[rfcomm2k]

No matter how you look at it, you will have to pay off the vehicle. Do you really want to have another car in the yard just for parts? And if you trade it in, what you owe will be tacked on to the new car cost. Have a mechanic look the car over entirely and tell you what needs to be replaced soon (tires, shocks, rear end? suspension, etc) Then decide if investing that much is worth it. 4 years ago my Transport blew an engine (Well, the wife did it) and she was against spending $4k to replace it. Car is still running, albeit there is a new problem that surfaced recently. But paying $1k per year to have a vehicle is relatively cheap by today's standards.