Let me start this post by saying I'm financially smart, but I'm in a bit of a bind. I bought my '08 GT500 through my credit union a year ago, so I'm still making payments. When I bought her, I had a good job and enough in my savings to last me for quite some time. I then quit my job in and moved to further pursue my career, but I knew the new job would be less income.
Anyway, my car is finally experiencing the dreaded clutch issue, just one year after owning her. I bought her with 15k miles, and I'm up to 25k miles now. So here's my dilemma. I can either change the clutch out with a McLeod RXT, which will set me back almost $2,000, parts and labor included, or buy a 4 cylinder daily driver for a little bit more. I would do the clutch work myself with a friend, but neither of us want to do the job on our backs, and I don't know anybody who would let me use their shop lift, so I'm forced to pay. The shop I found wants to charge me for 5.1 hours, about $455 in labor.
To further touch up on my situation, I live 1.9 miles away from my job, and I don't really go out much, so I don't spend too much on gas. However, at least once a month I tend to go to a concert, and because I moved, they're all at least 60 miles away (120+ mile round trip,) plus I have to sit in traffic. I usually end up renting a car for the day from Enterprise, due to the fact that it comes out cheaper to rent a car plus spend money on gas on a 4 cylinder, than it is to drive my car. Rent plus gas on a 120 mile round trip sets me back about $40-$50, and a round trip in my car sets me back about $45. The further the concert, the more it makes sense to rent a car.
So the million dollar question is, should I fix my car, or buy a daily driver? If I buy a daily driver, I wouldn't be fixing the GT500 for quite some time, until I can manage to put together some extra cash for her. Also, how much should I spend on a daily driver that would get me a safe bet on a reliable car? I know if I look around long enough, I'll find a steal of a deal, but since I don't have too much time left before my clutch completely gives out, and I need a reliable form of transportation, I need to make a decision soon.
I have about $3,000 to spend on another car, so what are your opinions on this matter? Thanks!
Anyway, my car is finally experiencing the dreaded clutch issue, just one year after owning her. I bought her with 15k miles, and I'm up to 25k miles now. So here's my dilemma. I can either change the clutch out with a McLeod RXT, which will set me back almost $2,000, parts and labor included, or buy a 4 cylinder daily driver for a little bit more. I would do the clutch work myself with a friend, but neither of us want to do the job on our backs, and I don't know anybody who would let me use their shop lift, so I'm forced to pay. The shop I found wants to charge me for 5.1 hours, about $455 in labor.
To further touch up on my situation, I live 1.9 miles away from my job, and I don't really go out much, so I don't spend too much on gas. However, at least once a month I tend to go to a concert, and because I moved, they're all at least 60 miles away (120+ mile round trip,) plus I have to sit in traffic. I usually end up renting a car for the day from Enterprise, due to the fact that it comes out cheaper to rent a car plus spend money on gas on a 4 cylinder, than it is to drive my car. Rent plus gas on a 120 mile round trip sets me back about $40-$50, and a round trip in my car sets me back about $45. The further the concert, the more it makes sense to rent a car.
So the million dollar question is, should I fix my car, or buy a daily driver? If I buy a daily driver, I wouldn't be fixing the GT500 for quite some time, until I can manage to put together some extra cash for her. Also, how much should I spend on a daily driver that would get me a safe bet on a reliable car? I know if I look around long enough, I'll find a steal of a deal, but since I don't have too much time left before my clutch completely gives out, and I need a reliable form of transportation, I need to make a decision soon.
I have about $3,000 to spend on another car, so what are your opinions on this matter? Thanks!