Decisions Decisions - make me like my car again! - Ford Forums - Mustang Forum, Ford Trucks, Ford Focus and Ford Cars

back2thefutura · 07-03-2004, 05:37

Alright, well this week has topped it off for me, I am going through a period of hating my car something chronic atm.

So I'm evaluating some plans for it, and while nothing in the way of getting rid of it will happen for some time yet (will probably have it at least until next year), I'd like to hear some opinions on what you guys think I would be better off doing.

The situation is - I own my car outright (well, parents do but they gave it to me so it is technically mine). It doesnt owe me anything, however it does have a few more problems than I would like/expect. (EFII Futura for those who dont know).

Anyway, what I know needs doing is as follows:

*Full suspension cleanup i.e. new bushes, new front shocks, spring reset etc. ($?)
*New power steering pump. ($2-300)
*Pretty much a full respray after a panelbeater totally f**ked the colour matching (and no insurance wont pay to have it fixed, ive tried that avenue).($?)
*The ever looming headgasket issue (around $1k)

And then of course there is all the stuff i would like to do to it:
*17" wheels (finally) ($?)
*Extractors ($5-600 or so)
*Few custom interior bits but nothing too huge ($?)
*A decent sound system (i.e. stacker, better speakers etc) ($1k)

I really love the shape of the EF/L models, and I would one day love to have my EF as a real head turner - one thats not too common (there arent many round here anyway), and one that can give a few people a bit of a shock at the lights. However, these things cost money, and there is a bit that needs doing before it would be at that stage, and with 185,000 on the clock already, I'm starting to doubt whether it's worth doing - cos every dollar you throw at a car, you never see again.

My options are as follows:

*Sell my EF, buy an EL or AU and do it up
*Sell the EF, buy a BA and go into some serious debt however have a car i would be happy to keep for 10yrs;
*Keep the EF, get it up to scratch and then possibly do an engine changeover later down the track.

And more importantly, the costs:

* Option 1 = anywhere up to about $20,000
* Option 2 = closer to $30000
* Option 3 = anywhere from $2-5k, then whatever i feel like spending after that.

So, some opinions would be great, as right now the car is doing nothing more than frustrating and annoying me every time i drive/look at it.
Sorry for such a long post, but there's a fair bit to consider!

Help me make a decision, or at least get closer to making one!

Cheers.

John_xr6 · 07-03-2004, 05:57

i wouldnt go the BA route as youll buy it and only want to start modifying that costing more $$$ maybe just sell the EF and get an EL Ghia at least it will have everything but find a low kay example.

needfordspeed · 07-03-2004, 06:21

How about a manual EL XR6? should be able to pick one up for around 16k for a good one, also it isn't hard to find a manual XR6.

needfordspeed · 07-03-2004, 06:23

Forgot to mention, keep your car! it will probably be cheaper that way and also you get EF's looking NICE look at XR6childs car!

TIKFD6 · 07-03-2004, 06:24

Just put a match to it.

Better the devil you know i say, keep the EF.

XR6child · 07-03-2004, 07:49

Back2, I know exactly how you feel, but keep the car.

I don't know if you know, but I went through the whole Suspension, headgasket, money money, problem after problem thing which lasted about four months, it thankfully finished a few weeks ago (Thanks to Karl and Wayne and Scott!) . At times I really considered getting a ford Fiesta, and the thought of even starting the car pissed me off!

Anyways moral is, I stuck to my guns and battled the problems that hit me one by one. Yeah it took a while and was extremely hard but here I am today, ready for stage 2 mods! I'm now glad that I didnt sell the car or act drastically, (like buying a BA at 18 years old, or in My case, a $22 ZETEC Fiesta at 19) and falling into debt. I'm now looking forward to how much more fun and satisfaction i'm gonna get outta personalising my car.

Go with option 3 my friend. Keep the car. 180 odd thou isnt all that many kays for a falcon, as we all know they can do so much more than that (Mines at 195K), and the possibilities are truly endless as far as mods go, buy a new car, and your in debt, that is, you can't spend 'mod money' freely. Anyways we all know that EF's can look the fkn HORN when a little time and money is spent on em! Its all you hafta do!

Give it time, dont dwell on whats happening now, but think about what will happen after your through this 'car hating time', how your car will be once all the bugs are ironed out! I'm glad I did!

Take care of yourself, and each other,

-The Child

back2thefutura · 07-03-2004, 08:23

Thanks guys,

XR6Child Ive been reading a little about your issues (headgasket etc), but if anything i am so damn jealous of how youve got your EF now! I can unashamedly say that yours is exactly what i would like mine to look like, or something along those lines anyway.

I think if i was to sell mine, i would have one hell of an uphill battle in it, simply because of the problems it has. So I guess i can either do it up and keep it, or accpet whatever pathetic offer i get for it (cos honestly, i would never buy it lol).

I'm in no situation to do anything atm anyway, so we'll just see how everything goes for now. I'm getting a lot of inspiration from these forums though, so hopefully if i decide to keep it, I'll eventually have an EF worthy of other member's drool lol.

Now to find a panelbeater who will respray my car on the (very) cheap!

davway · 07-03-2004, 08:24

my advice...DONT GO INTO DEBT. trust me im 25 and have been there. i have 12k hanging over my head and i dont have what i bought to show for it. dont get a BA as youll lose about 30% the first year anyways and will never be able to sell it to pay off what you owe. also in 10 years time the new car you bought now will be a hunk of shit to say the least, they just arent made to last. id go an EL or AU if you had to. both are reasonably cheap now and have fewer Ks to deal with but both are still gonna cost you money over time.

Rmyers · 07-03-2004, 16:18

Ever thought of doing the stuff like headgasket yourself???

back2thefutura · 07-03-2004, 19:01

Yep, for about 5 seconds. There's no way I'd attempt the headgasket or suspension jobs myself.