Saving A Wreck
Posted by Stephen Cline on July 2nd, 2010Can anyone predict the future? One might occasionally toss the idea around and secretly hope such a person existed. Not only would such a gift allow one to avoid certain fiascoes, such as investing in the market prior to a pending economic crisis, such a person would also be able to avoid the undoing of every commuter – car problems.
Serious car or vehicle repairs can end up costing the average American upwards of a thousand dollars per incident. Even if one were to perform his own labor, factory parts alone can cost over $500 for a starter or thousands of dollars for a transmission. The alternative? Used car parts. Many times, used or refurbished parts alone can bring down the estimate of a repair to close to half the original cost.
Where can one find reliable used car parts and are they warrantied? Several years ago, the transmission to my 1989 Chevy Astro van went out. Knowing a new replacement part would cost more than the van was worth, I went to a mechanic recommended to me by a friend. He was well connected with a local junk yard and recommended the transmission from a particular 1994 Astro van. He noted that the part had almost 100,000 miles less than mine and was in good enough shape to last another 100,000, if not more. He only warrantied the part for three months, but two years passed up to the day I sold it and never experienced a problem with the replacement part.
Fortune telling capabilities not withstanding, if you find that your budget along with the value of your car tend to side on the leaner side of things – remember that what may be junk to some can be treasure of savings to others.
Tags: Automobile, car parts, money saving guide, money saving tips, used auto parts, used car parts, vehicle