Should I Sell her?

[Kalyx]

I know what you're going through, CFH. I'm actually in a similar situation.

After my father passed away, I purchased an older car, with some of the money that was left over after we sold my father's house.

It's a 1977 Mercury Cougar XR7, with a 302 cu. in. V-8. It's black, with a white vinyl roof and maroon interior (with '70's shag carpet). Before I purchased it, it had been sitting on the side of the road, for sale, days before my father died. And being the old car buff that I am, I just couldn't resist it.

It cost me $4,800 to purchase it and I've spent at least that much, fixing it up, over the past few years. Replacing old, original equipment, tuning up the engine and adding in a new stereo & CD system. Also, since I was also driving my father's unexpired lease car, I always kept it garaged and rarely drove it, except during the warmer months.

UInfortunately, things do change. Last year, I had to finally turn in my father's lease car; whose lease had expired. Thus, since then, I've been driving my project car in all sorts of weather: sunny, rainy, hot, cold, snowy, icy, etc. (You get the idea.) Also, because of the difficult economic times in my state, and at my household, I haven't been able to keep up with some of the incurring preventive and unexpected repairs, like I'd like to.

The left-rear tire blew last year, which means that now I'm driving on the full-size spare, which I had to replace myself. Of course, this rim and tire doesn't match the other three; which makes the car look more like a beater than a classic car. The engine, now, also, has a couple of problems of it's own: a slow oil leak, probably from a worn oil pan gasket; which will cost at least 3 hours of labor alone. Also, it has a blown intake manifold gasket, which makes the car sound like it has a hole ripped open in the tailpipe.

Now, there really isn't anything major wrong with the car; it's just the fact that I can't fix the problems that it has, now, nor do any of the improvement and/or overhauls that I would like get done.

There's no way that I'm parting with this care, now. As with you, Cowboy, I've put way too much time and effort into this black, beauty of mine; no matter how she may look or sound. She's my dependable and classic-looking old girl, Xera. (X...R...7)

{I'll try to tag a pic of her, to this thread, later on.}