my automotive dilema. sacrifice a good car?

[Crazy K]

my Lumina now has 220200 miles on the clock... but it runs soo much more reliably than any of my other cars, and yet is worth... oh maybe 50 bucks????? see the pic!

I even have the 1999 lumina/m carlo "9 slot" hubcaps now.

 

but I have the oportunity to buy a cheap and RARE low mileage car.... Yeah it's a W.

 

so I would have then...

my 92 lumina sedan

my 91 vert

my 95 CS SL sedan

 

and 'loaned out' cars... a 94 CS S sedan, and a 95 Ciera

 

I would never kill a vert..... ANd I worked so hard rebuilding the 95 CS, and I won;t touch the other two cars that are on semi-permanat loan to family...

 

Oh yeah.... need I mention the rare car is a VERT??????? I'd have twins!

 

 

If i had a place to store it, I would drop the Lumina subframe, scrap the body and store it with the engine and tranny attached, and thus ready in a moments notice for a transplant into any other W. thus keeping ALL the new parts I have purchased and installed on the lumina.

 

 

 

 

[Grand Moff Joseph]

On a lighter note, all I can say for the Lumina's "technicolor" style paint is:

 

Seriously though, I'd scrap the Lumina, keep the parts you need for future use in other Ws (as needed), and concentrate on the other cars in your stable, especially the convertible.

 

/my 2 cents

[slick]

Although that Lumina is multicolored, every panel on that car is straight. That car has maybe 5 dings. At the Kensington Meet, I actually sat there and looked at this car for a while. The body on this car is actually really good.

 

I dunno, It's really hard saying. You could almost get a cheapy Maaco paint job on it to get to color matched, clean out all of your stuff you want to keep, and put it back into sell-able condition. I bet you could get a good $400-$500, depending where you advertise it.

[White93z34]

i remember you saying that your 91' vert is a total basket case needing a whole interior not to mention a top, i'd probably sell / scrap that.

[THe_DeTAiL3R]

I would get rid of the Lumina. Even if each seperate body panel is nice -IT's still a 4 door Lumina Use the parts on a nicer car

[ToroToro]

Keep the lumi...multi colored or not, it's still a damn good car. Seems like every car good reliable car I get rid of gets replaced by some POS, and I end up seriously regretting it. Like my all original, great running 300K mile '88 trofeo that I "traded" for an '87 with 86K miles. Seemed like a good idea until the fucker threw a rod a week later. I still long to get the '88 back now...

 

I guess what I'm saying is that you dont always know what you are getting into when it comes to used cars. At least with your lumina, you know exactly what you have, and you can trust it.

 

Keep it and fix the vert you already have!

[patgizz]

I guess what I'm saying is that you dont always know what you are getting into when it comes to used cars. At least with your lumina, you know exactly what you have, and you can trust it.

 

 

how true. it's hard to get rid of something that you know so well. who knows how well the next one was cared for, if it ever got oil changes, etc...

 

plus why do you need 2 convertibles? you can only drive one at a time! there's alot to be said about diversity in the toy department. i'd get bored if all 3 of my toys were the same car.

[Crazy K]

plus why do you need 2 convertibles? you can only drive one at a time! there's alot to be said about diversity in the toy department. i'd get bored if all 3 of my toys were the same car.

one would be an auto, one would be a stick, actually!

[GnatGoSplat]

Although that Lumina is multicolored, every panel on that car is straight. That car has maybe 5 dings. At the Kensington Meet, I actually sat there and looked at this car for a while. The body on this car is actually really good.

 

I dunno, It's really hard saying. You could almost get a cheapy Maaco paint job on it to get to color matched, clean out all of your stuff you want to keep, and put it back into sell-able condition. I bet you could get a good $400-$500, depending where you advertise it.

 

I'm with Chris. I'd Maaco the thing and sell it complete. Somebody out there needs a good running car even if it's not the prettiest.

 

[Crazy K]

I could salvage twice the cars value in parts, and many are lifetime warrentied!

 

4 brand new tires w hubcaps

warrentied both ball joint,

warrentied 3 out of 4 tierod ends,

warrentied ignition control module

warrentied strut catriges

new crank sensor

warrentied front calipers

warrentied higher quality brake pads, all around

upgraded rear 94+ brakes

total exhuast system with the cat (for my 91 vert)

rear axle assembly (damaged on my 95 CS)

left control arm (damaged on my 95 CS)

steering column

hvac unit W evaporator and heater core.... (for bros 94 CS)

power steering rack with hydraulic lines and pump (for my 91 vert)\

new crank sensor

radiator

condenser

compressor

radio

 

not to mention the engine and tranny are fine if I can find a place to store them

 

besides I could never get the car to pass as alignment precheck, and it is sloppy as hell rolling down the road..... no noises, might be a worn out rack???

I wouldn't be comfortable selling it

[GnatGoSplat]

I could salvage twice the cars value in parts, and many are lifetime warrentied!

 

Possibly, although in my experience, W-body parts aren't worth all that much either.

 

[red92s]

There comes a time when you have to let go. Plus its much better for someone whos concerned about w-cars to own something like a convertible. 4-door luminas, though realible they may be just don't have prominence.

[kknobl]

Keep the lumi...

I guess what I'm saying is that you dont always know what you are getting into when it comes to used cars. At least with your lumina, you know exactly what you have, and you can trust it.

 

I say keep it - four door, multi-colored or not, you know what you have. With used cars, knowing what you have is a big plus.

 

Sure, you may get a nicer car with less miles, but that doesn't automatically mean that it will be as/more reliable than what you have.

 

Kevin

[jeremy]

I say keep it.....I just learned the hard way that it's not always the best idea to give up a known reliable car to buy something unknown....

[White93z34]

I say keep it.....I just learned the hard way that it's not always the best idea to give up a known reliable car to buy something unknown....

 

yeah, you havern't been pleased since you got rid of your cutty

 

i dono, i'd keep the lumina, and if you want a stick shift, wait till your 4t60 dies and put a 5 speed in it. so much is to be siad for a car that you know very well, and with the driving you do, you need all the relyability you can get.

[Crazy K]

again... the manual tranny is going into the 91 vert.

unless....... I were to drop the lumina engine and tranny into the 91 vert and pass on the manual for now...

 

update? I did buy the 93 vert, it runs ok, considering it had a bad alt. car lot knocked off a bit of money for it. it has 104,000 miles and is imaculate except for the need of a door and a fender, and some right hand trim. I need to post pics!!!

 

I may save the lumina for a while and just leave it parked so my brother can use it ocassionally. but strip all the good parts off that I can snatch one at a time.... bottom line? it don;t cost me anything to uninsure it and leave it parked, as long as I live where I live.