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I have a feeling this thing's going to be a total, simply because of the age and value of the car. I'm guessing book value is maybe $3,000 tops (retail, I doubt if trade-in would be half that). They tend to total out a car when the estimate exceeds 60% of the book retail value. And I'm sure the claims adjuster will be able to find $1800 worth of damage there.
I could probably pull out the fender myself, and the headlight assembly's an easy replacement. And that fascia can probably be re-attached. So I could probably get the car semi-presentable again for not a whole lot of money. However, the electronic glitches that showed up (SES light and battery light coming on) scare me a bit. Even if there wasn't anything truly wrong with the car, I could only drive it like that until the next emissions test, which is less than a year away.
hit. You are the one who gets inconvenienced and hurt financially.
A quick check at a autozone would tell you why the warning lights are on. Hood open still?
Or take the money and get the ES...onlything that would concern me would be the 3.2. Not sure, but think the 3.2 and 3.5 might have timing belts, not a chain like the 2.7. That would be a 10 year old essential rubber part. And at least a 1500 repair to get swapped. Did look like a nice one though. Getting rare to find in really nice shape.
For the record-"hanging's too good....." no card or note or anything? Some people are too "nice" to have around.
Damn, a timing belt is $1500?! I hate to say it, but that's almost a deal beaker right there. IIRC, the owner's manual called for a timing belt change at 105,000 miles...but said nothing about age. And, like you said, that's a 10 year old rubber part! Is the 3.2/3.5 an interference engine?
I guess even if it is totaled, buying it back from the insurance company could be an option. However, my insurance company said if I did that, they wouldn't let me have full coverage on the car anymore. But at 10 years and 150,000 miles, plus the fact it'll have a salvage title if I do that, maybe I don't need to worry about full coverage anymore. Even now, the full coverage insurance didn't do anything for me. Since it was hit and run, my car was covered under the Uninsured Motorist part of my insurance, something Maryland requires you to have (maybe other states, too?)
Now that I think about it, one of my friends has a code reader. So I guess we could just plug it into the car's OBD port and see what it says. He bought the thing a few years ago when he had a 1998 Tracker that was always triggering idiot lights. Since I've had the Intrepid, I only had the check engine light come on once, in late 2007. And it went away after a few weeks.
We are going to take a look at another car on Friday. 2008 Taurus with 18000 miles. Salesman called me to say they are cutting all the prices for the "big sale". We shall see.
Nah, I haven't done much of anything yet. I think I'm just going to hang tight until I have the insurance money in my hand and my current Trep is towed away and out of my hair.
Yesterday though, before heading off for the family thanksgiving festivities, I stopped off at a local used car lot that had a 1991 Caprice for sale. It's listed on their website for $3995, but no pics. Well, it didn't look too bad in the rain, except for the fact that it had four Oldsmobile hubcaps on it, that looked like they might've come off of a low-level early 80's Delta 88. Dealer was closed but the car was unlocked. I sat in it, and was really disappointed. I like big cars, but this one just seemed big in all the wrong places. My Trep probably has more legroom, both front and rear, and my head brushed the ceiling in back. Still, I could get comfortable in it, but I just thought it would be bigger inside! However, the interior was also a bit trashy. And I had forgotten how bad GM was starting to make their interiors around that time, with all the cheap hard plastic, knobs and buttons that look like they were made by Playskool, etc. If I could get it for $1500 I'd be tempted, as it's inspected, at least.
I really don't NEED another car anytime soon, as I do have my old '79 5th Ave and '85 Silverado to fall back on. And while that 2000 ES is a tempting car, I'm starting to think that maybe it's just time to experience something different. I'm going to miss mine once it's finally gone, though. Maybe I'll pry the emblem off the fascia, just to have a memento.
Trun ignition key on and the engine starts, but the instrument guages are inop. The transmision goes into "limp mode" that the gauges start working and everything is fine.
I'm gonna miss that car, though. Only car I've ever bought new. And when I bought it, it was sort of a symbol of a turning point in my life. I had gone through a bad divorce in '96 that left me pretty bad in debt. But I was able to turn that around, got it paid off in 2 1/2 years, was able to refinance my home to a much lower rate in summer of '99, and by November '99, my credit was good enough that I qualified for Chrysler's 0.9 financing. Final reading on the odometer was 150,351, and I had it for 10 years, 1 month, and two days.
Still no idea on what I'm going to replace it with. The 2000 Intrepid ES I had found for sale online has sold. I was attracted to it, but after 10 years figured maybe it's time to try something a bit different. Today I found a 2000 Bonneville SE with leather, sunroof, alloys, etc, white, 65000 miles, for $4734. I might go check it out on Thursday. In a twisted sort of way, maybe that would be appropriate, as I thought of the Bonneville as the Intrepid's closest competitor.
Has anyone else heard of this or have any suggestions?
Well, this must make me about the last survivor from the days when this forum was full of people talking about their new Intrepids. I think one of the first posts I read here was about your car being broken into at some amusement park. Seems like just yesterday when my wife and came home with our new car. Hard to believe it was the low financing that actually had me test driving a Dodge. Dealer kicked in a couple hundred bucks and called it "0"% financing or something like that.
95000 miles on the old girl-drove home from work today doing 75-80 on the highway-and 0 regrets about the purchase so far.
Hey, I hope the buick works out for you as well as the Intrepid did.
I think my Intrepid handled better. This Park Ave bounces around a lot more than the Trep did, although it never feels unstable. And while it pretty much silences most of the smaller bumps in the road, it doesn't seem to handle the big ones any better than the Trep did. And when you consider the price points of the cars, I think the Intrepid's interior was a more valiant effort. Just little things, like the pop-out cupholder in the Trep versus this flimsy thing that folds out of the center armrest on the Park Ave. Or the Trep's bigger glovebox and deeper door pockets. Or even the trunk struts on the Trep, versus the mammoth, luggage-crunching gooseneck hinges on the Park Ave. Oh, and when you pop the Park Ave's trunk open, better make sure nobody's standing over it, because it'll knock them out as it flies open to a 90 degree angle. And you can't keep it down either, unless you totally close it. Great for rainy weather. :sick:
But, I'm nitpicking for the most part. It's still a nice car, and I'm happy with it so far. I just still miss my Intrepid!
desperate for help
I miss mine. It was just a base model, with the 2.7, but it was a good car, and the only brand-new car I've ever bought. It had about 150,000 miles on it when it got totaled.
Oh, as for the oil pressure light coming on, mine did that too. There's a TSB for it. In my case it was just some sensor that got too hot, and in some instances where it didn't get enough air flow, such as stopped at a traffic light, fully warmed up, it would flicker. Mine started doing it around 85-90,000 miles, I think.
The old girl just got her 115000 mile oil change. I put new fuel tank straps on last Nov. Still runs well. Starting to have a few minor rust spots that will need attention this Spring. I will need to replace the stabilizer arm bushings frt and rear, and new front brakes. Also need to get in the dashboard and replace the light bulbs....also drivers side rear door locking actuator needs done...All can wait until warmer weather comes. I use the Intrepid for a daily commuter now that my wife got a newer car. Average just under 30 mpg. I run the old girl extra in the winter-does very well in the snow, the heat/defroster is a lot better than in my regular commuter.
The roominess and auto trans also sorely missed when I drive my other car.
Still wish Chrysler had replaced the car with another FWD....
There is a grouding strap attached to the head under the driver side valve cover (see photo). The bottom half is rotted away and I can't see where it attached.
Can someone tell me where this ground went? Thanks.
Also, the reason I am under the car is there is a sporatic "clunk" (feels like it is under the floor/lower fire wall driver's side) when braking. This seems to happen regularly the first time you take the car out and brake moderately or hard. I also can sometimes make it happen when I back up quickly, or brake after backing up quickly.
I've been under the car. Not much rust or rot on this car for a 1997 in NE. All the ball joints, steering linkages engine and transmission mounts seem to be in good shape and tight, as do the axles and CV joints (rotational play is miniscule or non-existent, no "clicking sound when driving or turning). Connecting rods and bushings for the steering rack-and-pinion were replaced recently (this clunk happened before and after), as was the passanger side strut. Driver's side strut seems fine (looks like it may have been replace recently).
Any ideas on this clunking would also be apprieciated.
Tim
thanks
I still wish we could have bought a new one.
While he was at it, my mechanic also replaced the upper tie rod ends that had lost lubrication due to rubber boots surrounding them rotted by the high engine compartment temperatures, this at only four years of use. I ended up driving this car 129,000 miles and, because of the finicky engine design, will never own another Chrysler product. I had a 1999 Chrysler 300M ahead of this car, it being a big troublemaker due to transmission problems at 38,000 miles total.