"michael e dziatkowicz" <mnmma@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:9rmdneVwdY4d5tfZnZ2dnUVZ_tmdnZ2d@comcast.com. ..
>
> My car is in good shape but it is a 95 chrysler cirrus with close to
> 117,000 miles on it and i drive 80 miles to and from work everyday so that
> takes it toll on it plus right now I also drive another 60 miles 4 days a
> week to school but I graduate in May so that will end then. I do keep
> maintanance on it and my dad repairs cars so he helps me with it and I am
> picking up pointers from him when I have a chance.
>
> I only make $1404 a month so I guess that kinda rules out alot of cars
> doesn't it. I want a car with navigation, a sound system ,cd changer, and
> satellite radio if possible. Plus hopefully within a year I will be
> getting married and moving out. I know this is alot of information to
> compute and I may sound stupid but my car is getting older and starting to
> rack up the miles now that's mainly why I am even looking at a newer car.
> thanks
>
At this stage (because of the limited income and the opportunities for DIY
service) I strongly recommend you stick with the Chrysler a while. Don't
worry about the miles, just pay attention to whether the car is crumbling -
one failure after another quicker than you can fix them. I went a whole lot
of years with little disposable income due to family medical bills
(chronically ill child - getting a $200K hospital bill with my name at the
top and the insurance only agreeing to pay $20K of it is an experience!) and
rarely drove a car with only 117K miles on it. For a while I rented a
clunker from my brother for $50 per month. I bought my last car, not
counting my wife's Toyota, when it had 105K miles on it and that replaced a
1970 Volvo with 290K miles. I am 53 and have bought 3 new cars in my life:
in 1970, 1984 and 2002. My current 1985 Volvo turned over 238K miles this
week and I'll probably milk it another few years.

You are on the right path learning to maintain and repair your own cars. The
last time I paid somebody else to do a brake job I was wearing bell bottoms.
When a family vacation meant a week of camping on a $550 budget, I replaced
a stripped timing belt beside a freeway one Sunday morning 400 miles from
home. Without the experience of DIY at home I don't know what I would have
done... no way could we have paid a mechanic for that.

Mike

Look at it this way. If you get a loan, with your credit history the rate
will be shocking. If you pay $400 per month for the car (a very low
estimate), $100 per month for insurance, $200 per month for gas
(conservative estimate based on the info you gave), that is half your
income. That's too much to pay for housing, let alone for a car. It will
only get tighter - a LOT tighter - when you get married and move out. You
will still be stuck with those hated payments. Drive a clunker for a while
yet, pay your dues, and work your way out of the hole. You'll hate it but
you'll be glad you did when you earn that newer car.

Mike