Miata List Archive

This read-only message was archived from a public mail list.
Mail From: entropy.c verizon.net (James K. Thorusen)

For Kat; cc Miata List

Hi Kat!

You wrote:

> For sale cheap!
>
> 1972 MG Midget Money Pit
>
> Taking offers... Need Garage

I'd be interested, but only if you can slip it into an envelope and mail
it to California. ;^)

Regards,
Jim T.
(email redacted)
'74 914 (White)
'74 914 (Phoenix Red)
['90 Miata (Red)] x 2

This read-only message was archived from a public mail list.
Mail From: simonsen (simonsen)

>>>>From: "Sunny Sarkar" <(email redacted)>
Subject: Re: [Miata] [NMC] Busted tranny in the middle of nowhere

so my friend ended up spending >$3000 (tranny repair + rental car for 7
days) for his taurus whose value is at best $4500. now he's in serious
thought whether or not to keep driving this car, or dump it for a used
toyota/honda. although he generally hates his taurus now for all such
reliability issues, he wants to think about it "un-emotionally" purely
as a
financial decision. he's wondering whether it is financially worth to
keep
driving the taurus because he has just thrown so much money into it
(this
tranny/cooling-syatem repair, plus an earlier brake/rotar replacement) -
and
risk future big repairs.

what would you do?<<<<<<<<

Try and find out if the engine is 'iffy' in those cars with your
friend's mileage
(plus whatever he expects to get out of the car). Local mechanics
should be able
to give you a good idea. Or call a used part dealer <ex-"junkyard"> or
three and find out
how much they want for this mill, and if they get a lot of bad ones in.
I have a vague remembrance of two diffo blocks in those cars, one fine
and
one a 'strander', as in 'stranded by the side of the road'.
If everybody and their uncle says the engines last
forever, you've at least
got the odds on your side.
While you're asking, find out the cost of a good used engine,
installed.
As I've said, it might be an amount that doesn't scare you too badly.
(Also, have the compression checked in the present engine, that
can tell you
a real lot about the condition of the innards.)
Barring all that, I'd sell the car while I had a clean conscience about
it, and
you can advertise as a plus 'new tranny'.
(Did you get your used parts back from these repair people? Or ask?)

-Bill