For a few weeks, I have been beating myself up over whether the frame rot on my car is my fault, what could I have done better, and I wish I had never chose that car. I have been watching a lot of car videos and as it turns out, the rust is not my fault. Seems like the Chevy’s from the early naughts were all prone to rust. One commentator on a post likened it to some form of electrolysis. I saw a 2005 Silverado SS that had rust around the bonnet latch, and I remember my 1997 Malibu had rust along the front edge of the bonnet. Recently, I realised that now I’m in a position to buy a car that will be good for me and my wallet. My mechanic specialises in foreign cars, so I’m sure he will find one that is the most reliable, and the best bang for the buck. I’m done with Chevys because they’re all junk!
I wanted a Hyundai Tucson or a Sonata. A neighbour traded in his early naughts Jeep Cherokee for a Tucson with the Eco trim that includes a turbo and the dual clutch automatic. Looks really nice and I love the front fascia. But I was watching a video of a 2014 Sonata that was being scrapped because the owner ran the engine low on oil and it developed a knock. The dealership would not do anything with the car because they saw it was damaged from low oil. So the car went to an independent mechanic and he called a engine rebuilder. They said they would not rebuild that engine. But, he can buy a new one for maybe $7,000. So that’s interesting. No one will rebuild a Hyundai engine. I was considering Erica’s 2011 Sonata, but the main sore point is a low roofline, and I’m a six footer. I chose the Equinox because it had a high roofline. I didn’t have to drop my head down to get into it. So no Hyundai’s for me, not even if the price is right.
I have been seeing a lot of Toyota’s during my travels. I would like a crossover or SUV, but I would settle for a early naughts Corolla. I really like the 2023 Rav4 Hybrid. I wish I could have it. I hope to get one. Even a Honda. You can’t go wrong with either brand. But I remember there was a article about the Toyota CEO resigning. It will not influence my decision though.
Meanwhile, mom’s runabout inches closer to the timing belt replacement interval, and I worry about what the dealer will charge. That bothers me a lot because I know it will not be cheap. But I don’t replace it, it will cost a lot more money if it breaks while driving. I don’t know if the runabout has or does not have an interference engine. While driving to mom’s house, I noticed that the wiper blades were torn, and its a good thing I replaced them quickly because it started to rain later on.
I wanted my Chevy to be my forever car. I did not want car payments, and I planned to keep it going for as long as I could until time to replace it. Well, time’s up. Truth be told, I was getting tired of it. I was tired of hearing the timing chain rattle, I hated replacing the air filter because you had to be a genius to get the air box cover seated properly, replacing the headlight bulbs was akin to surgery, and I hated seeing the ECM on top of the battery box. But I loved the AWD, the leg room, and it was big enough to carry a 32 inch CRT from many moons ago. My back paid the price for not asking for help. I put so much money into my car. Somewhere between $5K and $8K and that was just for repairs. I wanted new wheels, but I’m glad I held off on that. At some point, I need to get my stuff out of it so I can sell it and take the plates off. Hopefully I will have a car by next month.
That’s all I have for now. If you have a Chevy car or truck, I would love to hear about your good or bad experiences. Have a good day, a good evening, and a good night.
The Introvert Soap Box 