I was wrong about using a parts car versus just buying new parts

I picked up a rusted out '98 Civic for $300 to use as a parts donor for my project. I figured it would save me a ton of cash. After three months of fighting seized bolts, stripping threads on the only good caliper, and having the alternator from the donor die a week after I put it in, I added up my time. I spent over 40 hours just pulling and cleaning parts, and I still had to buy a new radiator and master cylinder. For my next job, I just ordered a rebuilt steering rack online for $180 with a warranty. It showed up clean, bolted right in, and took an afternoon. Has anyone else found that a cheap parts car ends up costing more in hidden ways?

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caseyw126mo ago

That starter story from nancy275 is a perfect example of hidden costs.

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nancy2756mo ago

Oh man, I feel this so hard. I tried the same thing with an old truck, thinking I was being smart. Spent a whole weekend just trying to get one decent starter off, only to have it fail a month later. All that greasy, frustrating work for basically nothing. Sometimes the cheap way out ends up being the most expensive when you count your time and sanity.

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