Perhaps It's Time To Replace My Daily...

reaver

Lockers Installed
Supporting Member
Location
Caldwell, ID
So, I've been thinking about this for a while. My daily driver 04 Colorado is getting old. She's just shy of 190k, and things are starting go wrong. Right now I've got a lean condition, and it needs a valve job (which is expensive).

I'm debating on trading it in for something else, that's newer, and has lower mileage. The problem is, I still owe about 5k on it, so I'd have to add that to whatever I finance.

I'm leaning towards a Frontier, but I'm definitely open to something else. What do you guys think?

Also, I posted this on clubfrontier, but haven't gotten any responses yet. Since it's super similar to the 2nd gen xterras, I figured I'd post here as well.
 

TheCrabby1

I Smell Fishy
Supporting Member
Location
Burtonsville, Md
So, I've been thinking about this for a while. My daily driver 04 Colorado is getting old. She's just shy of 190k, and things are starting go wrong. Right now I've got a lean condition, and it needs a valve job (which is expensive).

I'm debating on trading it in for something else, that's newer, and has lower mileage. The problem is, I still owe about 5k on it, so I'd have to add that to whatever I finance.

I'm leaning towards a Frontier, but I'm definitely open to something else. What do you guys think?

Also, I posted this on clubfrontier, but haven't gotten any responses yet. Since it's super similar to the 2nd gen xterras, I figured I'd post here as well.
Buy another X , Then make one of them a hardcore offroad and keep one more street friendly .
 

reaver

Lockers Installed
Supporting Member
Location
Caldwell, ID
Sounds to me like you need to pay it off, sell it, and buy something cheap so you don't have a payment.

That's certainly an option, but I still have two years left on the financing, so who knows how much I'd have to out into it in that time. The valve job will likely cost me between 350-500 for the machine shop.

I could just replace the head, deal with the lean code (probably either the maf sensor, or a vacuum leak), and hope for the best. Cost probably about 1000 or so.

I could also do a total rebuild of the engine. The easiest way to get the head off is to pull the motor. If we pull it, we could just rebuild it. Transmission, xfer case, front and rear diffs are all great. Probably about 2500 or so when all said and done.

Or, I could trade it in.

I have a buddy who's rebuilt a bunch of engines, and is willing to help. Keeping what I have is definitely the cheaper option. But I also wouldn't mind having something new.

Buy another X , Then make one of them a hardcore offroad and keep one more street friendly .

Another X isn't in the cards right now. It's either a truck, for doing home stuff, Lowe's runs and the like, or a car that gets really good mpg.
 
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kirk

Butterfly King
Moderator
Supporting Member
Location
Allen, Texas
That's certainly an option, but I still have two years left on the financing, so who knows how much I'd have to out into it in that time. The valve job will likely cost me between 350-500 for the machine shop.

I could just replace the head, deal with the lean code (probably either the maf sensor, or a vacuum leak), and hope for the best. Cost probably about 1000 or so.

I could also do a total rebuild of the engine. The easiest way to get the head off is to pull the motor. If we pull it, we could just rebuild it. Transmission, xfer case, front and rear diffs are all great. Probably about 2500 or so when all said and done.

Or, I could trade it in.

I have a buddy who's rebuilt a bunch of engines, and is willing to help. Keeping what I have is definitely the cheaper option. But I also wouldn't mind having something new.



Another X isn't in the cards right now. It's either a truck, for doing home stuff, Lowe's runs and the like, or a car that gets really good mpg.


can you buy a cash car? A beater to carry you through till the trucks paid off? I hate adding stuff to a new car loan, and what if they give you less than the $5k you owe? Also, repairs should be cheaper than a whole new truck to buy. Hmmm
 

reaver

Lockers Installed
Supporting Member
Location
Caldwell, ID
can you buy a cash car? A beater to carry you through till the trucks paid off? I hate adding stuff to a new car loan, and what if they give you less than the $5k you owe? Also, repairs should be cheaper than a whole new truck to buy. Hmmm

I think I've decided to do the Valve job. I figure while I'm in there, I can give the engine a good solid run through. While I'm at it, I'm gonna refresh the front end. It should drive like a brand new truck when I'm all done for a total of probably about 3 grand or so.

While it's torn apart, I'll just daily the X.
 

Gen X

First Fill-Up (of many)
Supporting Member
Location
Ashburn, VA
If you're willing to pay 3K on repairs why not trade it in and put that 3K down on something new? If you get at least 2K for the Colorado in trade, plus your 3K, it's paid off. If you get more than 2K for trade then you're knocking down your payment on a new vehicle.
 

reaver

Lockers Installed
Supporting Member
Location
Caldwell, ID
If you're willing to pay 3K on repairs why not trade it in and put that 3K down on something new? If you get at least 2K for the Colorado in trade, plus your 3K, it's paid off. If you get more than 2K for trade then you're knocking down your payment on a new vehicle.

Honestly it's because I'm not keen on having another car payment for another 5+ years. With an engine and suspension refresh, I should be able to get another 150k or so out of this truck with minor problems (I seem to have to replace the hubs on a regular basis....), so to me it makes sense.
 

29erClan

Bought an X
Location
Meh
It's either a truck, for doing home stuff, Lowe's runs and the like, or a car that gets really good mpg.
As much as I would like to have a frontier too, the X and a utility trailer does all that home stuff just fine for me. Would you say you need a truck?

So far what I've read has me guessing 5k for 2 years means about a $225/mo payment? I didn't see too much about what else you need in a DD. Long commute to work? If so then that 3k in repairs could be a real nice beater corolla or civic and save half your fuel budget. There were some bad years a long ways back when I was paying 400-500/mo commuting to work and I picked up a crappy small car to save money. (Getting a better closer job would have been the smart thing to do... hindsight and all that.)

The numbers hardly ever tell the whole story anyway. Having my old truck with known service history and things I know how to fix is worth more to me than a number some dealer book says it's worth to them. Right now in my situation (with much lower commuting costs) there just isn't much fuel money to save by switching things up. Don't know how those numbers play out in your situation. But it sounds like you know the issues with your old truck, the dealer won't give you much for it, and you're willing to keeping it going. Just because "standard math" says any repair cost more than book value is a waste doesn't make it true unless you care more about trading it in than having a working truck. Best of luck either way.
 

reaver

Lockers Installed
Supporting Member
Location
Caldwell, ID
As much as I would like to have a frontier too, the X and a utility trailer does all that home stuff just fine for me. Would you say you need a truck?

So far what I've read has me guessing 5k for 2 years means about a $225/mo payment? I didn't see too much about what else you need in a DD. Long commute to work? If so then that 3k in repairs could be a real nice beater corolla or civic and save half your fuel budget. There were some bad years a long ways back when I was paying 400-500/mo commuting to work and I picked up a crappy small car to save money. (Getting a better closer job would have been the smart thing to do... hindsight and all that.)

The numbers hardly ever tell the whole story anyway. Having my old truck with known service history and things I know how to fix is worth more to me than a number some dealer book says it's worth to them. Right now in my situation (with much lower commuting costs) there just isn't much fuel money to save by switching things up. Don't know how those numbers play out in your situation. But it sounds like you know the issues with your old truck, the dealer won't give you much for it, and you're willing to keeping it going. Just because "standard math" says any repair cost more than book value is a waste doesn't make it true unless you care more about trading it in than having a working truck. Best of luck either way.

All excellent points. A few issues aside, the first gen Colorado's are excellent trucks, they're just not built for heavy offroad use. There are plenty of examples of these trucks going 300k or more on 355 Nation, so I feel that if I put some money I to it, I could reasonably get another 100k or so before I get rid of it.

To me, that sounds like a good deal financially. That's where my math is ending up.
 
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