it's almost over Options

[drew365]

Qeenie, Don't take my comments as not caring, but there is no answer to your problem, short of riding a bike, that won't require a monetary commitment. Repairing and maintaining the 914 will take money. Buying and maintaining another old car will take money. Deferred maintenance will always come back to bite you, and you saw it coming. I think to successfully drive any 30 year old car you have to subscribe to preventive maintenance. Fix it before it breaks. I think getting a used engine for the 914 will buy you some time and probably be the cheapest alternative at this point. Sorry I'm not more positive.

[markb]

Queenie, bring the thing down to the shop in Santa Maria. We have loaner cars & you're more than welcome to one of them. Hell, I'll even let you use one of my personal vehicles if you want. Can you tell I've got too damn many cars? We can put the new parts in, get it to pass smog (the shop right next to us does smog, so we can pre-check without charge) and let you pay what you can when you can. John & I both are suckers for 914 owners, and we'll do right by you. I've got a boxes and boxes of used parts I've been stashing for the Dad's Car rebuild, and have so many duplicates you won't believe. Don't give up on it quite yet, you haven't exhausted all your resources. I know they're a love/hate relationship kinda car, but when they run right, there's just nothing better. Give us a try.

[SirAndy]

Give us a try.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/smilie_pokal.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/pray.gif)

[GWN7]

Mark, that's the best offer I have heard all day (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smilie_pokal.gif)

Queenie, all cars will give you grief. I just spent $500 on the stepson's car. (Chev) Best was a air valve motor about the size of a quarter and 1/2 a roll of quarters long. $126 Dam thing won't run worth shit without it.

Call Mark and get some stress relief.


(IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[Mark Henry]

John & I both are suckers for 914 owners, and we'll do right by you.... Give us a try.

markb is too cool (IMG:style_emoticons/default/aktion035.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cool.gif)

[sanglee007]

Do I sound irritated?

No. You sound like someone who has to smog their 76...like me. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)



Sang

[Queenie]

what can you afford? realisticly?

I can afford a bug.

I don't live in Southern California, by the way. I live in San Luis Obispo, not Los Angeles.

I can't afford to drive a Porsche right now. That's the bottom line.

[rick 918-S]

Way to step up Markb! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smilie_pokal.gif) Listen, we know a business can't always do things like that. But we have less than a hand full of the fairer sex on the board. It's the manly thing to do (IMG:style_emoticons/default/clap56.gif) You go Queenie! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/driving-girl.gif)

[Queenie]

Mark is a prince among men, but I already knew that.

If you really want to look at it and give me an estimate, I'll bring it in. But I just don't think it's at all realistic for me to keep this car. I'm not down on 914s, I'm down on this car - I bought a bad year, and that's my tough luck to deal with now. I don't think it's going to smog without a major overhaul, and I just can't ask you & John to take that on as a charity case. I can pay, it just means going further into debt. And I don't think that this is the right car for me to be going into debt over. Maybe I'm wrong, I don't know. All I know is that I'm tired, and contemplating another couple grand in engine work makes me want to cry.

Drew - I know that all cars require maintenance and that maintenance takes money. And I am willing to make a commitment to that in order to drive the kind of cars that I love. It's not that I'm not willing to step up to the plate; the problem is that this car is not the right car for me to step up to the plate for. I've spent as much on repairs in two years as it cost me to buy the damn thing. At other times in my life that was ok, but right now it's not. I have to scale back, and driving a VW instead of a Porsche is the sensible thing to do. Trying to make this one be the one is probably not going to work. It needs more than I can give it, and it should belong to someone who can do right by it. They should be preserved, not driven into the ground.

I don't know, you guys. I just don't know.

But I really appreciate the support and the feedback.

[Queenie]

Don't count on it being "this one last time". There's a bill winding through the Assembly now that would kill the 30 year rolling exemption and fix it at 1975 as the last year. Your '76 would have to be smogged forever.

That's just horrible.

And one more good reason to buy a nice little '65 bug.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[markb]

I'll talk to John in the morning and see what we can do. I'm sure he's got your phone #, but if you don't think he does, pm me with it. I didn't get to look very closely at your car when you had it in last time, so John will know more about the condition & what he thinks might be the problem. I'd hate to see you have to lose the car, but what's meant to be is what will be. Maybe we can help you find a bug if you want.

[bernbomb914]

If you can afford a Bug just put a bug engine in your car untell you can fix the old one. that is cheaper than buying a Bug and you still can enjoy the driver.

Bernie

[Rusty]

That's just horrible.

Relax. The bill gets sponsored every year. Ever year it gets defeated. California car people just can't be lazy... write your state representative every time it comes up.

-Rusty (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smoke.gif)

[Hawktel]

Queenie, I don't have a damned thing I can do for your situation, so this post is just moral support.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/huh.gif)

[tat2dphreak]

I don't know if this helps, I don't know Cali at all...

but in TX a friend of mine's brother just had a similar problem with a car that didn't pass inspection, since he's a college student(broke as hell) the state actually paid to have the car fixed to pass emissions. there are little emissions shops that the state foots the bill, so that the car passes emissions inspection for people who can't afford the emissions on the cars they drive(and can't afford to get rid of)!

I don't know if Ca. has something similar, but it's worth looking into..

keep your chin up! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beer.gif)

[shoguneagle]

Queenie, let the boys and the board go to work for you. I believe they can eliminate your "bad luck car" problems and make it dependable. Give them a chance, you can always buy a "bug" . I know about only car situations where you depend on and need reliable transportation. I think the boys can make your car and you a winner.

I wish I could send a dependable engine to you but I think your best chance is finding out about the one you have.

We pulling for you and your 914, gal.

Steve Hurt

[reverie]

You might talk with a financial-aid counselor at your school. The financial aid office can increase your "budget" (cost of attendance) to cover car repairs up to a certain amount... and until the loan or grant money comes in, the school may give you a short-term emergency loan to pay for the repairs.

The amount that your budget can be increased for car repairs actually varies from school to school,
so you'll have to ask your school.

Good luck on the exam! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[jones]

What great offers and suggestions from you guys! Queenie keep the faith and nose to the grind-stone.

[Queenie]

I don't get financial aid. I pay for school myself. It's a junior college - even if I were in the financial aid system, I don't think they'd give me two thousand bucks to fix my car.

[SirAndy]

I don't get financial aid. I pay for school myself. It's a junior college - even if I were in the financial aid system, I don't think they'd give me two thousand bucks to fix my car.

you already got the pistons and cylinders.
you said earlier the car runs great, except you have a blown head gasket.

so, what you need for a minimum is someone to drop the engine,
take the heads off, and put the heads back on WITHOUT the crappy gaskets.

now i might be jaded with all these 914 guys around here,
but i can't see any reason why that would have to cost you $2k.

even if you have that someone put in the new pistons and cylinders at the same time, i still don't see a $2k bill ...

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif) Andy