I sold it for parts and got $300. It has been three months, and I have not yet replaced the car. When I got my job, I made sure to find an apartment within walking distance. My fiance is still a student, but he has a truck to get around. I walk to work everyday, and when I need a car- I borrow his, or catch a ride with friends or family. I pay for gas, and so far, it has been working out fine. I’m saving for a car, and have started to do some research on what I want.

Personally, I really don’t mind being without a car. Sure I like driving, but I’ve never been stranded and not having a car payment is making saving so much easier! I dont think I could do this forever, but its good for the environment, I’m getting daily exercise, and saving up.

My recommendation: talk to your friends. See if you can throw them some gas money, instead of putting it into the car you want to get rid of soon. Start shopping for what you want, so you know how much you need to save. If you car is unsafe, dont take chances, especially in Rochester. You really dont want to get stranded on a cold blustery day, even with a cell-phone, I wouldnt risk it.

Best of luck!

I would drive you car until you can’t drive it anymore. Just wait for things to rust out and keep periodically checking underneath the car to make sure things aren’t unsafe. Like you mentioned you should also rinse the bottom off as much as possible. Then once the car is no longer safe go out and buy a nice reliable used car in the $3,000-$4,000 range.

There’s no need to spend $7,000-$10,000 to get a reliable car. I bought my 1997 Chevy Cavalier in 2003 for $3,000. It is comparable to yours and it’s lasted me this long and still going strong. 5 years is plenty of time for you to save up for a very nice car especially if you’ll be graduating soon and getting a job.

Just on a side note… if you really want to be frugal when it comes to cars you should try to learn how to work on them yourself. It’s a huge help if you buy the factory service manuals as they lay everything out step by step as long as you have some mechanical knowledge.

Last week I had an axle, bearing, and ball joint go bad. I got a free estimate at the place where I get my oil changed (they have a student discount) and they quoted me at $490. I went to the auto parts stores and bought parts with lifetime warranties and only spent $221 and some change.

I guess the hardest part of this is the timing. I can’t justify buying a cheap car to get me through from now until May any more than simply sinking that same money into repairing the one I have until then (which seems to be the greener and easier on my sanity option).

I think what I may do is see the car through until January, driving less and making sure to keep it clean when the roads are salty. Once January rolls around, I’ll take it in to get inspected, and if it works (and the parts aren’t falling out), hold out until May. If not, I’ll be looking for a replacement, I suppose.

But we live in sunny San Diego so don’t have to worry about falling out of the bottom of my car at 65 MPH. I can also rely on human powered transportation 340 days a year without fear of getting wet or frozen to death.

Since getting a new car seems to be an option, I would begin saving money for a new car, and drive this one until it breaks. When it does, get the new one. I can advise this because it’s exactly what I did after school when my income increased to where this was an option. (My car broke two weeks after graduation.) So unless you think things are going to just start falling off, or your car has a history of breaking in a completely nonfunctional manner, that’s what I would do. Also if you have transmission problems, all bets are off.