Let's just say for the sake of argument that you have a mechanic you can trust, and to can have all the work done while your brick would otherwise be sitting at the airport for say $3K. Yes that is more than the blue book, however, there are other things to consider. You are out of it for 2K to 5K less than you were expecting to spend on another car (which as another brickster mentioned may require work). You have avoided the sales tax on the "new" purchase. You are in a car you know and love. Yes, 3K is a lot of money, but paid over say 6 months you are still out of payments faster than the alternative purchase prices mentioned.
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D.P. Mulvey in Central VA. 1991 744 NA, 150K Miles