Is it worth it?

I paid over $3k for a 1997 Camry with 122k miles on it, spent at least $3k fixing things such as the exhaust system, oil leaks, tires, EGR, tune up... many other things.

Just yesterday I fried my engine. I only drove it about 11,000 miles.
I tried to hit the accelerator hard to get around a truck and I heard a big thud. I looked under the hood and there was oil everywhere. The car shop told me something like the rod went through the block, or something like that.

I'm confused. I know that the only thing to do is replace the engine, but I don't know if it's worth it at this point. The body of the car isn't bad, but '97s I see are mainly in better condition than mine (I have a few rust spots, the hood looks like the car overheated before, the spoiler is loose on one side), among other 'neglected care' problems (inside smell for one). The previous owner(s) didn't take the greatest care for it from what I can gather.

But the car rode better than my '05 CTS (which is bumpy) and my '03 Suburban (Z71). I would rather drive the Camry any day, as I was saving a ton on gas too. The tires are great, I haven't had any problems in snow this year (Cleveland), and I was averaging 400 miles per tank.

Please help me weigh my options. I got a shop guy telling me to hurry up and tow the car out of his lot, another guy telling me he can replace the 2.2L 4cyl engine somewhere between $1500 and $2000, and a wife that's getting tired of me spending money on an eleven year old car.

Sincerely,
Depressed & Need Help

Since the car appears to be poorly maintained, cut your losses and dump it. Spend your money on another Camry.

"You got to know when to hold them, know when to fold them...."

Camry's are good cars - and since you like 'em, you should just buy a newer one.. I agree with the above statement that it wasn't maintained very well. The engine should not have blown up like that..

I admit it's not what my heart wants to do, but dumping it makes sense.

I admit it's not what my heart wants to do, but dumping it makes sense.
If you plan on dumping it, you could also yank out some parts (EGR,exhaust, tures) that you just put on and start looking for a new Camry. Scrap the old one, but keep your brand new parts.

I consistently watch people request parts from older Camry's. Inside handles, trim pieces, etc, etc. If you have some space, try to part it out. Then donate it to one of the "we buy anything" junk yards for them to get the parts you cant out of it. The price they will give you will be almost NO different with it missing some interior and glass than if it has it. They pay as little as they can to begin with. Besides that, you also get some experience stripping off some of the parts.. :) just my 2 cents. and of course, I'm assuming you have the space or area to park it for a little bit. Very least, trade tires with the new "used" car your going to buy. I paid 3200 for a 96 DX 4 Auto in California at 160k, and its now at 330k and doesn't leak oil. Of course, oil leak at oil pump was fixed at 200k. Each person is different, each car is different depending on the previous owner.

If you got the time, money, and space...yank the crapped engine and throw in a hot block. Have fun with it. Experiment.

Or part it out and then either donate it or sell the hulk for the junkyard for a few $$$.

I agree with everything said so far. I think you've already put too much into this car. Based on its condition, it's likely the trans won't last long either since the previous owner probably let the engine oil run dry and likely never changed the trans fluid either. So unless you can rebuild the engine yourself for a few hundred, get rid of it.

dave mc

I admit it's not what my heart wants to do, but dumping it makes sense.

It's always bad to have to put a car in the boneyard, but it's just not worth it if it keeps on tearing up. I'd get a brand new one if I were you.