Repair or replace??

It is always a hard decision when I need a new vehicle. I have found out selling it private myself I have done very well compared to trading. Sell the old and then go buyy a new one.
 
ivinsfan said:
So if she doesn't repair the old car she needs a new ride by July. I wonder if she can find the car she wants at a reasonable price. If you keep a car 10 years you really want to buy the car of your dreams, not just the only one for sale.


I don't think it's a lot of money as she'd get dinged on a trade in or private party sale with the issues it has.
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I've always kept my cars for minimum of 8-10 years. lol I really don't have a dream car as I'm not into cars, my late husband use to tease me saying I could drive a cement truck if it had heated seats. as jazz mentioned for me the issue was of comfort because I put so many miles on the road. first when I worked full time (lived in NJ, worked in De) now with elderly relatives (live in Philly, hike up to ny)

Bamaman said:
RockAuto.com sells a Walker quality new catalytic converter for the G37 for $648.

Find another independent muffler shop who can install a converter in just a few minutes. You may being taken advantage of.
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Thanks I'll look into that. I did get 2 separate estimates but it maybe that they were using original equipment parts. i will say the only muffler shop I know of is meinke. lol off to goggle
 
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street said:
It is always a hard decision when I need a new vehicle. I have found out selling it private myself I have done very well compared to trading. Sell the old and then go buyy a new one.
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You can't really sell a car that won't pass emission testing without disclosing that beforehand.
 
bclover said:
I've always kept my cars for minimum of 8-10 years. lol I really don't have a dream car as I'm not into cars, my late husband use to tease me saying I could drive a cement truck if it had heated seats. as jazz mentioned for me the issue was of comfort because I put so many miles on the road. first when I worked full time (lived in NJ, worked in De) now with elderly relatives (live in Philly, hike up to ny)



Thanks I'll look into that. I did get 2 separate estimates but it maybe that they were using original equipment parts. i will say the only muffler shop I know of is meinke. lol
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Dream is a relative term maybe you like a certain color or trim package, and for 10 years you should have the car you want.
 
According to Repair Pal, $2,500 is the going rate to replace both rear catalitic converters for your vehicle in your area.

If you are going to replace, have the mechanic check the car out throughly before you do for any other issues.... including rust.

I had a 2005 Chevy Colorado pickup that I had no choice but to replace in 2016 because the rusted frame would not pass inspection.

I was lucky to have an honest mechanic... I had left the truck off for a brake job and the mechanic called me recommending that I not do the brake job because the truck would not pass insepection that was due a few months later because the frame was too rusted.
 

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I would replace it. I would probably replace with a new car but would spend more than $30k. So, if I wanted to stick with that then I would likely buy something used although right now they are expensive.
 
I agree with those who think this is a poor time to purchase a new car. Or even a late model used one. If you can get the Cat replacement down to a more reasonable price, then keep it a year. I have heard that with a limited number of chips available, the auto makers are building cars loaded with extra cost options the buyer may or may not want.

Hopefully, at some point the Big Boys and Girls who are losing a ton of money on this chip fiasco, will have found a way to obtain more chips.
 
Chuckanut said:
I agree with those who think this is a poor time to purchase a new car. Or even a late model used one. If you can get the Cat replacement down to a more reasonable price, then keep it a year. I have heard that with a limited number of chips available, the auto makers are building cars loaded with extra cost options the buyer may or may not want.

Hopefully, at some point the Big Boys and Girls who are losing a ton of money on this chip fiasco, will have found a way to obtain more chips.
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This is what we doing. No longer looking a buying a new SUV. Our 2006 Accord is running just fine. We like it. No desire to pay above the odds simply because demand is higher than supply at this point in time.
 
This is basically a sunk cost problem. Take the car's current sale value in its current condition, add the cat repair cost ($2500 or whatever). Lets guess the total is $3500.

Knowing the car as you do and knowing your needs, would you be willing to pay $3500 to own the car? If no, sell it. If yes, fix it
 
pb4uski said:
According to Repair Pal, $2,500 is the going rate to replace both rear catalitic converters for your vehicle in your area.
...
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I have used My Mechanic several times and have been very happy. For the Philly area, they show a price of a little over $1K or just $200 for labor if you supply the parts. If it were me....I would go that route.
 

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It has a V6 engine with a conventional transmission, rather than a Nissan CVT, so those parts are probably OK. If there are no rust issues, fixing it is probably a reasonable decision.

Unless you know what new car you want and can walk in and buy it at a fair price, I'd say to go to an exhaust shop and try to get a more economical fix. Give yourself a few months to shop. You can probably recover much of the repair cost in today's used car market.
 
1 - Now is about the worst time to shop for a car. New or used, it just doesn't matter, prices are high due to lack of supply.
2 - $2500 is a rip-off. Buy the parts at Rock Auto, and have someone install them.

I'd get it fixed, knowing that the car is old. Cheaper than a few payments on a new car, and you won't be forced to pay MSRP, which is what many today must do.
 
ExFlyBoy5 said:
I have used My Mechanic several times and have been very happy. For the Philly area, they show a price of a little over $1K or just $200 for labor if you supply the parts. If it were me....I would go that route.
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Interesting that the two websites are so different.
 
A shop I consider honest will not install aftermarket cats on high-performance engines (I think the G37's would qualify). They say the aftermarket ones throw O2 error codes, which would be inconvenient during a smog test.

I'm sure there's an online forum (or several) dedicated to the G35/37. If it were me, I'd seek out information from people who are familiar with this specific car.
 
Are the cats truly clogged (impact on mpg would be obvious) or just throwing a code because one or both have dropped below the 95% efficiency threshold?

If the latter I bet a couple of "spacers" on the downstream O2 sensors would work to ensure the code didn't return once cleared.
 
That's a good idea ^
I'm in the "repair it" camp, if it is comfortable for you. That is my go-to tiebreaker if all other things are equal. Sometimes it is a pain to get a car that is comfortable for you.
 
New after market cats for this car are $340 each at Rockauto. Looks like they bolt on so should only be a couple hours labour to install them.
 
lol thanks guys I'm going to get it fix. I took some advice and went to a muffler shop which took 1000 off the bill. Two replaced cats for 1,000 bucks. I can live with that.
 
HawkeyeNFO said:
I'd be cautious here, given the amount of stolen catalytic converters. I'd spend a little extra and go with Rock Auto.
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absolutely. we just had an article in the philadelphia Inquirer about the huge uptick in stolen cats. evidently the metal inside is worth a bunch
 
Your car might be worth more than a new one ;-)

My son-in-law's car (maybe 6 years old) was totaled a month ago and their plans to pass his car along to their just-turned 17 daughter were also scrapped that day. Their search for a good used car for the daughter led them to a better price on a new - 2021 - vehicle. That also made her very happy ;-)

If other mechanical is in good condition, I'd say repair it and drive the wheels off it. My wife's Camry made 20 years before the potential expense of repairs made replacement a better option.
 
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