$500 Escort with Timing belt issue (engine)

[randomlikeme]

I sold that car in silver, three years ago, with the same problem for $300.... and I would ONLY sell it to a mechanic/some DIY'er who proved he could work on the car and knew what he'd be getting into....

so NO. you don't know what you're getting yourself into and seem to have no desire to learn.

[usafracer]

Chances are it dropped a valve seat and broke the belt and tore up the rest of the engine. VERY common problem on the fords!!!!

[pontiac59]

Don't buy a fixer-upper unless you're prepared to fix it up yourself.

My van was $700 and needed rear axle seals - which meant I needed a gasket and to replace a bolt inside the rearend, as they always break off. But because I could do that myself it cost me like $30 and it's been fine for the most part; last fall I drove it 1800 miles in a week without an issue.

This summer it's had a lot of piddling little problems. But I've been able to handle all of them.


Engines with timing belts are often interference engines - this means that the valves can hit the pistons if they open at the wrong time - which basically makes the car junk when it's a $500 car.

[crestliner]

My first question is how long did it run after the timing belt was replaced and who did the work. That car could be worth 500 to the right person

[Rivertowntalk]

Looks used up, but maybe you could offer $200. Need to know if it will start. If the timing issue causes it not to start every now and then, it might be electrical. The ad says is has a new timing belt. Could be a cam position sensor, or something electrical like that. Might get hot and short out temporarily. If I were looking at it, I would scan for OBD II codes. With the hole in the radiator though, I would be very careful because it probably has been hot. I would look closely at the heads and for any signs that it has overheated. When it starts (if it starts), watch the exhaust for the smoke color. Never know, it may fire right up and he doesn't want to drive it because it quits and won't start until it cools down. My guess is that if it is undiagnosed, as noted, it may not even be a timing issue.

[X-Greensboro Resident]

Please buy it... It'll make your future posts a lot more interesting!

[don1945]

Yes, buy this one for sure ! You have finally found a gem and if you don't snap it up someone else is going to beat you to it. This car should last forever, and the little problems it has now are nothing, just add a can of Bars Leaks to the radiator and you will be driving in no time. That timing issue is NOTHING, probably just needs a battery charge.

So glad you finally found such a good car for $600. See, they are still out there !!!

Don

Please come back and tell us how it is going, we can't wait !! Even better, post pictures of you driving it !

[OIF VET]

$500 Escort, damn she must do everything including Greek and Creampies

[don1945]

I really hope he pulls the trigger on this one and buys it. It will open up a whole new series of threads that this person can post about:

My garage wants $800 to fix the timing belt on my $600 car, is that correct ?

I got my new car fixed and it wouldn't start this morning, what could be wrong ?

The city just ticketed me for leaving my broken down $600 car on the street, is that ok ?

The city just towed away my $600 abandoned car and now they want $400 to get it back.

The city is suing me because I haven't picked up my abandoned car from the storage lot, what can I do ?

My drivers license has been revoked because I didn't pay my fines on my $600 car, can that be fixed ?

I am looking at bicycles on Craigs List, since I have no drivers license, is one brand better than the others ?

Is it better to commute via bus or train ?



Yes, yes, this could open up a whole new series of inquiries by this person. I can't wait !!

Don

[RomaniGypsy]

Mandle, if you can't figure out for yourself whether or not that $500 car is a good deal for you, you have no business buying a $500 car.

Take it from one who knows. I've bought some very cheap beater cars before. I got a 1987 Dodge van for free, a 1979 Buick Riviera for $50, a 1976 Oldsmobile 98 for $100, a 1981 Cadillac Coupe DeVille for $490, a 1985 Buick LeSabre for $750, a 1967 Buick Skylark convertible for $800, etc. I've had many years of experience with cheap beater cars.

And I can assure you that if you don't know what to look for, those cheap beater cars are going to eat your lunch and bankrupt you at the same time. Even I have learned some things along the way. I bought a 1982 Dodge Ram truck for $1,000 and it seemed to be fine when I test-drove it... 50 miles later, the transmission locked up in 2nd gear and I had to get it rebuilt.

I turned down many more old beater cars than I bought, because I knew there'd be issues. The fact that you have to ask people on an automotive forum about whether or not your latest $500 Craigslist find would be a good car means that you are exactly the kind of person who should not be buying these cars. Go to one of those "buy here pay here" places, put $500 down on a $5,000 car, and make the monthly payments. If you you only have $500 that you can use to buy a car right now, and you can't afford $100-200 per month for a car payment, you also won't be able to afford the inevitable repair costs associated with $500 beater cars even if you can do the work yourself (which it seems you cannot). Therefore, I'm with the other people on this thread who say "get a bike" or "use public transportation".