Cracked head gasket! Imploded finances! Ask me anything...

[villager]

So: Worst possible news today on the car: Cracked head gasket, engine replacement cost the same as another used car... Absolutely can't afford it either way, going through a divorce, etc...

Financially, the situation could hardly be worse, which I guess is a sort of "liberating" vantage point...

Ask me anything!

[GOPisEvil]

1. So, you cracked the HEAD, not just the gasket?

The gasket is easy to replace. The HEAD is expensive!

Yikes!Good luck!

[villager]

16. yeah, the head...

of course, I may be cracked, too, but that's a different thread...

[fob]

2. "Sell" it to your spouse as part of the divorce agreement!

nt

[villager]

4. don't I wish...

...that was the car I was "given" when we divvied up the assets...

[preciousdove]

3. You asked for it...

16 month Dominic, who is teething, cannot stay away from the no-noes today so he has to stay within sight of an adult. Today he is very loud and bored, bored, bored. The yard has not been babyproofed as this is the first spell of nice weather we have had so that is out. (He has shut off my computer three times today before I could stop him.)

I have HMO insurance which has taken me a month to get approval to get a molar and impacted wisdom tooth removed that was considered an emergency at the beginning of that month because of a stubborn infection. In order to function I am on painkillers but I cannot drive with them so we are stuck here at home. (I actually had to get three dental opinions that they had to come out. I feel like a Chrysler)

How about I lend you my 1983 mini van anytime you want in exchange for coming and entertaining Domnic? His favorite game is head, shoulders, knees and toes, sport is mini basketball, song is itsy bitsy spider, TV show is Teletubbies, video is Baby Einstein Baby Neptune (it has fsshhiiees) and toy today is an empty Nemo Kleenex box that you can put anyting inside and carry it around and take it out again. If you are a guy will call you Daddy because he thinks all men are "Daddy". It is an improvement because last month he thought ALL adults were "Mama" (Sorry I can't help you with the divorce.)Cheers.

[villager]

5. where are you?

just got through the worst of some dental stuff myself...

it's not raining-but-pouring time right now...

[sam sarrha]

to just replace the head..get a used one, or rebuilt, there are junk yard

you can get stuf like that just have it checked tomake sure it is not warped .. there are places that dont cost too much to do the work check at autozone.. or the phone book...

[villager]

17. may have found a place...

...that will put a rebuilt engine in, for about half of what my original mechanic quoted me.

It's still a big chunk of money, but maybe I won't hafta shop for a whole "new used" car...

[sam sarrha]

6. dont ever take the dealerships advice!! check around

[villager]

7. it's my mechanic...

...not the dealer. Model as endemic "head crack" problems -- was replaced once before under warranty...

Now, apparently, it would require a "new" (reconditioned) engine to be dropped in...

...which would appear to cost as much as a used car...

[spinbaby]

18. Is it a Pontiac Grand Am by chance?

My son had one that needed two new engines in five years for the same reason.

[flamingyouth]

8. I'm sorry to hear that

Man, that sucks. That happened on my first car, a Peugeot diesel, but I had a friend who happened to be a mechanic and he just happened to have another engine lying around his workshop - it was a freaking miracle, I tell you.

How far are you from your job? Can you take transit (I know you're in LA, but just thought I'd ask)?

[villager]

13. No, on call in L.A., flamingyouth...

I am, as I stated below, snookered on this one...

[Bertha Venation]

9. Have you ever heard of this site?

http://www.modestneeds.org

Good luck. :hug:

[villager]

10. thanks, Bertha!

Just registered there... we'll see what it yields...

[redqueen]

11. Is your job on the bus line?

My car just had the exact same problem. Lucky for me I have kind and generous relatives who donated the money to get it fixed so I can keep my job.

Good luck, friend. :hug:

[villager]

12. thanks...

actually, it may be the engine block is cracked, not just the gasket, hence the bigger problem...

...no, I work as an on-call substitute teacher (in addition to writing), so I'm snookered in the job/transportation equation...

[redqueen]

14. Dag

Well ... we could always take up a donation to get you a bike. :shrug:

[villager]

15. gotta bike!

...just got to bring it from the place I was living before (did I mention I was wrapping up a recent move?)

But that doesn't solve the room-for-my-boys question, alas..

[ScreamingMeemie]

19. Ohhhh no! I have no question, but that just sucks villager!

I hope it is not the worst case scenario. How far are you from work? Could you bike it with the weather getting warmer?

Well, I guess I found a question for you. :hug: Laura

[villager]

20. well, no, worst case...

...woulda been if the engine went out in the middle of the desert somewhere...

but it's lookin' like I'll have to scrape up some o' those phantom dollars to plunk a whole new engine in it...

Thanks for the hug!