my first question in response is whether you have the money for the repairs. that goes a long way in determining whether you should repair it. i agree with you that it's way cheaper to own a car and repair it as needed than it is to make payments on a car that may need repairs, anyway.
i tend to be like the insurance company -- when the repairs cost more than the car's value, perhaps my money is more wisely spent elsewhere. but it's difficult to place a money value on the connection one can have with an automobile. i think the reason i was looking for a golf is because i am still mourning the responsible sale of my civic Si. this way i can recapture its magic at a price i can afford.
the blessing for me is that we were able to put together $5,000 in cash in order to buy a decent car. and it's important that it was cash. people do weird things when confronted with cash (as opposed to a cashier's check or, "i can get the loan from my bank.").
my second question is how much you could get for the parts in the car -- you know, the hard-to-find engine components and the transmission components. there are a lot of audi enthusiasts out the world that are probably looking for those things.
between the cash you could get for parting the car out and the cash you have for the repairs, i assume you could find a pretty decent used A6 wagon. or a jetta wagon.
but either way, you have to decide whether you want to keep your car going. if the engine is fine, it's really only a question of how much value you perceive this specific car to have. maybe you should at least find its value at edmunds.com.
and for me to continue to hype my car, click here for a gallery of pictures.
robb.
