape ... and we would not find another car in such good shape for a few thousand dollars ...

well, i would say even at a lay out of $2000 to get the old girl up and running again, i think it would be worth it. Thats certainly less then a new car would cost and even less then a decent used car.

It really comes down to what you can afford.

thanks peg ... we could afford the 2000.00, it would come out of our savings, but if you can't use your savings for something like this, what good is it anyways, right? I think we are leaning towards fixing the car .. or at least my dh is leaning that way, and he seems to be pushing me that way as well ....

I think that's what we would do too. I guess you have to ask yourself "where could we get a car for $2,000?" At least you know that you'll have a good car. Will they give you any kind of warranty on the new engine? I hope it all works out for you guys.

Good luck!

thanks everyone .. we went ahead and found an engine, used, for 750.00 but it only has 37000 miles on it, we saw the electric odometer reading when the car started it ... our mechanic will guarantee his work since he heard it running and even though they don't offer a warranty on running engines, I talked the guy into at least a 30 day warranty .. better then nothing I guess .. now we have to wait for them to take it out of their car and for our mechanic to put it into our car .... what an ordeal ...