advice/emotional support

This is pre-mourning, so I hope you'll understand the wordiness.

The '88 has 281K+
Engine has a low rpm miss, and struggles a little bit at interstate speeds.
Happier on the 2 lane, but clearly not "right".
All routine tune-up components are close to new.
Gets 20-22mpg. Always has. When I read of nato'ers getting 25-30 I can barely believe it. I make a 50 mi round trip commute, 20 is quite a bit less than I'd like to get.

Tail lights don't work. Fiddled with those enough that I'm ready to bite the bullet and pay someone to figure it out.
ABS light always on. No idea why.
Body's getting rough - DS rear fender especially. Also some rust spots on the external floorboard and PS fenderwell has me worried (strucurally), if not now, soon.

Been in the family since '90.
Been my DD for close to 10 yrs.
Quite a bit of BS&T through the years.
It's like I'm watching my childhood dog get old. I'm willing to take it to the vet but I don't know what good it will do.

The clearwater head looks enticing for ~$300, but if I were to do that and find out my problem is fuel/elec that'd really suck.

On the other hand - a little import with ~100K that does 30+mpg and a 1/4 mile in under a minute seems like an acceptable compromise these days.

It's OK, I feel your pain. Mine has been with me for 3.5 years and there is not a single part I have not modified or rebuilt, body included. I've met every goal I've ever had for the car, and sometimes you just need to move on.

Put her up for sale so the next generation can enjoy a TC, and find yourself a good commuter. I recommend a late Escort, Focus, or Cobalt.

As for me, I'll probably move on to an LS1 Firebird and an 83/84 TC. I haven't owned a four-eye in awhile and I just want a really nice stock TC for a bit.

I've had mine for going on 2 years, and it's been on the road maybe a total of a month, possibly 2 months. I keep getting asked "why do you throw good money after bad?" Well, I don't know why. I'm stubborn for one (Ask TSWART, he'll verify that :p ) and these cars are not getting any more common day by day. I can think of 2 other XR-7's I've seen, an 84 that sits and looks like crap ( trying to get the lady to sell it, she's not budging) and an 86 auto some teen had shortly after I got mine, and it's disappeared. I've seen 4 or 5 TC's in my town, 2 of which are sitting/parts cars, and 2 XR4-Ti's, one of which drives. So, I think, to be a "member" of an "exclusive" club, and to drive a car that no one really knows is worth the effort. Although, in my case more to own it than drive it, it seems, is enough for me.

You got almost 300K out of a car, that IMHO, was never designed with that in mind. You learned a lot along the way. You met some good, supportive people.
The car doesn't owe you anything. If it's getting to be a structural integrity issue, you need to take it off the road before you or someone else gets hurt. You can always get another one, you know they can last and they are still relatively cheap if you do a little looking.

Pete nailed it on the head. I'm looking forward to my next TC purchase.

What Pete and Mike said.

My 83 has been a bottomless hole for going on 20 years. None of my family understands it, neither do I. I'm at a do or die time on the car but even if it does run OK for another 100k there will be time in the future when I'll have to throw in the towel. I don't know what could possibly take it's place.

my heap is alot of fun...but it seems lately that i cant even TRAILER it to the strip and get it to last the night. its always something. i have about $6.5k in her, and while that could go much faster in another platform, id never switch. i love my heap, and ill never sell it. (couldnt anyways...)i have no use for a second bird, especially one that i have no history on. at least with the one i have, i know whats there. i know whats new, what works, and what doesnt.

keep that in mind guys. it takes a long time in a new car to get to where you were in the old one. even if you find a gem, theres always that issue you never seem to find, or the gremlin that keeps popping up. at least with your current bird, you know whats wrong, you just have to fix it. will you ever be done? no. but niether will anyone else who owns a car built before 1990. you either love your car, or you dont. we all have to make the choice. mines to stick with what i have, and be happy that i have the where with all to fix it up and have fun.

make your choice man, no one can make it for you. just keep in mind that even if you pigeonhole it for 5 years, and play with it later, we all would rather see that that, than see it turned into a beer can... :p

-J0N

Thanks guys.
It's just a matter of time now, and what the heck to do with my old beater. I have a single car garage, no yard to speak of...
No place to put it with a for sale sign on it - no value even if there WAS a spot. So...who knows??

I've got my eye on a highly modded '88 in good condition. Even with the one-way plane ticket and 800mi trip home it's still well within my price range, but the wife would have a fit if I go through with it.
There's also a nice looking slate blue '97 Olds Intrigue (yes, I said it) locally that is borderline "cool" looking, affordable, and would really please the boss.
Time will tell.

A 10 year old Olds you might be able to fix Vs. a car you know well, I'd take the car you can fix. Anybody I know gets a car serviced and a 1,000.00 bill comes with it. It used to be a hundred/$150 to get a car out of the "shop" now it is a grand! How much for a tune-up on the olds? There is a lot of value in a car you can maintain and repair yourself! And again the more they are modified the more maintainence and repairs that are required. Mine never had the valve cover off in 15 years and over 200,000 miles. Now I'm playing with it every weekend.
That was more than .02 worth.
<>.05
Mike C