Re: I bought a car today! Orig poster on: Cheaper to keep and maintain 2 very old cars (vs 1 newer one?)

"John Yang, MD" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > This past summer I needed to replace my 86 Subaru wagon because the
tranny
> > was going. I nailed a '96 Beretta with a v6, beautifully maintained for
> > $1,050. cash ( book about 4 grand). I put $6. worth of r134a into it and
it
> > runs like a charm. No problems since. I love that car!
>
>
> ---How many miles on your Chevy Beretta?  How many miles have you put
> on it since buying it?  The Buick Century has a 3.1 V6 and I read that
> they are notorious for head gaskets going every 40k-50k miles.  (I
> don't know if EVERY Chevy 3.1 SFI engine does this?).  This is a
> $500-$800 job, so now I'm scared...
> (can still back out on the car deal, but will just lose my deposit).
>
> Thanks,
> John

I sold new & used Chevys for awhile and they're as solid as any others.
Dodge had a bad rep., particularly in vehicles too big for the engines, like
the minivans with small engines. But that is also a problem with all brands.
If they are pushed beyond reasonable limits, they don't last. Put a big
enough trailer on anything and it will die.