I need a concensus here....I've had my TA since I was 17....it was my first car, and I've taken care of it ever since I've had it....I'm now 24, and the car is in relatively good shape for being 17 years old and 150k miles. A little bit of rust around the wheelwells, but other than that, the body is decent. Its my daily driver, and I drive it year round...but now the motor seems to be about ready to go....its detonating, hesitating, etc....seems like a timing chain, fuel injectors/pump....i've already put in 2200 dollars in repairs into it since this past April....my question is, should i sell the car, or should i keep it and build an engine for it along with a built up transmission? Money is tight right now b/c of lack of work and I'm going to school also....but is it worth it at this point? My carnut guy friends think so, but my old man thinks not. I can build a motor for around 1200 dollars(block is free), or I can buy a 383 with 400hp and 440ft/lbs for around 2k with a 15month/unlimited mileage warranty. What does everyone think?

 

Worth it, no questions asked.

 

Yea....thats what I'm leaning towards...but I dunno.....ideas are going through my mind alot....

 

personally id keep it....for the simple fact that it was ur first car....just think one day you could say to ur kids "this was my first car"....just me but sentimental is priceless:lala:

 

Camarogirl18...

Yea, thats a good point too....i've just recieved too much negativity in reference to the car...."its not worth putting the money into it to build a motor for it"....etc.......so its kinda getting me down...I'm just undecided....yea, I love that car....and its an awesome daily driver....but I'm just fed up with fixing so much on it...maybe its time for a new motor...a 350....or a 355.....sigh...

 

Take a poll on how many guys out there wish they still had their first car. I wish I still had mine!

 

Tight on money and a C5?? Just wondering?? but anyways I think you should keep it!!

Kevin

 

Definitely keep it. I know I'd never part with my car.

 

Unfortunetly, s**t happens But I'll be damned if I sell the C5.

I'm thinking about keeping it....but I'd like to build a motor for it....I'd probably have to rebuild the transmission too, and thats going to cost me big $$$.....

 

Any current Corvette wins over the stodgy third gens....

It may seem a sin to say, but in my mind, you can't argue with the best Vettes yet!

Bill

 

Might be true, but I'd like to avoid selling either one....thats the plan...

 

Keep it! I'm currently working on getting my Iron Duke SC into shape. If that's worth it, so is your bird.

Brandon

 

Keep the car , you would regret it if you sold it now.

 

Keep it, but take it off the road and store it. It will then be there for you when the timing is right for a rebuild.

 

Don't make the same mistake all of our parents did... they all lost their "special" cars at some point, and now they all want them back. My dad had a '68 Dart 340 and his old Z/28 Camaro, my mom's Datsun 280Z, My uncle's '71 Mach 1 mustang...

They all lost these cars at some point, and now all of them regret not keeping them and are kicking themselves for it.

 

My parants certainly don't and I had to say I'm going for what I like regardless. My sisters and brothers are just not car freaks so that's not really an issue.
My point is not everyone is so attached
-

B

 

[quote]Originally posted by Air_Adam
Don't make the same mistake all of our parents did... they all lost their "special" cars at some point, and now they all want them back. My dad had a '68 Dart 340 and his old Z/28 Camaro, my mom's Datsun 280Z, My uncle's '71 Mach 1 mustang...

They all lost these cars at some point, and now all of them regret not keeping them and are kicking themselves for it. [quote]

I cant agree more!! My uncle had two GTOs and all he talks about is them, and othere uncle had like a late 80's LX mustang that was really cool! I remember it a little and thinking it was the coolest car ever as a little kid. And so many other older people I know wish they had the cars they had in their youth and are now stuck with v6 front wheel drive pieces of crap. My dads first car was a 70 malibu with a strait six, not cool in there day but i bet any one would take one now so they could throw a big block in it or what not!! I know I would not mind having a base 70 Malibu now a days!!

Kevin

 

Well, i've decided to keep the car for at least another year. I might as well since today I installed a new cam/lifter set, as well as a new timing chain. Tomorrow, the rest of the motor is getting put back on and then I'll be able to tear s**t up again....the timing chain had alot of slack in it though....one side was decently tight..the other side was ready to fall off...

 

Yeah, throughout the course of my dads young life, he had a convertible chevelle, an olds 442 he bought for $65, and two or three novas. Now hes just got pictures of them.

 

My first car was a 1971 Impala 350 turbo fire custom. It was bought bran new by my dad. I got my license to drive in 1988 and the car was now mine. It had 185,000 miles on it then. I drove it for 3 years and put another 70,000 on it. It leaked oil like crazy but I loved it. I wreaked it 8 times and it still was pretty straight. Dad made me junk it because the windshield was cracked. On the day it went to the wreacker I smoked a 5.0 mustang and could still do NHRA top fuel burnouts. Its all I talk about with my dad when he brings up his first and old cars. He wishes he had his I wish he would have let me keep mine.

 

A word of advice from one of the "old crowd" (at 47 years old). I sure wish I had my first car (1968 Mustang.. ok it wasn't GM, but I think I can be forgiven... I hope!). I always regretted selling it, and really would like to find one exactly like it today, but haven't found one so far. If I had to do it over again, I'd keep it and rebuild it however many times it took to keep it on the road. You only have one "first car". When you sell it, nothing else is quite like it again in your automotive life. Brad

 

My first was the family training car that everyone learned to drive on and I had to use it to drive to school for more then a year... Plymouth Horizon from the 1970s... I will NEVER, ever miss that heap!
Bill

 

LMAO!!! I wouldnt miss that one either. I've decided to keep the car....since this post started a while ago, the cam install and cold air induction have been done. Next summer, I plan on having this car sit until I can start working on it as a project...I'll be getting an 02 Ram Air, but I'll still keep this....the whole thing about "your first car" is true....plus, its really not in bad shape for being 17 years old.

 

I would address the rust issues if you plan on having it around a long time. Rust seems to pick up speed eating your car away the more its ignored. My first car was like a 72 or so Opel Manta 4 spd, don't really miss it all that much but I remember how much fun I had because it was so small I could be flying down the street and rip the emergency brake do these flying 180's drop brake drop clutch and spin out going backwards, that was fun
Always been to scared to do that with the GTA