Ok, I'm 17, parents just got me an 2003 Focus SVT for 11,800 with 47k miles. I messed up the clutch and fly wheel so its in the shop now($1100). They want to get rid of it for something simpler but I am telling them no. Any arguements I could tell them to persuade them not to try and sell it?
Parents want to get rid of my SVT
Optoson
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You'd have to be a little more specific, if that's possible. There are a lot of smells a car can make. Clutch is a pretty particular smell, but unless you've smelled it before and known what it was you might not know. If its just a vague burnt smell, there are a few things that can be too.
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you KNOW clutch.....dunno why, but you just know........especially if it lingers in the car for hours after.......like an airbag smell does.
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4,389 Posts
a clutch smells like burnt metal. If you've smelled it before you will recognize it.
What a concept!
Resale value is important "only if" you resell it. The only reason to resell a car is if you don't need one. If you have a car, keep it. They are meant to be driven, not to appreciate in value ( only really rare and high demand cars do that). So, if you own the thing, keep it. Take care of it. Drive it nice. It'll last a long time.[thumb]
Resale value is important "only if" you resell it. The only reason to resell a car is if you don't need one. If you have a car, keep it. They are meant to be driven, not to appreciate in value ( only really rare and high demand cars do that). So, if you own the thing, keep it. Take care of it. Drive it nice. It'll last a long time.[thumb]
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1,924 Posts
im glad you got to keep it-- my friends and parents have bitched at me for a couple of years trying to get me to get rid of my car because of the problems ive had in the past with my car and ford service department but i wont -- so stick to your guns---now i have hit a sweet spot with my car and its running like a champ--knock on wood[hihi]
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3,824 Posts
Tell'em it's a VERY limited car. Why get rid of it?
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1,924 Posts
trust me i told them all to shut the hell up--its my car its my money --and when my car is down or something i can always drive my gli--so its not like it inhibits my life or anything-- they just got sick of me bitching when it was broken--but its all good in the hood now-lol
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554 Posts
I work for a Hyundai dealership, and what we have people come in here all the time complaining about the clutches being faulty in the 6 speed Tiburons, wanting them replaced under warranty when the car was bought brand new and now they have like 12k miles on the odometer and the clutch and flywheel are toast. Then they say something really convincing like "I've been driving a manual transmission since I was 16". That still doesn't mean they know what they're doing. A lot of people who think they know how to drive a manual transmission car really don't. You can be slipping the clutch more than you think you are, and it has nothing to do with engine RPMs or how far down you push the clutch pedal.
$1100 for a clutch repair...
Your argument is one of economics.
Assuming the car is paid for, an $1100 repair translates to $91 dollars per month over the course of a year. Something tells me that you could afford that. Offer to pay them $100 per month to keep the car and that you want to pay for the repair. Even if the car is not paid for, add that $91 bucks to your current payment and it is undoubtably lower than a lot of monthly car payments.
If you trade the car in, I guarantee you that the depreciation on the car is much worse than $1100. So, you'll be losing money not once, but twice. $1100 to fix the car plus the amount of depreciation. By unloading the car, you and your parents could be losing as much as $3000. So, it's not hard to see the logic in keeping the car.
The most economical solution is to keep the car, get some more practice with the manual tranny.
Quick tips on practice (you can do this on your own). When you get the car back, find a parking lot and just start and stop. Maybe shift into 2nd gear, but focus (pardon the pun) on starting and stopping. What you are trying to do is instill muscle memory. I would guess that right now, you are concentrating on "Clutch in, gas, ease out on the clutch - STALL" or "Clutch in, gas, ease out on the clutch - what the hell is that smell!?!?!?!"
In a parking lot, there are no hills, no traffic, no other distractions to get you flustered.
Another thing you can do and I would be shocked if your parents said no is enroll in the Street Survival Program that is sponsored by a number of car clubs aroud the country. It will teach you more about how to drive the manual tranny and car control than you would ever get from the public system or from your parents.
Check out the web site: http://www.streetsurvival.org/streetsurvival/
It's a great program. I'm an instructor in the Northern VA area and it is the best $60 you'll ever spend.
Good luck and keep us posted on how it goes.
Your argument is one of economics.
Assuming the car is paid for, an $1100 repair translates to $91 dollars per month over the course of a year. Something tells me that you could afford that. Offer to pay them $100 per month to keep the car and that you want to pay for the repair. Even if the car is not paid for, add that $91 bucks to your current payment and it is undoubtably lower than a lot of monthly car payments.
If you trade the car in, I guarantee you that the depreciation on the car is much worse than $1100. So, you'll be losing money not once, but twice. $1100 to fix the car plus the amount of depreciation. By unloading the car, you and your parents could be losing as much as $3000. So, it's not hard to see the logic in keeping the car.
The most economical solution is to keep the car, get some more practice with the manual tranny.
Quick tips on practice (you can do this on your own). When you get the car back, find a parking lot and just start and stop. Maybe shift into 2nd gear, but focus (pardon the pun) on starting and stopping. What you are trying to do is instill muscle memory. I would guess that right now, you are concentrating on "Clutch in, gas, ease out on the clutch - STALL" or "Clutch in, gas, ease out on the clutch - what the hell is that smell!?!?!?!"
In a parking lot, there are no hills, no traffic, no other distractions to get you flustered.
Another thing you can do and I would be shocked if your parents said no is enroll in the Street Survival Program that is sponsored by a number of car clubs aroud the country. It will teach you more about how to drive the manual tranny and car control than you would ever get from the public system or from your parents.
Check out the web site: http://www.streetsurvival.org/streetsurvival/
It's a great program. I'm an instructor in the Northern VA area and it is the best $60 you'll ever spend.
Good luck and keep us posted on how it goes.
One other thing...
The TSB on the clutch repair only applies if the car is in within the first 12 months of the original warranty period.
I went down that path with Ford and was not happy.
I asked "Why issue a TSB DURING THE WARRANTY?!?!?"
Frustrating...
The TSB on the clutch repair only applies if the car is in within the first 12 months of the original warranty period.
I went down that path with Ford and was not happy.
I asked "Why issue a TSB DURING THE WARRANTY?!?!?"
Frustrating...
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1,173 Posts
You know...that street survival thing was interesting and i actually thought about attending. What made it even better was that there was a course in Edison so i'd be able to go easily. But then i read that it's only for licensed drivers 16-21 
Kinda sucks...lol
Kinda sucks...lolCheck with the local sponsoring club. Last year we had a couple of 23 year old students. I think the program is designed for HS and college aged kids. There is more flexibility than you think.
If you still can't get into the program, check out your local autocross. It's a great training ground.
If you still can't get into the program, check out your local autocross. It's a great training ground.
Hey guys, as of now, I'm keeping it [thumb]. I havent been smelling anything lately and I am still breaking it in to 1000 miles, I'm at alittle more then 500 atm. And yea I'm going to help pay for the bill, it turned out being $1500 for the new clutch and flywheel and checkup.
but yeah thanks for all the support, I'm keeping it
but yeah thanks for all the support, I'm keeping it
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3,824 Posts
Next time, talk to b16dir1991, that's mike, he can get you ford parts for CHEAP.
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