Piston Slap: But How Much Debt Makes the World Go 'round?

by Sajeev Mehta

Updated: May 16th, 2014 Published: February 6th, 2012

piston slap but how much debt makes the world go round

Sajeev writes:

Writing this Piston Slap during “the Big Game” is especially sweet for me, thanks to all of you. Last week’s plea for more content generated about 75 emails for your reading pleasure, which at the rate of 2 a week, means you will continue to enrich the lives of everyone who reads Piston Slap. Which makes me more proud than I can possibly convey in a short period of time. So let’s do this thing!

Mark writes:

I drive a 06 Civic sedan with about 138K on the clock. I only drive about 18 miles a day, and the car is in decent shape.

Some exterior flaws; scrape on the rear passenger wheelwell from my wife, a fist sized dent on the recently replaced hood from where I hit a deer. The struts seem to be going (ride is getting rough, I am assuming its the struts not something more sinister), the AC compressor died last summer, and the stereo is working on 3 speakers only for some reason not related to the connection at the speaker. Being a repressed, mid life crisis car guy I want to dump the thing and get something new with more bells and whistles. The wife thinks this is the dumbest idea I have ever had, and that the last thing we need is another car payment. All that said: what do you think? Should I bite the bullet and dump a few bucks into this car, or is it throwing good money after bad?

Sajeev answers:

I like your wife…no, not that way! Anyone who likes to limit their exposure to debt is a person after my own heart. That said, from investing in a college education to liar loans, debt does make the world go around. Question is, can you find a happy medium?

The answer is obvious: light up the credit card to Pimp ‘yo Ride, son!

You need new struts for sure: Koni, Bilstein, KYB (or whatever) performance dampers will make life more interesting. Or just get a complete spring/strut assembly, as they are (usually?) less labor to install and your coil springs are certainly not performing as they did when new. Find a set of Civic Si sway bars, they are significantly bigger and more hoon-worthy. Oh, and a strut tower brace and X-brace will help make an old car feel new and tighter than ever before. New (all season or summer) performance tires, maybe new wheels too. I’d go with those retro-70s concept car rims from the Hybrid model…so cool!

And obviously a replacement aftermarket stereo: four channel amp, decent drivers, and maybe the latest Navi-Sat-Traffic-iPod laden head unit. Fun!

I say this because I did just that; slapping on Fox 5.0 Mustang performance parts onto my Fox Mercury Cougar XR-7. That was almost 13 years ago. Now in need of more updating, I drove it into the ground once again. With a smile on my face, I might add. The Cougar kept me mobile while waiting for my custom-ordered Ford Ranger, leaky header gaskets, wandering steering, worn tires, flaky dashboard grounds (my bad) and something awfully stiff in the suspension didn’t hold me back. What’s my point?

I love my new vehicle, and you would too. But I’d never sell my RestoMod Cougar: it shall be fixed up once again to continue the journey…this time as just a weekend toy. And, believe it or not, I’d say the same darn thing about your future-modded Civic.

Send your queries to sajeev@thetruthaboutcars.com. Spare no details and ask for a speedy resolution if you’re in a hurry.

#2006Civic

Sajeev Mehta

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3 of 19 comments

Bumpy ii on Feb 06, 2012

18 miles a day? Fix up the Civic and trade it in on a Leaf (or maybe a Volt if you know you don't have to drive through the Lincoln Tunnel).

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- CJinSD on Feb 06, 2012
  
  So he should trade $80 a month gasoline bills for a $349 a month Leaf Lease payment plus a 20 to 50 dollar bump on his electric bill?
  
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Golden2husky on Feb 06, 2012

You know what? The tone of his letter to SM is clear. He wants a new ride. In this case, a new car is the answer. He got a good life out of it and a cash strapped Hondaphile will easily snap up his present ride. Sometimes if you want it, and can comfortably afford to pay for it, you have to go for it. After the recent burials of two family members, I am inclined to quote my late mom: This is not a dress rehearsal; be responsible but know when it is time to live...buy a new car.

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