Originally posted by Andy W.:
The problem is that you likely don't budget enough or actually perform regular maintenance or preventative maintenance. I say this because I do it myself. You don't have to buy a new car to get a reliable car. I bought a 99 Ranger with 55k on it for 10k and impeccable service records. Served my purpose with a less then $200 a month payment.

-Andy



You're partially right. I budget a small amount for regular maintenance and leave a general budget cushion for unexpected things - household, car, etc....

Although, outside of regular oil changes, my scheduled maintenance unfortunately gets put off most of the time... Combine my busy schedule with my tight wadded self and it's just the right formula for auto-procrastination. You see, I'm too cheap to pay someone to do the maintenance but I'm too busy to do it myself...

I appreciate all the comments. I suppose I've never had a love affair with this car as many here do. Perhaps coming from a 375 rwhp Formula, this car had underlying expectations that it could never live up to. To me, it's just a fun to drive car that fits my current needs well. I realize that ultimately, it all boils down to personal my own personal decision. But, it's time to get serious about doing one thing or the other... get the SVT up to speed and keep it there, or cut her loose and start fresh....

98 C-SVT