The Car Care Thread

[Deleted]

I just found out I may be able to sell my car (which is a good thing - more eco-friendly and will save me money!), but I am not totally sure how to go about it. I have a 2003 (I think, have to double check but pretty sure) 4-door Honda Civic Sedan with I think about 85-89,000 miles. The car runs great but there are a few cosmetic problems - a big dent in the driver side door, a scrape/dent/crushed hole in the back bumper (don't ever let a friend move your car for you), the lock isn't working on the driver side door, a small crack in the windshield that hasn't spread at all (in several months) and a few stains on the inside (like a big ink stain on the center plasticy part below the ebrake - how the heck do I get that out?). I am planning on fixing the lock issue before trying to sell, but is it worth fixing the cosmetic damages (I'll work on the stains, but the body damages?) before selling. I'm not sure which would give me a better financial payoff over all. Like, will I get *that* much better of a price if I fix them, or is it not even worth it? Money's tight right now, so I'm not sure what to do.

Also, is now like the worst possible time to sell a car? I'm really not sure if people are buying right now. I also have like no idea how to go about selling a car but I can do some research on that. Thanks!

[bitca]

Citrus, maybe you could fill in the crack with some, um, filler. There's some orange cleaner I've seen at the store (it's not just for cars, it's normally in the cleaning supplies) that is really, really mild. It won't eat at plastic or anything. It's not Orange Glo, I can't remember the name, though. Anyway, it says on the back it's "even safe to use on baby's skin!" Not that you'd want to rub it all over a baby (or yourself), but I've used that stuff a lot and it's never hurt my hands at all. It actually kind of moisturizes them. Anyway! If that doesn't work, maybe try non-acetone nail polish remover on the ink? (I would test it out in a place that you can't see just in case it melts the plastic, which it shouldn't... but who knows.)

Do you know anyone that could knock the dents out? I wouldn't worry about the bumper, myself.

Has anyone ever successfully been able to shampoo their car carpets themselves? I'm too cheap (and, well, really can't afford it) to have my car detailed, but nothing in the car aisle has ever worked as it's advertised. Mine are just dirty. They're not stained or anything major. If I could put them in the washer and dryer, they'd come out fine. Heh.

[Deleted]

Thanks [bitca]!! I'm going to try all your suggestions, and yeah, maybe try to fix everything but the bumper. Thanks!

[chonies]

Does anyone have any experience with Subaru Foresters? I am looking at buying a 2002 model, and I checked Edmunds and the Google, and it seems like a good car, but if anyone has any anecdotal tales I would be interested in hearing them.

[LAX]

Oct 10, 2009 12:29:12 GMT -4 chonies said:

Does anyone have any experience with Subaru Foresters? I am looking at buying a 2002 model, and I checked Edmunds and the Google, and it seems like a good car, but if anyone has any anecdotal tales I would be interested in hearing them.

My aunt and two co-workers own Foresters. The love them. My aunt's Forester is 10 years old and hasn't needed anything more than basic maintenance. I have a 14 year old Subaru Impreza with almost 150K miles on it It still runs really well, has only needed one major service, and last time it was in for an oil change the service guy says it could run for at least another ten years. I think Subarus in general are a good choice, they're solid and reliable.

[jcoop13]

Lax Gibu'u, I second your opinion on Subaru cars. My aunt has owned a Subaru (after almost 20 years of owning U.S. cars) since 2002 and has had no major problems, which is great since she doesn't even bother to change her oil every 3,000 miles.
I've owned three Subarus since 1993 and they've served me well. My first, an Impreza, had over 93,000 miles on it without any expenses except for oil changes and recommended maintenance. I traded it in after nine years for a Legacy wagon, which was badly damaged this past June when my neighbor backed into it. Again, no major problems, very reliable. I've since had an Outback, which I love.

[kateln]

Oct 10, 2009 12:29:12 GMT -4 chonies said:

Does anyone have any experience with Subaru Foresters? I am looking at buying a 2002 model, and I checked Edmunds and the Google, and it seems like a good car, but if anyone has any anecdotal tales I would be interested in hearing them.

My mom has one, I believe it's a 2004 or 2005--and she loves it. I've gotten to drive it quite a bit, and I do too. It handles well, is pretty comfy and rugged.

I have a 2009 VW Rabbit, which is a great little car. Fantastic gas mileage, quick response. I'm enjoying it quite a bit.

[chonies]

Thanks, everyone!

I had a 1997 Honda Civic that was a dream and well maintained, in perfect condition, and ran like a tiny, fuel-efficient tank, but I was in a collision on Tuesday and it's totaled. I am looking at the 2002 Forester, a 2001 Civic, and a 2003 Civic. The two Civics are at a dealership in Florida where I am eligible for a family discount, but that's terribly far, otherwise it would be a no-brainer. There are other cars around here, but I am being a picky bitch and demanding a manual transmission.

[firstaid]

chonies, you should check out this link. The slickdeals members are pretty thrifty and some of the advice is pretty good. That truecar.com website will tell you how much a certain model of car sold in your area.




OT: I have been meaning to ask you. Who is that in your avatar?

[chonies]

Oct 12, 2009 10:41:27 GMT -4 @firstaid said:

chonies, you should check out this link. The slickdeals members are pretty thrifty and some of the advice is pretty good. That truecar.com website will tell you how much a certain model of car sold in your area.

OT: I have been meaning to ask you. Who is that in your avatar?

Thanks for the links! I really appreciate it--I've only been living in my current location for a year or so, so I have no idea what a good deal would be. For example, it seems about average for used cars to have about 15-20K miles per year, which I would have thought was exceptionally high, but apparently not for around these parts.

And my avatar is Sharmila Tagore, Bollywood actress, and the picture is from Kashmir ki Kali.