Car Blew Up Mid Boat Build... Ideas?

That may have been a good idea, but I like to collect facts and opinions, then make my own decision. Sorry... just a personal characteristic.

 

Cat- in a at fault accident! how is the damaged party made whole.

Do I take your assets?
Do you have them at sufficient levels to address this need?

 

I'm a cheap bastad when it comes to cars. Welcome to my world. Don't spend more than about $3000 tops. Don't go to a dealership, Most of all don't buy from a shop or anyone else that hadn't been driving the car right up until the day it landed with a for sale sign on it. Private sellers only. First question is why they are selling it. Next is how do I get that hood open.

simple preliminary checks before you even consider buying it.
check the oil, if its dead clean be suspicious, they might have just changed it for a reason
check how clean the engine compartment is. Tells me if they've been working on it or not. Look particularly for clean areas next to dirty areas. Again indicates recent work.
Check the wear on the tires.

if the basics check out then move on to start the thing. Here's the fun part. Get a auto stethoscope and listen in to each cylinder. On an older engine its typical for the rear cylinders to loose a bit more compression than the forward ones. But that doesn't mean you should be able to hear any significant difference between any of he cylinders. It doesn't take a practiced ear to hear a slapping valve or a sticky lifter. Particularly on start up before that oil kicks in. But once its running smooth listen in to everything you can reach with the probe on the stethoscope, make sure all the sounds are symmetrical.

Bla bla bla

If you want resale value get her an chevy truck from the late 90s and out of the Midwest. No rust issues and from somewhere flat, like Kansas or Arizona. Puts no wear on the drive train and its all highway miles.

oh well best of luck
B

 

PS
don't do a pole
sure we have some people who know what they are talking about but you also get a lot of votes by people who never turned a wrench before in there lives

Once you've worked on cars for say 30 or 40 years
you'll know what kinda value the experience makes in picking a good used car

One guy who seemed to really know his cars was Jimbo, Hoyt would probably remember him. He might still be in here somewhere. pretty sure the guy worked for the oil and gas industry.

 

Thats how I swing, here if "I" just happen to get distracted for a second & rear end a Merc who's rear ended a Lambo who's rear ended a Testarossa I get to be liable for the hundereds of thousands of damage, I just paid my Third Party Liability insurance of $335.37 PA = @ $6.50 a week! Jeff.

 

Catbuilder,


Buy a used one - what you describe has too much more to go wrong. You can always borrow to buy it, you won't be finished with payments in 24 months (so you won't be out of pocket completely), and you will have resale.

Too bad you can't get back to put the engine in yourself. Typically there are only about 20 bolts holding the engine in (stick in both the engine and transmission). $75 to rent a hoist. The best thing about engines that new/old is that all the electrical connections are unique so you can't get them wrong.

My wife and I did a Mitsubishi Eclipse head rebuild over a weekend and that is harder than taking the whole engine out. I am not a pro at this - but do have some experience.

 

Yes. If I cause the accident, I have to pay for the damages. Just to be sure, I suggest you carry uninsured motorists insurance. While Googling some FL info to look into Hoyt's requirements, I saw that it is estimated that 30% of FL drivers carry no liability insurance - illegally.

I'm sure it's not so different where you are. If you are concerned about that, make sure you carry uninsured motorists.

 

I remember Jimbo. There have been a few new Jimbos added since I saw his last posting. I wonder where he went.

 

Yep. I'm on 24 years myself. Never wanted to swing my own wrenches, but growing up with a former mechanic for a step dad and owning a Ford Mustang at the age of 16, what choice did I have? Not a month went by that the early 1980's Mustang didn't break. What a P.O.S.

Actually, I got my start turning wrenches at 12 when I had a 3 wheeler ATC/ATV. Rebuilt the small Honda engine and transmission from a shop manual. Was pretty surprised when it actually ran for the next several years.

Then, there is the 20+ consecutive years of boat ownership and working on those engines.

So yeah, I hear you. The cars you are suggesting, while easy to work on and cheap, don't have gas mileage my wife will live with or a size she'll live with. She likes smaller cars. Compact/economy cars. I have to stick to that kind of vehicle. She'd probably drive a big one, but doesn't like the pollution they cause. She's also just under 5'1" and a little under 100lbs. She's just not comfortable in something that big. Often, she can't reach pedals or see over the dashboard well in pickups.

Fantastic tip about the stethoscope! Never thought of that one. Also good to look for recently serviced parts. Sound advice.

 

Agreed, but I think you're right. Too much more to go wrong on the rusty car to swap engines out. Also, I think I have to go with Boston's suggestion on not putting a used one in. But, that's off the table. The car is just too rusted out.

 

Thanks Cat- it works state wide In NH so must be fairly robust.

I also carry the uninsured (and have needed it....)

 

It's a bit of an extreme example, I guess. The van was an old Dodge Maxivan left over from my contracting days, and it got 9 1/2 mpg. Since we were driving almost 2,000 miles a month, there was a radical difference in fuel costs -- the Geo got 45 mpg on the freeway.

Of course, that means we ran way over the allotted mileage. But by the end of the two year lease my income was stable again, so we negotiated a two year purchase agreement instead of paying for the extra miles. We wound up running the Geo for another ten years, and finally used it as a down payment on my wife's minivan. So I'd say we got our money's worth out of it, and then some.

 

Gee Cat...just purchase a decent used car. Even when your boat is completed and you are running charters you will need a vehicle. Its all part of the game. A decent car around here is 3 to 5 grand.

 

2k here buys a good straight car, no rust. I'm surprised at some of the numbers I'm hearing

 

Perhaps a 2 grand car will do .Im not a car guy, all I know is what is printed on the window stickers at the used car lot across the street.

Volkswagen golf diesel...not too old ...looks clean, 90.000 kilometers, 4500 euro .