I need serious advice on what to do with my 01 Civic, I really need to move on
 

This has gotten beyond ridiculous...I need to put this nightmare behind me once and for all. I have never in my life been so stressed out or obsessed about this. I just cant take it anymore, only thing is its going to be impossible to sell a car with a rebuilt title right? So am I better off selling it for parts? Ive already wasted so much money on this piece of crap that i really dont wanna pay for an auto to manual swap cause the thing is already 10yrs old and has 150k km on it. Even though it pretty much has new brakes, rims, winter tires, all seasons, high output alternator, struts, etc. The list goes on and on!

I know everyone will say just drive it till it dies...the thing is, im not even enjoying driving this thing. I dont feel safe in it, im aalways all stressed out just thinking and looking at my car. Just thinking about this car just makes me outraged. This is not what having a car should be about. I cannot take it anymore. Ive only had this car for 14 months now and its really depressing because when i bought it, i was intending on keeping and cherishing it for as long i could, till it dies. I just cant take this stress anymore.

If I went to a dealer tommorow would they even accept it as trade in? I really dont wanna have to part it out cause it would be an extremely long and stressfull process. Any other alternatives? I really would like to get rid of this nightmare once and for all and move onto another car, prefer different make. Most likely Nissan or Toyota.

Ideally I dont want another civic to be honest but i could live with it, the thing is, (though i could probably manage to convince my family eventually that i got a new car)...ideally the best thing to do would be to get another car of the same kind, same colour, etc....and they wouldnt be able to tell.

I see a used 04 MT Civic locally with only 105k km on it for $6500obo. I could go check that out, buy it and just move my upgrades (like deck, amp) to new car and redo stuff like tinted windows.

If I could, i would just go to the dealer tommorow and buy a used car off the lot but i would have to finance it with monthly payments.

So would you go buy another civic that looks just like mine and move and redo the mods?

Or lease/finance a different car and do god knows what with this one

Or drop another couple grand into it to have it converted to MT?

Seriously though this is my first car and its been the biggest nightmare of my life. Honestly i have so much frustration and anger built inside me right now i almost wanna drive this piece of garbage off a bridge just to forget about it.

Re: I need serious advice on what to do with my 01 Civic, I really need to move on
 

I think you need to make the decision for yourself, because the majority of us own 7th gens and aren't having mental break downs as a result. The problem isn't the car, it's you obsessing over the car.

Re: I need serious advice on what to do with my 01 Civic, I really need to move on
 

read my reply in the other thread. people sell all sorts of titles all the time including flood and fire damaged. if the car runs, someone will buy it. any dealer will make you an offer on the spot. but your thinking is flawed if you believe a new car will solve your problems. it could be even worse than what you have now. you want serious advice, here is mine. sell the car private party AS IS and pocket the money. put it in the bank, cancel your car insurance. take a break from cars and see if you really actually need one to function. my guess is you dont. if you do decide you later need transportation to be happy, there are many alternatives available.

Re: I need serious advice on what to do with my 01 Civic, I really need to move on
 

Never have I seen someone so worked up over a car. In all honesty, I think there is something else causing you to feel the way you do.

Re: I need serious advice on what to do with my 01 Civic, I really need to move on
 

If you're done with the car, can afford car payments...and don't enjoy riding it anymore see how much you can sell it for. Move on to something you like. Honestly, if you get the same exact car....you'll eventually feel the same. You can try to part it out as well if you can't sell it. At least get some money out of it.

Re: I need serious advice on what to do with my 01 Civic, I really need to move on
 

Yes i know its me obsessing over my car which is not normal at all. Im even seeing counselling about this (have been for 3 weeks now...govt paid counselling of course). I think i need to see this from a mental issue and make a decision.

I checked it out and good advice but coming from someone (me) whos this is his first car, im almost 31 (yes im very embarassed to not own a car til i was 29)....and years and years of taking the bus, I couldnt live without a car. if I lived in NYC or some overly populated city sure easily but not here. I remember just 14 months ago, how excited i was when i bought it, the night before i couldnt sleep, i was so excited...it felt like yesterday. Just 14 months later and what the hell has changed...

Ya I have a lot of personal issues going on right now and have been for years (hence why im now seeing professional counselling).

Well i definitely cant afford to buy another car cash thats forsure, id have to lease or finance it. Even then ill have to call around to see what my rates would be. Im not currently working right now and have been unemployed for 3 weeks now.

Re: I need serious advice on what to do with my 01 Civic, I really need to move on
 

edited

Re: I need serious advice on what to do with my 01 Civic, I really need to move on
 

29 yrs without a car and now suddenly you cant be without one? holy crap that is the most amazing thing ive read on this forum. congrats to you. now im really convinced you dont need a car. werent you much happier before?

Re: I need serious advice on what to do with my 01 Civic, I really need to move on
 

In a way less stressed but happier without a car? no, cause i had no mobility and always getting people to drive me around sucked and felt like i was still 16. I was 29 for crying out loud and ha dad driving me to go get lunch or run errands...ya not exactly attractive to the girls. No need to remind me, 29yrs old to get my first car...I know thats pathetic. I dont tell just anyone that, definitely not anyone in person outside of family. Try going out on dates when you dont drive, try meeting with professional clients without a car, not exactly fun. I kept getting hassled for years from outside family when i was going to get a car.

Re: I need serious advice on what to do with my 01 Civic, I really need to move on
 

Re: I need serious advice on what to do with my 01 Civic, I really need to move on
 

Don't forget, it also gets extremely cold in Alberta, for a few weeks last year it was actually colder than the Arctic poles. Taking a bus during the winter in that climate is tough.

Re: I need serious advice on what to do with my 01 Civic, I really need to move on
 

You shouldn't worry too much about being 30 and just owning your first car. It to each on his own. Some are financially secure earlier or later in life than others. Nothing to embarrassed about. Can't worry too much about what other think or say. Only you can make yourself happy. Take care of yourself first and be happy with yourself.

If you can get around with a car for now sell it or part it out for money towards the next ride.

Re: I need serious advice on what to do with my 01 Civic, I really need to move on
 

out of subject, i know, and out of curiosity - what did ya do for a living? just curious, not being harsh or anything

PS: don't go to too much details in the net (advice)

edited: saw yer edit now

Re: I need serious advice on what to do with my 01 Civic, I really need to move on
 

my post wasnt sarcasm btw. i know plenty of people without cars and they are very happy. if you think like you need a car to fit in, that is really bad. i sure wouldnt want a girl that only went out with me because i had a car. how shallow can you get. 29 yrs without a car is a huge positive in my book and people should be asking about how you did it. the bottom line is you need a car to get places. work, store, etc. but if you can get to those places without a car, then you never really needed one in the first place.

here is another idea. you can rent cars when you need one to go out or do stuff. there are really good prices if you know where to look and there is no burden at all other than filling gas in. and you get to drive something different all the time.

Re: I need serious advice on what to do with my 01 Civic, I really need to move on
 

The only thing is, i just dont know if i could mustard the courage to do it because it would be incredibly selfish of me after owning it for only 14 months and also dropping about $11k into the car so selling it, i would just lose way too much and my family would be so pissed. Words couldnt even describe how upset they would be. Remember, my parents are still pissed i still havent fully paid off credit card balance yet (still owe about $3500).

I wont be going carless again. Pretty hard to be in your 30s living close to city limits without a car.


Well right now im unemployed. Even when i do im pretty much a paycheque to paycheque person cause i work pretty much dead end mediocre paying jobs.

Re: I need serious advice on what to do with my 01 Civic, I really need to move on
 

Your decision.If it's stressing you out this much,think of the positives that come without a car,but the negatives without a car.Decide which negative you'd rather live with.29 years without a car?That's a good thing,less pollution.

Re: I need serious advice on what to do with my 01 Civic, I really need to move on
 

anyway the simplest way of dealing with problems in life, at least for me, is to ask yourself what are my options. when you are deep into a problem, the only way out is a resolving decision. lay out your viable options, and choose one. that ends the problem. for example lets say my tire blew out. i cant just leave it flat because its a problem and needs to be fixed. so my options are either get the tire repaired or buy a new one. i decide to get it repaired, and problem solved. you cannot let yourself get caught up with petty problems when there is so much out there besides a car. it is, in the end, just a machine like a computer or a refrigerator.

Re: I need serious advice on what to do with my 01 Civic, I really need to move on
 

I believe the main issue here is that you look at ur car and wonder how others percieve you my friend... Its not a bmw or audi but its sure as hell better than a friggin geo metro and even better than driving nothing. 31 and driving a civic, so what? I got a 30 min drive everyday to work (yes one way only) and I see people driving all kinds of cars. Some of them im scared to follow closely cuz theyre exhaust might fall off. Then I see the same people coming in the bar on their lunch break in a suit and they have bank of america id tags. My point is dude be happy with what you have, a car doesnt define who u r at all. The end :D

Re: I need serious advice on what to do with my 01 Civic, I really need to move on
 

31 and driving a Civic?So what,there are members here over 30 that drive it and love it! (Sorry guys bwahaha). Probably feels pressured that he needs a car since a lot of people have cars and doesn't wanna be in that percent that don't.Doesn't matter what you drive.I drive a BMW and feel no different.People don't look at me differently.

Re: I need serious advice on what to do with my 01 Civic, I really need to move on
 

Realistically i should only have one option and thats to not let this get to me. When things bother me, they stick on my mind too well (yes to the obsessive level), and then it affects and disrupts my everyday life. But today, tonight i think is just the boiling point that i reached. I need to calm down and try to get my thoughts together.

Re: I need serious advice on what to do with my 01 Civic, I really need to move on
 

What are the problems with the car? The throttle issue? I know cars can be frustrating as hell but you will figure it out, we've all been there. These cars are very easy to work on although they can be a pain to troubleshoot.

You said you'd do a MT swap, is the auto trans your big worry? I have a 2005 5-speed that's had a noisy ISB (transmission bearing) for 12,000 miles now. It doesn't worry me, it's just something I have to take care of. Older cars are rarely perfect, that doesn't mean they aren't safe.

I love my car, have owned it for 7 years and driven 123,000 miles and it's been a fantastic car. I too have dumped a bunch of cash into the car in the past 6 months because things have needed replaced, I don't look at the car like its a POS, it's just time catching up with it, that's why people buy new cars. I'm sure if you owned the car since it was new you would think differently.

Re: I need serious advice on what to do with my 01 Civic, I really need to move on
 

Wait I'm missing something though?Mind explaining me why you dislike this car?

Re: I need serious advice on what to do with my 01 Civic, I really need to move on
 

I completely agree, as long as it get's u from A to C ( B is when u stop and kick it with some people or get some food/drinks :D)

Re: I need serious advice on what to do with my 01 Civic, I really need to move on
 

Holy cow!! You dropped 11k on the car?!? Yikes!

I guess right now...ifyou feel as if you're stuck with it...at least for now until you get back on your feet financially, work on getting the car safe enough to get you from point a to point b. Sell some of you aftermarket parts and use that money to fix it for safety. Te last thing on your mind should be trying to convert it into a manual trans.

Re: I need serious advice on what to do with my 01 Civic, I really need to move on
 

that shouldnt make you feel bad. i havent had a job that lasted more than 6 months since i finished grad school in 2008. dont blame yourself for that when nobody is hiring. im about to go apply to mcdonalds again. last time they turned me down cause they had too many people. ive had my civic for 10 yrs and im 31 yrs old now. will prolly keep it until the trans blows up and deal with it when that happens. who cares what you drive, i see people of all ages driving civics including middle aged men and older ladies. it wouldnt be a best selling car if everyone thought it sucked and they were too old for it. if you do feel like you are unhappy, think of all the people out there in the millions who have it much worse. they will never own a car their entire life, they will not have a place to live, no food, they have to drink water from public water fountains to stay alive. some are already dead because of cancer or other disease when they were 20 yrs old. you only get one life. once its over, thats it. nobody will care what you did, who you were, how much money you had, or what material things you collected. so you might as well enjoy it while you can instead of wasting time worrying about car problems. now get out there and be the best civicnoobie you can be.

Re: I need serious advice on what to do with my 01 Civic, I really need to move on
 

^ Effing standing ovation for you.That was the best thing I ever read on this forum.No joke

Re: I need serious advice on what to do with my 01 Civic, I really need to move on
 

Calm down, get your thoughts together.

To your credit, you've come a long way since joining the site in terms of general car knowledge and the ability to handle stuff. I've definitely noticed it and you should be proud of that man, a lot of people are completely car illiterate for their entire lives.

Re: I need serious advice on what to do with my 01 Civic, I really need to move on
 

Thinking about it tonight and past few days, its just the fact that ive wasted (not spent but wasted) so much money on a 10 yr old car and for the most part ive gotten no benefit out of it. Its literally money down the drain. And i cant go back time, so im having a really tough time accepting my mistakes. Like...

- regret not getting MT. I Drive like a grandma now, but Will have to drive like a turtle now barely pressing the gas for the rest of the time i own this car. Im just so upset about this i just wanna go smash my car right now it makes me so mad.

- too many sqeaks with the cars body and it just feels cheap

- wish i never got introduced to drum brakes, theyre nothing but a pain. Ive wasted so much on rear suspension work its very upsetting. Ive pretty much replaced the entire suspension on the car..

All this could have been put towards a newer car in the first place. But i was not expecting to spend this much when i bought this car.

Re: I need serious advice on what to do with my 01 Civic, I really need to move on
 

i feel the same way, and so do many others. i've had paint flake off the roof that i rattle canned so it wouldnt rust. the fender started coming apart, my sideskirts are two bolts away from falling off, the trans is about to blow, and the suspension needs an overhaul. while i would love to throw another $10k into it for a new paint job and parts, its not realistic. what if you try to make it new again and the engine blows, or something else goes wrong. the golden rule with cars is, fix as little as possible and never replace something unless it breaks. cars get old and fall apart. there is no stopping it and its not even worth thinking about. i used to get pissed when i found door dings, but as soon as i had the door fixed, the same thing would happen. so i stopped caring. there is only so much you can do to keep a car looking nice. give it a wash and wax, then call it a day. i think if you find other things to occupy your time, you will find yourself worrying less about the car.

Re: I need serious advice on what to do with my 01 Civic, I really need to move on
 

main things to ponder:
right now - 11k last year of ownership.
future - how much can you hold yerself to not to spend on it?
if it seems not possible, think on yer parents. would they take 11k a year?
it the math does not seems too good, then get remove the parts you swapped and still have them in someplace, sell them. then sell the car.
will you regret? most likely so. will it be better for the future? yes.
all is the final math that counts. that's what you need to focus. family and future. not the image of driving a car, which in the end does not account for much. many had their cars lost in accidents - they moved forward. look forward. keep in mind the past to avoid past mistakes, but never forget looking forward. (end - got too cocky fer a day)

Re: I need serious advice on what to do with my 01 Civic, I really need to move on
 

Yes because i put alot of stupid crap on it like overpriced sound system, dynamated trunk, HIDs, rims, etc. It was all a waste of money and pointless. The rims i got a good deal on but still, it was exciting for a week but now, over time the lust wears off and you realize its all pointless.

That is true and that is why i wasnt able to buy my first car til sept of last year. Cause my career never really took off, and still hasmt really....like how most peoples careers do. In my 30s and working dead end jobs *sigh*

Re: I need serious advice on what to do with my 01 Civic, I really need to move on
 

i do not even want to think about how much wasted money ive thrown into this car for parts, many of which are not even on the car anymore! you can look at something and think what a waste it was, or you can look at it and realize how much you gained from it. while i easily threw away thousands on experimenting with parts, i gained priceless knowledge that would never have been learned without spending the money. i dont think i would even be on this forum if i kept the car stock. there is no value that can be placed on the experience you gain, and that is how you should look at it.

Re: I need serious advice on what to do with my 01 Civic, I really need to move on
 

In perspective though, those are all pretty minor mistake to have made..

You can't imagine the money and years of my life I wasted after one big mistake, I think about it everyday and it bothers me, but I look forward and focus on rectifying those mistakes. I also need to remind myself, that at the time, I was completely confident the decision was the correct one.

On things like the rims and tint, the money's gone, but if you use those mods to help you enjoy the car and lessen the urge to buy something brand new and spend much more money then it wasn't wasted. Imagine how you would feel $20k in debt, because you bought yourself a new car. It would be the same situation as your in now, just with even more money involved.

Re: I need serious advice on what to do with my 01 Civic, I really need to move on
 

I have a friend who is 25 and drives an 01 civic as well and thinks the exact same way as you, which i wish i could do. Hes always had rough idle, some electrical problems and just last month a minivan driver rammed their door into his and left a really deep dent into his door. Sure he doesnt like any of it but at the end of the day, hes living with it cause from what he told me its just not worth dropping money into an old car. But he also said he wants to get another car next year so hes literally put nothing into the car since he bought it 2yrs ago. He needs new tires as his are on 30 tread but he doesnt even want to drop money on new tires.


Ive had an ad up for my sub, amp and amp kit but even that id barely get anything for it. Car audio stuff loses its value very very fast. HIDs i find were worth it, my stock rims i sold amd got pretty good money for them considering they were banged up.

Re: I need serious advice on what to do with my 01 Civic, I really need to move on
 

You guys are making me reconsider buying these si rims. 500 bucks with tires and now im skeptical. What happened to never ending projects? Don't give up fellas, cars are an expensove hobby but thats why were gear heads ;)

Re: I need serious advice on what to do with my 01 Civic, I really need to move on
 

What i should have done was not buy a used car but lease one, then i could just hand it back and get a differemt car. When i bought this car, i was seeing it as what i paid for it, a 5k car, maybe bit more but definitely didnt want to blow double that cause i would have just got a newer car. I could have a 8th gen civic for what i spent on mine now. Makes me so upset.


Remote starter, tint, deck, HIDs were worth the money as im happy i spent money on them.

Alarm (but i had no choice as i wanted keyless entry), overpriced sub and overpriced amp, overpriced dynamt, overpriced amp kit and install, hood deflector (which i ended up trashing anyways cause it cracked), werent worth it. $120 for a hood deflector pppffff.

BUT!!!!

The one that really and i mean really makes me upset is the 4 month old tranny that was just put in last july. I AM SO UPSET ABOUT THIS!

Not saying im gonna do it, but I bet you if i took my car to honda tommorow and asked for trade value, they would just have to look at its rebuilt title, sound deadened trunk, tint amd laugh at me.

Re: I need serious advice on what to do with my 01 Civic, I really need to move on
 

But man, the eighth gen would have needed a lot of the same maintenance you've put into the seventh gen, the parts you needed to replace wear out on every car.

If you leased a new car, you would have been spending $3-4k a year in payments, and if you didn't buy out the lease you'd have nothing to show for it.

Re: I need serious advice on what to do with my 01 Civic, I really need to move on
 

yep - i keep 2k for every car safety margin for the chances that something could happen. never bought a car if not in cash either. never actually passed that limit either. Not gonna spend on things i don't need to - i will need the safety for when things get awry, including my house.
and leases are not that easy either to deal with

Re: I need serious advice on what to do with my 01 Civic, I really need to move on
 

Live and learn.

If every single decision you made was the right one, you'd be a billionaire. Everyone makes mistakes, many of them are financial, you just need to look forwards not backwards. The 04 tranny sounds like it's in good shape, so I wouldn't consider that a poor decision.

Re: I need serious advice on what to do with my 01 Civic, I really need to move on
 

ur alright in my book civicnoobie/carnoobie.... you are sure persistent as hell, ill give you that.

Re: I need serious advice on what to do with my 01 Civic, I really need to move on
 

Well the bad thing about buying an older car is that youre at higher risk to have to replace parts like ball joints, bushings, due to the cars age. Ive replaced the front engine mount, both front LCA bushings and one ball joint. Oh and a rear camber arm. If i bought a newer car and had warranty, the warranty itself would have covered all this. But too late now.

The trans im not happy about at all. Not happy ill have to alter my driving habits from now on and go out of my way to take extra precautions when driving. Its really sad how much i watch and Closely monitor my odometer. I should be more focused on the road.


When i bought the car i was just too caught up in excitement finally owning my first car and wanted to razzle dazzle it with gadgets. Well now im past that, and couldnt care less about stuff like my painted calipers or drums. My next car i definitely wont be spending this much on mods.

Re: I need serious advice on what to do with my 01 Civic, I really need to move on
 

i don't think you realise how many people are in the same boat as you.

Re: I need serious advice on what to do with my 01 Civic, I really need to move on
 

but in the first three years you'd loose $15k in depreciation on a Civic, you spend the money either way, and with a new car it ends up being much more.

My civic was $33k brand new, I have the original invoice in my glove box. Crazy eh

Re: I need serious advice on what to do with my 01 Civic, I really need to move on
 

That could be true. I think the average driver doesnt care about their car as long as it runs. For instance of everyone i know, not one single person ever changes their brake fluid or power steering fluid or do a coolant flush in any of their cars. they dont even check the levels from time to time. And everyone in my family drives New audis, lexus, bmw, mercedez. All they do is fill up gas, get oil changes and wash the car once a month if that.

My sisters old rav4, the brakes got destoryed because she never once got her rotors changed in the 7yrs she had the car. She drove that poor thing into the ground, she never once changed her brake fluid, coolant or any fluid aside from windshield and oil changes she had done once a year, changing the filter every 2 years.


Ya i guess new is still more expensive. The best benefit though IMO is warranty from the dealer. My honda dealer here charges $900 for front strut job! Even if its a used 3yr old car, dealers will never negotiate as low as a private seller.

Re: I need serious advice on what to do with my 01 Civic, I really need to move on
 

thats why there's forums like this to teach and encourage people to do there own work. when i first got into hondas i only knew how to change my oil the rest i learned from forums like this.

Re: I need serious advice on what to do with my 01 Civic, I really need to move on
 

Hang in there 'Noob. I've had my share of hard times, I'm older and I still drive a Civic.

About 5 years ago, I was unemployed, going through a divorce, forclosure procedings, slept on a friend's couch when I could and didn't have a penny to my name (for three straight months). All I had were the clothes on my back and the flip flops on my feet. I lost everything. Showered at the gym and dried off under the hand dryer, because I didn't have a towel. I lost my car because my ex "took possesion of it". I walked everywhere. I couldn't afford public transportaion. I even used a scooter to get around, not the motorized one either. Times were tough, but I kept my head up. A buddy always reminded me that even though I didn't have shoes on my feet, there were people out there still less fortunate than me. Even though I had no shoes, what do you tell the guy with no legs?

Moral of the story? I got though it. It was rough, yes. My family is very well to do, and I felt embarrassed at times, but I never got down on myself. I always saw the glass as half full. I had to start from the bottom again after my divorce. Found a job. Re-finaced my house. Got my Civic back. I worked on my car, as therapy. It was a wreck when I got it back from my ex. She thrashed it to spite me. Rear bumper was hanging off. Tranny was shot. Interior was a wreck. My car was immaculate before she got a hold of it. One problem after another kept popping up with the car. Fixed them one at a time. I held on to it because it was paid for. I couldn't afford to buy a new car, nor could I finance another because my credit was shot. I had transportation from A to B - and it didn't involve walking. That's how I kept it in perspective. You have a car, not perfect, but it's yours. You went though a phase trying to fix it up. Now you're over it. Lesson learned. As it was mentioned before, put aside some money for those unforseen emegencies, car or life. Nothing guarantees the grass will be greener with a newer car, house, job, etc. You're dealt certain hands in life, it's how you play it from there. You can't win by folding. Sorry for all the cliche's.

Stay strong.

Re: I need serious advice on what to do with my 01 Civic, I really need to move on
 

To answer the original question about what to do with your Civic, my advice would be nothing. Normally I tell people (especially my kids) to turn the radio down and listen to the car, in your case I'm going to say turn the radio up and ignore the car. I have followed many of your threads and you spend way too much time and money chasing problems that may not exist. Cars behave differently at different times and you don't have to chase down every little quirk.
For example, I have a Camry that when I stop after driving on the highway, the first shift will sometimes flare. It has done this since new and it used to bother me but I realized it didn't hurt anything and trying to fix it may cause more problems than it solved.
I realize that you are frustrated at the moment but I think the best thing for you would be to impose a 30 day "cooling off period" on any car decision that is not a critical safety issue (such as brakes). Very little money that you spend on a car will increase it's value. Money spent on routine upkeep is expected and most modifications hurt resale value.

Re: I need serious advice on what to do with my 01 Civic, I really need to move on
 

I did not read the entire thread but it seems to me you have other issues going on with your life than just your car. First off you say that you don't want to piss off your family by selling your car, really dude its your car bro you can do what ever you want with it burn it if makes you happy. You need to man up and take charge off life and stop thinking about otherson opinion even before you do something. Did your sister, uncle, or other members of your family discuss with you that there going to drop 30 or 40k on a car cash. Probably not so you need to stop feeling sorry for your self cuz self pity is not the way to deal with it.

I am no therapist but you need to dig deeper to find out what is really bothering you. You need someone to help you figure it out maybey a therapist.

I went through something similar about three weeks ago. I have been feeling unhappy since about 8 to 10 years ago. I allways felt angry, tired, depressed even. I did not have any feeling in me anymore. Well long story short I talked to a client off mine(fixed his computer remotely) I can't even remember how it started but I opened up to him like I have never done in my life. I talked to.him about the problems my brothers and I had with my father when we where growing up how it affected us and my mother and how my mother have been so distant from me emotionally.

Turns out I needed to for give my father because he had a rough childhood as well but did not know I guess he did how to brake the vicious cycle or figured did not do anything wrong. Any way after trying to kill my inner demons I am feeling a lot better know. I feel happy, I can kiss and hug my mother after all this years.

Any way yea I think if you start to be honest with your self and look inside you to see what's really bothering you your never going to be happy. You can use your car as the source of your stress but how long will that help you if any. People have different ways to cope with there emotional stress yours might be working on your car. Hope.you can work your problems out bro a really do.

Re: I need serious advice on what to do with my 01 Civic, I really need to move on
 

Thanks. Thats exactly the shoes im in. I cant afford a new car cause im still paying off the upgrades and repairs on my current one. The car itself i paid off long ago but its the extra junk that im still paying off.

I cant finance a car period not because my credit is shot but because its currently in the rebuilding phase. I filed for bankruptcy 3years ago and about 2 years ago i cleared and thats when i started rebuilding my credit. If i was to walk into a dealer right now and sign up for financing i would most likely get rejected because i havent allowed enough time for my credit to rebuild. I know worse comes to worst i could go to one of those used lots that have the "no credit, bad credit, everyone approved" sorta thing, but im always skeptical of those places. Theyre alot more flexible in financing a car to people like me with rebuilding credit, but there has to be a catch to it.


I thought about it long and hard today, took a few looks at a couple dealerships in my area on their used car stock. I see 8th gen used civics with MT (what i want) in the 14-16k range, I see used 05+ Toyota Yaris's in the 12k-14k range and I see used Camrys and Altimas in the 14-18k range. Even if I was to buy say a Yaris for 12-14k, I factor in, the fact I need to 1) get it inspected 2) do research on it to be aware of current problems with the cars line 3) when i get the car, all the maintenance that ive done just recently to my civic (brake fluid flush, coolant flush, power steering flush, atf change, oil change, air filter change, cabin filter change, spark plugs, 4 wheel alignment, etc, I just had this ALL done to my civic within the past 3 months!)...I would then have to re-do it all on the new car. And maybe even stuff like new struts, new brakes, new alignment. Even my struts are only a few months old and theyre KYB-GR2s! I have done a crap load of routine maintenance on my civic now.

And not only that, but it gets even worse...on the new car theres a few current mods thats i have now that I would want on the new car. My windows tinted, so I would have to pay to have the new cars windows tinted. I would want my current deck in the new car, i would have to take it all apart and install in new car. Same with speakers...chances are my current speakers wont even fit in the new car so i would have to buy all new speakers! I would also want HIDs again so id have to pay for that again plus my buddy to install. I would want remote starter, same thing...have to rebuy and pay to reinstall. Uhhhhhh. I know all these mods like tinted windows and HIDs are fairly inexpensive...but it all adds up fast.

So that 12-14k to finance a new car, would turn into more....probably at least a grand or two more when i add in all the new fluids, maintenance, and mods. I cant just afford to buy a new car on a loan and then drop all this money to have all this stuff redone.

If I was to sell my current car, no one is going to care or willing to pay more for a car because it has tinted windows or HIDs or 3M film on the hood, or a nice deck or upgraded high end speakers. Unless theyre a car buff themselve but even then i would still take a massive hit financially for what i put into it.

Here is the MAIN CULPRIT of my problem. The crappy auto trans on our 7th gen cars, this is no doubt in my mind the biggest regret ive made in my life. I just cant stop obsessing about it. Ever since I bought the car and couple months after finding out about them, this has been plastered into my mind 24/7. Theres not one day that goes by where i dont think about it. I used to have an 01 Auto trans on this car but i changed it out last July, not because it broke or failed on me (it still works and currently sitting in my basement), but because I had a few instances last winter where i felt it was signs of it acting up and going out and i didnt want to risk being stranded if it breaks. I just couldnt live with it so i swapped it out for an 04 trans off an Acura EL, less than 40,000km on it. It was 100% fine when i got the new trans installed, I cant tell you how relieved i felt, felt a huge massive weight off my shoulders.

Until couple months ago, same time when i installed a trans cooler and ext OEM trans filter on it and since then I now get a 200rpm flare when going from 3rd to 4th at around 2500 rpm...but any RPM higher or lower and no flare...THAT IS THE MAIN REASON IM SO UPSET AND WANT TO GIVE UP ON THE CAR! I first thought maybe i was running too small of a radiator hose going back from the cooler to the trans and was affecting line pressure so i have disconnected my trans cooler, the cooler is still mounted but not connected. I am literally paranoid to the extreme obsession level about my trans and this 3-4 flare. Ive already done the 3 drain and fills (actually 4 with the last just 3.5 weeks ago) with Honda DW1.

Im desperate im willing to do anything just to fix this and get this off my mind for good.

Infact I have been researching this 3-4 flare non stop every day for hours on end on this issue and still am!

if it wasnt for this issue, i wouldnt be so upset or obsessing about monitoring my RPM everytime i drive or wanting to get rid of the car. For instance right now i check my ATF every day, sometimes 3 or 4 times a day, it doesnt matter where I am. You dont know how retarded it looks when im checking my atf in a walmart parking lot in -20 weather or an empty church lot or on some random street in my neighbourhood. Everyone always asks me 'having car problems? need a boost?"...youre driving a honda, theyre suppose to be good reliable cars." Everyone on my block thinks theres something mentally wrong with me cause they drive by and every 2nd day they see that i have my hood popped open.

Re: I need serious advice on what to do with my 01 Civic, I really need to move on
 

There is a catch.

They'll finance you at 20%, it's like buying a car with a credit card, the amount of interest you'd pay to own the car would be equivalent to what you pay for insurance. Talk about burning money.