HOW TO DETERMINE WHETHER TO REPAIR
OR REPLACE
Have a qualified technician do a complete assessment of the vehicle to determine
whether or not it’s worth repairing. It’s important to have a good foundation
from which to refurbish your vehicle. This type of inspection is the same as a
pre-purchase inspection. The technician will closely scrutinize such things as the
suspension, brakes, transmission, and engine, looking for any in-the-near-future
failures. All potential problem areas should be identified, with estimated cost of
repair using state inspection rules as a guideline (this way you are sure the
vehicle will pass state inspection).
The technician should check over the condition of the frame and body, and I
mean a thorough inspection. He or she should look at the undercarriage and
frame closely for deterioration caused by rust. In addition, the technician should
carefully inspect the inside of the car’s sheet metal. The front and rear fenders,
bottoms of doors, cowl (base of the windshield), and floorboards should be
examined closely because water wells up in these areas and accelerates rust. You
might have a car that functions well mechanically, but if the frame and body are
disintegrating you may be better off shopping for another car.