Mid Boss
CAGiversary!
It seems my car, a 93 Bonneville, may very well be screwed. So, about 3 weeks ago I notice a ticking sound coming from the engine in my car. At first it wasn't real bad, but noticeable enough that I decided to take it to get looked at. First thing it seems like I have a collapsed lifter that needed to be replaced, but from what I was told by the shop that I took it to there seemed like there wasn't enough oil in that part of the engine and that this could be a sign of a more serious engine problem. This didn't turn out to be the case, however, as it turns out they don't have as much experience with the engine in my car and there isn't supposed to be much oil in that part of engine. So after a brief period of time where I was totally freaked out about all this, I find things seemingly back on the right track and I can get my car back and running properly(not exactly cheaply, but not horribly expensive).
Then, on Monday this week I find out now that they have taken some of the engine apart they found another problem. One of the roller rockers has been scraping against something deeper in the engine and that the only way to fix this and keep a new rocker from scraping at this and causing my engine to fail is to pull the engine and do a ton of work that could easily add up into thousands of dollars worth of work. It would work fine for awhile(months, maybe a year), but they told me it would become a problem again. This is not something I want, or need as I had intended on keeping this car more than the year I've had it.
Now this seems bad, but earlier when I thought the engine might have been
ed, I found out about an engine from a 97 Bonneville that was in an accident and totalled(the engine was still good and was pulled) that a guy my dad knows has, that I can have for $100. Its the same type of engine that's in my car and came out of another Bonneville so it should hook up fine. I asked the shop where I have my car how much putting a different engine in would cost and it came out to be cheaper. Now before I got this engine, I did some checking and found that the 97 Bonnevilles had an improved version of my car's engine in them, but that most things should still hook up to the motor mounts and the transmission fine. I did find that the intake was different and since the engine I was buying didn't have that I would need to pay for a new intake and probably a wiring harness. So after looking up all this stuff I go ahead and take a look at the engine on Wednesday with a friend of a friend who's a service tech to take a look at this engine with me to be sure its good. Everything appeared like it should run, so yesterday I borrowed a friend's truck and picked the engine up and dropped it off at the shop where my car is being worked on. Now I get a call today and the guy I've been talking to at the shop is telling me that there's going to be more to dropping this engine into my car(compatibility issues with power steering, a water pump, pulleys and bunch of other stuff) and he's not sure that they can even make it work in my car. He basically said I could spend up to $1000 just in parts and can't guarantee he can get it to work. I have him doing some more checking on this, but the outlook is not real good right now.
Now I find myself in a really bad position. I have a few options open to me, but really none of them are looking all that good right about now. I can A: have my car's original engine fixed and spend a boatload of money; B: have the shop try and put the engine I bought in and try to get it to work, again more than likely costing me a ton of money; or C: I can say screw it, have them put my car back together where it will work, but not real long and start looking to trade it in and get a different car. Now, I really don't want to go with option C as I really don't have the money to get another car that's as good as the one I have and it would mean my insurance would go up, since my insurance company would have to find out about a ticket I got just after the policy I have took effect and now when I go to get a different car insured. And there really isn't a way I can go without a car, I work as a pizza delivery driver and I have to drive about 45 minutes to school.
So I now find myself more or less in what seems to be a lose-lose situation. Its going to cost me quite a bit one way or another and I can't seem to see the best way out of it. Any opinions on what I should do? Experiences like my own? Car shopping tips? Right now I need all the help I can get.
And please excuse any errors in my description of my car's various problems; I'm not the most knowledgeable about cars and I'm not good at remembering some of the more technical details about this mess.
Then, on Monday this week I find out now that they have taken some of the engine apart they found another problem. One of the roller rockers has been scraping against something deeper in the engine and that the only way to fix this and keep a new rocker from scraping at this and causing my engine to fail is to pull the engine and do a ton of work that could easily add up into thousands of dollars worth of work. It would work fine for awhile(months, maybe a year), but they told me it would become a problem again. This is not something I want, or need as I had intended on keeping this car more than the year I've had it.
Now this seems bad, but earlier when I thought the engine might have been
ed, I found out about an engine from a 97 Bonneville that was in an accident and totalled(the engine was still good and was pulled) that a guy my dad knows has, that I can have for $100. Its the same type of engine that's in my car and came out of another Bonneville so it should hook up fine. I asked the shop where I have my car how much putting a different engine in would cost and it came out to be cheaper. Now before I got this engine, I did some checking and found that the 97 Bonnevilles had an improved version of my car's engine in them, but that most things should still hook up to the motor mounts and the transmission fine. I did find that the intake was different and since the engine I was buying didn't have that I would need to pay for a new intake and probably a wiring harness. So after looking up all this stuff I go ahead and take a look at the engine on Wednesday with a friend of a friend who's a service tech to take a look at this engine with me to be sure its good. Everything appeared like it should run, so yesterday I borrowed a friend's truck and picked the engine up and dropped it off at the shop where my car is being worked on. Now I get a call today and the guy I've been talking to at the shop is telling me that there's going to be more to dropping this engine into my car(compatibility issues with power steering, a water pump, pulleys and bunch of other stuff) and he's not sure that they can even make it work in my car. He basically said I could spend up to $1000 just in parts and can't guarantee he can get it to work. I have him doing some more checking on this, but the outlook is not real good right now.Now I find myself in a really bad position. I have a few options open to me, but really none of them are looking all that good right about now. I can A: have my car's original engine fixed and spend a boatload of money; B: have the shop try and put the engine I bought in and try to get it to work, again more than likely costing me a ton of money; or C: I can say screw it, have them put my car back together where it will work, but not real long and start looking to trade it in and get a different car. Now, I really don't want to go with option C as I really don't have the money to get another car that's as good as the one I have and it would mean my insurance would go up, since my insurance company would have to find out about a ticket I got just after the policy I have took effect and now when I go to get a different car insured. And there really isn't a way I can go without a car, I work as a pizza delivery driver and I have to drive about 45 minutes to school.
So I now find myself more or less in what seems to be a lose-lose situation. Its going to cost me quite a bit one way or another and I can't seem to see the best way out of it. Any opinions on what I should do? Experiences like my own? Car shopping tips? Right now I need all the help I can get.
And please excuse any errors in my description of my car's various problems; I'm not the most knowledgeable about cars and I'm not good at remembering some of the more technical details about this mess.
