Car repairs & nasty weather, need pixie dust!

[mommaU4]

Ugh. We are supposed to leave for WDW the day after Thanksgiving. We are driving there from MI so we took our mini-van in for a "check-up" to make sure it would make it.

Well, it will make it AFTER we do about $1200 of repairs! I don't even think the darn van is worth that much. And that's just what absolutely must be done before we go, not the complete list they gave us.

And the weather here is nasty!! DH is at Sam's Club right now getting our snow tires put on. Alot of other people had the same idea so there is a four hour wait. We got over a foot of snow accumulation on Wed. night and Thurs. was a snow day. Then last night it snowed all night long! Today we are under a lake effect snow warning and are going to get another accumulation of at least 8 inches. And next Fri, when we are supposed to leave, it's gonna be snowing. Have I mentioned how much I hate it here?


It's all hitting us at once. The snow, the cost of repairs, my DD's b-day is tomorrow so I have to plan a small family party for her, I have to finish shopping for the Thanksgiving dinner we're having here for about 26 people, and I haven't even thought about what to pack for WDW.

So what am I doing? Hiding out in my DH's computer room DISing and wishing I was already walking down mainstreet without a care in the world.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I just want to say, been there done that! Now it is just the 4 of us for Thanksgiving.

 

[MICKEY88]

wow, what repairs does the van need...???

 

[Chicago526]

At least you found out about the repairs before leaving, and not the hard way by breaking down on the side of a highway, halfway to FL!!!!

It might cost you less to rent a mini-van with unlimited miles for the week, and drive THAT down to FL. Just make sure you're allowed to take the rental out of state.

Good luck!!!

 

[mommaU4]

I know the thermostat, the radiator, the ignition wires, and the wheel cylinders were on the list. Exactly what needed to be done to those things.....I dunno. I'm not a car person so this stuf is all foreign to me.

We looked into a van rental but at the time we checked, it was going to be about $700 for the 12 days we'd need it.
We decided it would be better to take that money and invest it in any repair work the van needed, since it would have to be done eventually anyways. We just didn't know it would be that much and more!

But it's gotta be done and I'd rather do it now then take chances driving down. We're hoping my uncle who works on cars can do some of it cheaper. If I have one regret in life it's that I didn't study shop in school. Maybe I could fix my own car and wouldn't always be at the mercy of a mechanic.

Thanks for the thoughts guys. I know we'll be on our way soon enough.

 

[MICKEY88]

I know the thermostat, the radiator, the ignition wires, and the wheel cylinders were on the list. Exactly what needed to be done to those things.....I dunno. I'm not a car person so this stuf is all foreign to me.



Thanks for the thoughts guys. I know we'll be on our way soon enough.

wow...well thermostat and radiator are important, wouldn't want to overheat and cook your engine on the way to Florida,,

wheel cylinders very important..if they fail, you have no brakes......

ignition wires, if they are bad, weak spark =poor fuel economy...