it's almost over Options

[Queenie]

At least, I'm pretty sure it is.

My car won't pass smog.

It appears to have a blown head gasket.

Not to mention it still needs a shitload of engine work that I really don't feel like paying for or dealing with.

I have not made a final decision, but I've already started looking for a bug. I'm about 98% sure that cutting my losses and getting out now is the right thing to do. I can't afford to keep fixing the 914. As much as I love driving it, it's killing me to try to keep it on the road.

*sigh*

I so wanted this car to be a good thing.

[Queenie]

I remember you had a friend who fixed your engine last year too. Popping the heads off and fixing a leaky head isn't too hard. Is it running really rich?

Yeah, it's running very rich. Doesn't popping the heads off involve pulling the engine? I don't have a garage, and I don't have access to one. Yes, Pancho (the ex) can do the work, but he has a more than full time job right now and I can't just ask him to pull my engine on his day off - if and when he gets one - especially when we don't have a good space in which to do it.

I've already got new pistons and cylinders sitting here; I knew this was coming. I've known for a long time that the heads need work and that it was just a matter of time until it would get to the point of no return. But now that I'm there, I just don't know if it's worth it to do the work. Because I know that as soon as it's done, I'll get a few months of quiet and then something else will need attention - that's the nature of driving a vintage sports car, and I knew that when I bought it. I thought I could pull it off, but at this point I just don't know if I even want to keep trying.

I really, really, really, really need to get out of debt and spending thousands of dollars on my car is not going to help me do that.

I don't know what to do, but my instinct tells me to get out.