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best way to get rid of dead car?


redkow97

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It's no secret that I hate my (wife's old) neon; particularly the shit-tacular 3-speed automatic transmission with such wide ratios that it's never in the proper gear...

Well today, the neon proved me right and took an absolute SHIT on 71 South while I was headed to Polaris for work. The transmission is completely toast after just 86,2XX miles.

the mechanic speculates that the trans was failing, heated up, and actually boiled the trans fluid lines. Because the trans fluid shares a radiator with the motor, the boiling trans fluid actualy backed up into the radiator, and was cycled into the engine.

The engine itself doesn't seem to be damaged, but a new trans and radiator were quoted at $2100-$2500 installed. That's with several coolant flushes to get the trans fluid out!

Anyway, the car's worth maybe $2k, so it's being replaced.

What's the best thing to do with a neon w/o a transmission? I'm trying those "we buy junk cars" sites, but i'm not really expecting much in the way of cash money.

donating it is another possibility, and I'd love to sell it as a parts car, but only if somebody knows someone who's looking.

other options?

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need options fast btw - Conrad's in Strongsville is only charging me $115 for their diagnosis, plus $55 (zero markup) for the tow.

I know they're a chain, but that location earned my next routine service. Didn't pressure me at all to fix my shitbox, and I don't think they're charging me to keep it over night.

Even so, I want it out of their lot tomorrow, if at all possible.

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You could do the traditional way and make a few bucks (which way is best I really don't know) or you could get creative. I see track bike(s), and almost a new enclosed trailer! Throw up some plywood panels on the chassis and its a goldmine (I have never seen nor heard of anyone doing this, its probably not the best idea ever, its meant to get you thinking if you want to have some fun). You know, this could all be solved with tannerite and a class iii firearm quite quickly.

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Don't donate it unless the place says they'll accept junk cars. It can wind up costing them money when they pay $100 to have it towed for $50 in scrap value.

Call a junkyard and have them come and take it. They may call it even (tow cost versus scrap value).

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Are you SURE the transmission is toast? I've seen quite a few of them with the transmission cooler ocming apart out of the radiator. New radiator, flush the tras fluid out of the cooling system, refill the trans, drive the shit out of it. I've seen a small handful of them do this, then drive on for a long time.

$115 for diagnostics? WOW! I need to work there! Did they bypass the trans cooler and refill the fluid to verify the trans is toast? If not, I would make sure to do that, or have them do that (especially for $115 diag!) and if it will still drive, replace the radiator, drive it out of there, sell it, since you seem to have a grudge against the car anyway, and want rid of it!

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Personally, I'd donate it and take the tax write-off.

If you sell it, the junk car buyers are only going to give you scrap value. I'd recommend putting it on Craigslist for $499. Any cars under $500 sell quickly on there.

how much of a tax write-off is it really going to be?

You really think it would be worth a $50-$75 tow back to my house to sell it on CL?

the one thing the junk car companies have going for them is that they'll usually pick it up for free...

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how much of a tax write-off is it really going to be?

You really think it would be worth a $50-$75 tow back to my house to sell it on CL?

the one thing the junk car companies have going for them is that they'll usually pick it up for free...

For scrap it is worth $300 or so, if you were to do it yourself. Some scrap yards are particular and you have to remove the fuel tank, others are not. If you remove the catalyic converter to scrap it separate, you get more out of it, same with aluminum wheels.

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If you scrap it and haul it in your self soak the interior for an hour or before hauling it off. Also throw all the shit metal you have laying around the house / garage (brake rotors). Then take it to a place doing it by weight. Take any metals that have value out and sell them separately. As mentioned above.

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if you are scrapping it and have the time, pull the headlights, taillights, mirrors, gauges, etc and put them up on ebay

i'd love to do this, but i don't have the time. Plus there's no way I can leave it in my driveway long enough to part it properly.

that would be the best option though... If I had a way to tow it w/o paying someone else to do it...

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