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Hot car.
6 years ago
Karno's Rare-Because-He-Never-Has-Time Blather:
So the heat is coming in Tucson. Like over 110-degree heat. So I took my good ol' van to Big O tires to have my AC system checked out. What would I have to fix/replace to have reliable air-conditioning this summer? I got up to the line of heatstroke a couple times last summer, and it's a life-shortening experience.
Alas, the answer turned out to be "everything". Hoses, compressor, the whole schmeer. And, key point, installing a whole new AC kit would cost around $1.600.
When you consider that I originally bought the entire van for $300, then at this point, one must ask: "Do I install new AC in this old nag, or do I put the $1.600 towards a newer used car with still-functional AC?"
I'll be checking with the gearheads of the Tucson Mob, of course. But since it seems I have a couple-3 thousand FA followers (how'd THAT happen?), I thought I'd make use of the sheer, seething numbers of you: Anybody here know a good deal on a used van/pickup truck/large sedan? In the orbit of $2000? A deal where the van can be used as a trade-in would be super excellent, too.
Note I'm spoiled by my van's comfortable dimensions, and would like another roomy vehicle to replace it. Yeah, I'll be checking the car-trading sites of the Intertubes for a car-trade that's reachable from Tucson (I don't buy a vehicle I haven't inspected in person, first), but just in case someone here knows (or is willing to offer) a deal that the Net doesn't know about...what's the harm in asking?
Alas, the answer turned out to be "everything". Hoses, compressor, the whole schmeer. And, key point, installing a whole new AC kit would cost around $1.600.
When you consider that I originally bought the entire van for $300, then at this point, one must ask: "Do I install new AC in this old nag, or do I put the $1.600 towards a newer used car with still-functional AC?"
I'll be checking with the gearheads of the Tucson Mob, of course. But since it seems I have a couple-3 thousand FA followers (how'd THAT happen?), I thought I'd make use of the sheer, seething numbers of you: Anybody here know a good deal on a used van/pickup truck/large sedan? In the orbit of $2000? A deal where the van can be used as a trade-in would be super excellent, too.
Note I'm spoiled by my van's comfortable dimensions, and would like another roomy vehicle to replace it. Yeah, I'll be checking the car-trading sites of the Intertubes for a car-trade that's reachable from Tucson (I don't buy a vehicle I haven't inspected in person, first), but just in case someone here knows (or is willing to offer) a deal that the Net doesn't know about...what's the harm in asking?
https://www.cargurus.com/
https://www.autotrader.com/
and yeah - vas are the best. I miss having one
If you have decent enough credit, 2 or 3k could be a down payment on a new entry level car if you think you may be able to afford payments. Might be worth perusing the dealerships.
Otherwise I’d suggest searching craigslist, trader magazines, the marketplace on Facebook if you use it.
I hear lots of horror stories about refurbished A/C compressors, and alas, many repair shops will only source refurbished parts. Ask around to see if the compressor has a bad bearing or clutch -- fixing that is way easier and more reliable than if the unit has bad seals. The mechanic may be trying to replace the whole unit when only the engagement mechanism is bad, because they can outsource the rebuild rather than do it themselves.
I had an old car for a while (old enough that I qualified for the 'antique discount' on registration!) and it was more the work than anything else that was needed to fix the AC (the fan belt had worn down, and it was possible the heater core had gotten clogged, but wasn't sure).
And for god's sake don't go to a used car lot under ANY circumstances! A friend of mine did that, traded their car in for $2k towards a $6k car... then got financed behind their back for $12k, which ballooned to $23k with all the fees and taxes. F'n shifty, untrustworthy shysters every single one of them.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Portable.....9&wmlspart