7milesout

Guys,

Last year I did some reasoning ... and even broke out a spreadsheet to make the numbers make sense. Golly, I'm a nerd. The scenario as I could foresee was that not only was the LS the better timed vehicle to purchase next, instead of the Viper ACR (that I WILL have), but it now pans out that my spreadsheet was accurate. Lots of nerdy variables in that spreadsheet not worth mentioning, but one of them was regarding, what if one of the existing fleet of vehicles were to go "out of service." That's what's happened. But not the vehicle I figured, and certainly not the way I thought it would go.

I just drove my Corolla yesterday. After 1/8th a mile, I heard a rumbling sound I had heard the previous time I drove it. But it was much more pronounced. Suffice it to say, I did some reasearch and the bearings in the G59 manual transmission are going bad. And it will let go and send pieces flying and bring the car to a stop. Course, the wife never noticed a thing.

So it is parked now. But talking about timing. Now the LS will be pulled out and used maybe even for regular service now. All this being said, was wanting to get the input from a higher than average intelligence group of people. I mean ... we're not driving 750iL's here. OK, ok. I'm joking. Smart people drive those cars too ... for a short time anyway.

The Corolla has 195k miles. Up until the manual trans problem, everything on the car was in good working order and could easily knock down 40 mpg. Assuming everything is good with the car, it is worth more than you would imagine. But maybe $4k or so (haven't looked it up).

I would imagine the cheapest I could have this thing repaired is $1,500. Let's assume that's the cost. I'd like to hear proponents of either: Note: Just got a quote for $2,400 for a used trans (I don't like the sound of that, it will go bad also. Think I'd rather have this one rebuilt).

• Plunking $1,500 into it, and letting it be the first car I allow my 15 year old son's to drive / destroy. Or,
• Trading it in to a stealer, under the facade of purchasing a more "youthful" vehicle for my son to drive / destroy?

I have found a nice Scion FRS with 12k miles on it, asking $16k. If they've got room on the FRS, they can act like they're giving me a few thousand on the Corolla and maybe I can walk out with the FRS for $12k.

The problem with the FRS is, it seems like too nice of a car to let my son drive.

THOUGHTS? QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? OPINIONS? CONCERNS?

hfahmy

pay $1500 and give to the 15-years old until he gets dents/dings/accidents/totaling out of his system

mdpresco

Absolutely. Our son got the ES300 when we bought the LS.

CRowe14

If I were in your position, I'd go ahead and pay for the trans repair.
Although, based on your write up, the car is currently out of service, once the repair is done, it's still a Toyota!
Is it, otherwise in good condition?
You seem to be a man who possess great ability to rationalize situations and make great informed decisions. It sounds as though you are very familiar with the car and it must be (other than the trans issue) otherwise in pretty solid condition, otherwise you wouldn't consider placing your child in the vehicle.
If an additional $1500-$2k will allow your son to safely drive for another 3-5 years, while saving additional funds, it sounds like a sound decision all around.
Besides, it'd be a great car to not only drive but to learn some fundamental DIY projects on it while he drives! Win/win!

Devh

Used Low mileage salvaged Toyota transmissions and engines are ridiculously cheap. You can pick one up at the warranty have it installed and keep on going. If you choose to do the install yourself it's pretty straightforward as replacing a clutch.

Nospinzone

She must be related to my wife. Every once in a great while I'll drive her car. And then I'll ask her didn't you hear that noise, or didn't you feel that vibration? Her response is always "I didn't notice anything". Try keeping the radio under 200 db's!

Yup, I agree with all of the above guys, repair the transmission.

7milesout

Well,

That's about what I figured. One other problem with the Scion is, that until my son turned 16, I would daily drive the car. I'm guessing I wouldn't want to give it up! I would like it too much!

I would like to replace this trans myself. But a) I don't have time. I have 3 sons running a full-court press on The Warden and I. In return, we are playing a zone defense. And b) I doubt I have all the tools and/or specialty equipment to get it done. On the contrary, I do have time, it can sit. I can use other vehicles from the fleet.

I just sold my RX-7, so I have garage space too. I can buy a brand new friggin transmission for ~$2,100. Have the flywheel cleaned up and a new clutch for maybe $400. Ooooooh the humanity! What to do?????

I have plenty of other crap around the house to do, plus soccer, bmx & gymnastics so ... I j u s t d o n ' t k n o w . What I would like to do is purchase the transmission myself, and farm-out the swap.


7milesout

Doublebase

The only thing I would question is having my son drive a manual transmission vehicle for his first car. Driving for the first time is hard enough without having to worry about a clutch and freeing up a hand to shift gears. I'd pass on that at all costs for a first time driver.

Otherwise, yeah I'd get the transmission fixed.

CRowe14

Wow...somehow, I overlooked that aspect of the vehicle.
I'd have to agree with Double here, though I can recall many of my past friends when I was younger who had learned to drive with a manually geared car.
Personally, I prefer automatic.
But if he's up for the challege, farm it out and get'er done!

bobflood

Fix the Corolla - it's a Toyota and can run forever.
We made all our kids get a manual shift for their first cars. It is then a skill they will have forever. As I told each of them while they were learning - "in a week you'll be competent and a month you won't even think about it." And that is what happened. As Car and Driver says - Save the Manuals!!
Good luck.

R Z

Without a doubt repair the Toyota. Do more research and find either A, a different mechanic or B a deal on a refurb. They are out there and since your son is 15, you have a little time to look around.

As for manual transmission, it was how I learned to drive. When I was 14 my folks bought a 64-1/2 Mustang convertible three speed on the floor. My parents taught me how to shift, but never let me drive. One morning, my mom dropped us off at school and her caddy ran out of gas. She was in her bathrobe and didn't want to walk home. I volunteered. She has no choice. I got to drive the mustang about a mile and must say, with a few jumps and lunges, I did pretty darn good.

Moral of the story, let your son drive the Toyota!

7milesout

I learned on a 5 speed manual (Toyota Celica) and loved every second of it, and still do. My son is not a prom queen ... he'll drive a 5 speed or walk!

ThomasGS4

iTrader: (19)

If anything, I'd say buy a newer model Corolla - one with less miles, an automatic transmission, more airbags, and one you could still care less about being beat up. .

7milesout

My Corolla, even at 195k miles, I continue to value the vehicle and don't want it beat on. It's just a fact of the matter that a young adult male is going to be rougher on a car than a geezer like me. A young male will be rough with it trying to "sport" around in it. A young female will be rough with it by aiming for every available pot hole, curb rashing every wheel and the like.

But since it is the least valuable vehicle I own, that's the one he will drive during the steep part of the learning curve. That is, if I choose to fix it. And in that note...

I found a place the has a rebuild kit for it for $265 or so. New bearings and seals. No need to pull the gears off. And a clutch is about $200. There's a South American guy who owns a shop in town. He's got the image of a greaser, but I don't mean that negativly. Very heavy accent. Most people would just view him as a shop monkey. But I talked to him when a friend of mine was having a 750i transmission problem. Juan (is his name), went through some really detailed internet investigation to figure out the root cause of the problem. He charged my buddy in the $800 range to replace some kind of leaky plastic component inside the transmission and replaced all the transmission fluid. His beemer is back on the road. Quite impressed with Juan. The stealer quoted over $3k.

I talked to Jaun about the Corolla. He said (in a heavy accent), "in my country most cars are manual transmissions, and I rebuilt many." I would rather rebuild with known good components than to buy a used transmission that could crap out in a short time due the same issue." I really like this guy. I'm not a fancy guy, and I relate well to guys like Juan (really intelligent guys that don't look as smart as they really are, that's me!). I think I am most like Daryl on The Walking Dead. I just happen to have a decent brain that I try to make function well. If I didn't have to been decent looking for work, i'd probably go around looking like Daryl too!

7milesout

I am procuring the following:

• Transmission Rebuild Kit = $233
• Clutch Kit = $120

That's $353 so far. The rebuild kit consists of bearings, seals, a throw-out bearing, maybe some other miscellaneous crap.

The clutch kit is 'Merican made (yahoooo!).

I have the service manual for the vehicle at home so I will get the trans fluid that meets the spec's either from Advance Auto, or from the local Stealership (or an online Stealership).

I'm going to ask Juan if he will let me help / stand over his shoulder / add the fluid or some such thing, because I would like to learn. And pay him the same amount.

I'm not certain of his labor charge but maybe 2 "hours" to remove the trans and clutch, 2 "hours" to replace the clutch and trans, and maybe 2 "hours" of playing with the trans.

6 hours or so. He's probably in the $100 per hour range, so there's another $600.

Plus fluid, looks like maybe I'll getter done for less than $1,500.


7milesout