So my car has been falling apart lately... 1994 Chevrolet Cavalier and this morning it was shaking a lot and had trouble picking up speed... and then all the sudden there's this huge cloud of white smoke behind me and around me coming from the exhaust... a ex-mechanic guy @ work says it's the head gasket or whatever... and if that's it- i'm pretty sure the car is not worth getting fixed... What do you think? If it is that, and I should buy a new car, what is a reliable low-cost car from @ least 1999? Please help!

[Edited on January 26, 2006 at 2:51 PM. Reason : BTW... AAA towed it to the mechanic... so I should know what it is by 5.]

1/26/2006 2:47:12 PM

I'd say it's highly likely if you've got lots of white smoke coming out the exhaust that the head gasket is the culprit.

As far as getting it fixed...I seriously doubt you want to pay the $1000+ to get it fixed. Might even be more than that if the head is cracked.

My recommendations for a replacement? Toyota Corolla or Camry or Celica, Honda Civic or Accord, Mazda 626, 6, Protege, or 3, Nissan Sentra, anything Acura makes except for 2000+ TL's.

I don't recommend American cars as a rule, though I know that there are some decent ones out there.

1/26/2006 2:57:28 PM

honduuhhh. toyotaaaaahhh. those jap traps sure work.

1/26/2006 2:58:59 PM

It sounds like the head gasket. The white smoke is most likely mixture of oil and anti freeze mixing.

1/26/2006 3:00:34 PM

The only thing that made the guy who looked @ my car think something was weird... Was the fact the heat stayed @ a constant 150 when I was driving it this morning... but the mechanic who has it now says there may not have been enough water.

Thank you so much for the advice and information. :-D

1/26/2006 3:03:04 PM

it has to go somehwhere, it doesnt just dissapear

1/26/2006 3:10:42 PM

your temperature sensor might have been off, or if there wasn't enough water in the system, the temperature sensor might not give a correct reading either.

and the symptoms you described match my experience with a blown head gasket pretty well.

1/26/2006 3:15:44 PM

Mechanic just called... 1500 dollars. Blown head gasket... Time for a new car.

1/26/2006 3:21:24 PM

Does this put a delay on the house plans ?!

1/26/2006 3:22:43 PM

haha well... a weekend or two ago... I decided I wanted to save money to buy something nicer so to wait a few more years...

Now I have plenty of money to buy a car tho.

Any more recommendations on what to buy?

1/26/2006 3:36:02 PM

BMW M5.

[Edited on January 26, 2006 at 3:38 PM. Reason : 2006]

1/26/2006 3:38:35 PM

I was wondering why this thread was going so well.

Quote :

"Sex : F"

1/26/2006 3:55:40 PM

corolla camry or civic, they will never let you down

1/26/2006 4:11:14 PM

haha yes LoYotaNCSU - everyone is being really cool..

I don't really like Honda's all that much... although I know that I should. hah.

I think I'll just get a Crossfire or a 300... I wish...

What do ya'll think about repossessed vehicles?

1/26/2006 4:22:56 PM

You'd be amazed how repo'd cars get sabotaged before the repo man gets 'em. Folks can't afford to pay for the car and know it's only a matter of time before they walk out the front door and find that it's been repo'd. So they don't change the oil, smear shit in the carpet, scratch the paint, dump shit in the engine, burn cigarette holes in the upholstery...

I would shitcan that idea unless you found a really good deal on a car and had somebody check it out top to bottom.

1/26/2006 4:30:02 PM

what's your budget for a new car?

1/26/2006 6:33:35 PM

Quote :

"Big Car Question "

Buy a big car! They are great!

I reccomend station wagons!

1/26/2006 6:34:55 PM

scion tC

1/26/2006 7:17:59 PM

1/26/2006 9:15:04 PM

Actually, if I were to get a Big Car® with an automatic it would probably be a 300C/Charger

1/26/2006 9:56:59 PM

astro van

1/26/2006 9:57:05 PM

1/26/2006 9:59:28 PM

1/26/2006 10:03:24 PM

hahaha

1/26/2006 10:05:24 PM

oh, wait

thats not BIG enough

1/26/2006 10:08:04 PM

this is bigger

1/26/2006 10:09:58 PM

1/26/2006 10:19:27 PM

trailer space for lots useless shoes

1/26/2006 10:24:23 PM

1/26/2006 10:30:24 PM

I would like something less than 8000... So far my options are a Chevy Cavalier-2003 4500.... Mits Mirage- 2001? 4100? Toyota Cor and Honda something.... But there is this 2006 Chevy Cobalt in Salisbury for 12990 and they do something w/ your taxes so it's less or they double your taxes or something... I don't know what to do... But I am going shopping tomorrow. Someone go buy a car for me.

1/26/2006 10:31:34 PM

hey baby ill sell you a nice big bonneville for 7999

how about that

1/26/2006 10:36:48 PM

and throw in a free years worth of vintage hair magazines

1/26/2006 10:49:35 PM

not my precious mags!

1/26/2006 10:56:51 PM

the sale man...its all about the sale

1/26/2006 11:12:31 PM

one word

http://www.gotfuturama.com/Multimedia/EpisodeSounds/2ACV07/02.mp3

[Edited on January 26, 2006 at 11:34 PM. Reason : lol]

1/26/2006 11:18:05 PM

fuggetaboot chevy and mitsu.

1/27/2006 8:45:03 AM

get a used corolla

1/27/2006 12:17:23 PM

Toyota makes some reliable shyte. Our Sienna made it over 310k miles without any major problems. Oh, and when the engine recently needed a rebuild, the dealer did it for free (I shit you not).

[Edited on January 27, 2006 at 12:38 PM. Reason : ]

1/27/2006 12:38:25 PM

Hey might wanna look at Enterprise car sales. They have some cars that are 04's and up for 10 grand and under. Best one I saw was a 04 Honda Civic with 41k miles for 14,450. Just a suggestion. Its listed on www.enterprisecarsales.com. If your an SECU member, I think you can knock $200 bucks off.

1/27/2006 12:54:57 PM

^those are used rental cars right? no way in hell id buy one of those

1/27/2006 1:35:46 PM

^

1/27/2006 1:46:02 PM

my mom drives a 2004 camry she bought from enterprise with 25k on it. nothing wrong with the car, cosmetically or mechanically, and they sell the car with all the maintanance records, still under factory warranty. some rental cars get abused, but usually not the family sedan type. and you really have to try hard to fuck up a jap in 20-30k miles just by driving it hard. she got a pretty sweet deal on it as far as i remember.

1/27/2006 3:19:55 PM

having owned (well my parents) both a 2001 Cavalier and 2002 Corolla, the Corolla has held up MUCH better...

1/27/2006 3:25:28 PM

Quote :

"Oh, and when the engine recently needed a rebuild, the dealer did it for free (I shit you not)."

sludge engine.

1/27/2006 8:49:47 PM

my wife has a 99 cavalier. it's transportation, but I wouldn't advise buying one.

1/27/2006 10:02:12 PM

Well... The chevy cavalier that we had bought from the Lexington dealership (in 1994) held up really well... It's cool that it died considering how many miles were on it (my mom used it when she drove 70+ miles a day) so I decided to go back there (since my parents know everyone who works there and knows where they live since they have known them for years...) I also looked @ used cars but a lot of the dealers were talking about flood cars & repo cars so I just decided to go new. I got a 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt. It's 10 days old today! They have #1 frontal test crash rating and excellent gas mileage and they are reliable... plus a great warranty is key. So.... it's coming to Lexington from Sanford today. I got it for a VERY reasonable price. I am excited!!!

Thank you all for your help! I love the Garage...!

[Edited on January 28, 2006 at 9:10 AM. Reason : :-O]

1/28/2006 9:08:47 AM

havent you graduated yet?

1/28/2006 9:13:42 AM

I graduated in May and started working in July hence why I had the money to make a really nice down payment. haha

[Edited on January 28, 2006 at 9:26 AM. Reason : BTW: I graduated in 3 years- that wasn't fast enough for ya? lol]

1/28/2006 9:24:02 AM

you got a cobalt and said thx to the garage?

1/28/2006 7:50:12 PM

Go troll somewhere else fag.

1/28/2006 9:16:04 PM