New engine? New car? What should I do...
 

I have already passed the point of spending more money repairing the car than what I initially bought it for, which was just under 8 grand.

So the car has been leaking oil since before I got it. There was a multitude of problems with it, and the problems only compounded the more I drove it.
So far I have been more than happy to fix every thing I could.
Transmission, both windsheilds, rear end collision, radiator, suspension which has yet to pan out.

So the leaks got to a point where they were leaving spots on the driveway this summer. I figured it's time to get that fixed. I look around town, actually got turned down by the place that did the heads on my XT6 saying they just don't want to touch it. Whatever.
I ended up bringing the X back to the place I went to this last spring, the guys that charged me somethign like $200 for an injector flush and told my my PCV system was missing. I convinced them it wasn't and told them to just make everything that is leaking, stop leaking. Should be easy right?

Well that was 3 weeks ago.

Since then I have been riding a pos V Star Yamaha in the sun and rain to work, with something of a chip on my shoulder and a fire up my ass.

Original estimates for work that should have been done Saturday were around $3400. I can handle that. Sorta. If I find out that's 1100 for valve covers that I already replaced, 1100 for an oil pump, and 1100 for rack and pinion I will be very, very cross. I originally told them I wanted all the seals replaced because they are ****in old and wore out, and tearing the engine apart is something I don't have patience for. They convinced me they could just clean the engine and find all the leaks. They apparently found how oil was getting on top of the block, from the IRIS valve, though he didn't seem to know what an IRIS was. I don't understand why oil would come from there but whatever they said they saw it drip.

I roll up to the shop today, expecting to get my car back. I see it sitting in the back, best looking car in the lot.
We pop the hood, they shoot me some **** about needing to replace the idler pulleys because the fairly new crank pulley has wobbled like the old red one, and while it hasn't reached the point of being a real problem like the old one, he is trying to convince me that the tiny bits of metal from the crank pulley are some kind of excuse to replace my idlers. They try to tell me the crank pulley ripped apart the timing cover and "pushed" on the idler when I told them twice already, no, it was the old one, and the old belt sawed into the cover as well. They shoot me a new estimate of an extra $1000. Suffice to say this ruins my day. I told them to just. fix. the. leaks. I can do this pulley **** myself.
And what if my crank is walking? That's the only explaination for multiple pulley failures, skidding over the cover and wobbling as a result.

I don't think I'm prepared to spend $4500 to let some shmuck dink around so much with my SVX.

This is what has been racking my brain all day. I've said multiple times I would never sell the car. Well, I'm not going to sell it, obviously, but what if after this there is more problems, which there is no doubt in my mind there will be? The AWD still doesn't work. The ABS still doesn't work. The suspension is pretty much shot. I'm going to end up paying more than what the car was originally worth.

So right now, what am I going to do with $4500 that I don't necessarily have?
/:angst:

I guess it sucks not having somewhere that you can trust with your SVX :mad:

It's too late now, but you should have talked to either of the Tom's to see if they were interested in a house call???

I know a hot rod guy up north and I almost convinced him ($$$) to come down and help me do this in a weekend, but he backed down a couple days later because he wasn't confident about working on a boxer.

I didn't think about importing Stateside monkies. :D
Dunno who would want to do that..

In every project there comes a point where you just have to ask yourself, "is it worth it?"
Not so much from a dollars & cents point of view, but a peace of mind view. Is it worth it to have this stuff driving you crazy?
I can't tell you what to do, but you need to get to a calm place to assess what direction you need to head.
When I get into a project I can get to a point where everything else be d**ned I'm GONNA finish it. I usually step back long before then & analyze where I'm at VS where I wanna be.
In your situation, I'd likely look for a car that's the yang to it's ying. Find one that's been wrecked & swap in a good set of mechanicals.
That's my 2cents FWIW

There are no more wrecked SVXi in Alaska. I have been looking for years. I think there were two, originally.

Ofcourse keeping the car is worthwhile to me, I just wish it were easier. I don't want a new car. I want my old car to look and feel new. I just don't want to find financial ruin in the process, dumping large wads of cash on risky things.

All things considered the car will be "finished" in a couple years at most, but should I have to crack the block open 3 or 4 times til then? If I have to I don't want to spend 4k every time and if that's the only option I might just quit, buy a new car and give this one away.

Both SVXfiles and TomsSVX have flown to work on customer cars.

Why don't you justdecide to live with the oil leaks. Put some high milage oil in there and drive her til you really need to fix her. You might find that you can go years before something really has to be done. And by that time you will be ready to pull the motor anyway....
I don't like to fix things until I feel I really can't live with it or it is causing major damage. Don't know if you are really past this stage or not.

I have been driving for almost 4 years with known leak problems. They haven't been leaving puddles til now. My steering also hasn't been affected til now. The driveway has just had a makeover and it would be a shame to get oil all over it. I can't risk having the SVX suddenly need to go into the shop during winter. With all the idleing it will be doing it will lose more oil than summer. Long distance and high rpm driving have become problematic (if oil is leaking from IRIS, oil is getting into the intake, explaining the hiccups I get on occasion).

You see I have already gone years and so far the engine is fine, but it's at that point where I think something needs to be done.

--
On an unrelated note, some Asian woman drives a red SVX around the corner from where I live (oblivious type), and some Bhuddist monks were checking it out a couple minutes ago.

I would venture to say that the shop shot you a high estimate because they do not want to work on your car. Speaking from experience, Ive worked in a glass shop that gave high estimates for work they didnt do.

My advice: fly in a tom.

<<If I find out that's 1100 for valve covers that I already replaced, 1100 for an oil pump, and 1100 for rack and pinion

They try to tell me the crank pulley ripped apart the timing cover and "pushed" on the idler when I told them twice already, no, it was the old one, and the old belt sawed into the cover as well. They shoot me a new estimate of an extra $1000.

I don't think I'm prepared to spend $4500 to let some shmuck dink around so much with my SVX.>>

so is the $4500 just an estimate/quote to fix the problems with your SVX? or did you already get the work done?

Yea that sounds like you've taken it to its near limit on waiting for repairs. I recently had mine in to the dealership and they suggested I look at getting similar work done in the future. Estimates up in the $3000-$4000 level. I'm not driving mine much (storing it in winter) so I figure I have at least a couple of years... My driveway is about 20 year-old ashphalt and it's staying that way for a long time. If I replace it, it will be with stone so I don't have to worry too much about leaks on my three aging Subarus....

Yeah, basicly what mike said. they really dont WANT to work on the car, hence the high estimates....


...4500 would buy a kickass toolset though.
the only thing keeping my repair costs down is the fact that I do most of the work myself. If you have tools yourself, all you really need is some people who know about the car to guide you through the repairs, and mabey a beater you can drive while your fixing your car. Something about yur mechanic not knowing what the IRIS valve is would lead me to believe that...possibly...you'd be just as well of fixing the car as he is

just a thought

It's an estimate, but they said they already did some of the seals. :confused:

I already confirmed I wanted all the leaks fixed, but they are going to call and confirm what I want to do with this extra stuff.

I may consider flying in a Tom when I really start the engine building. :p

This leak problem has also kept me off the tracks all year, so I'm done waiting for this. I'm pretty ticked as it is that I am missing so much track time.