1000 bucks or bust!!!

[93tblx]

My 93 lx wagan escort caught fire under the passenger tire on the front side. The firemen who put it out said they had never seen anything like it. The engine was still running after they put it out and I'm no mechanic but I didn't see any real damage other than the tire and the plastic underside melting. I know that the brake line, cylinder, wires etc. might have to be replaced. I took it to an auto shop and was told anywhere from 800 to 1000 is what it will cost to fix it. If this is true should I dump it or cough up the grand!!!!

[Nocturnall]

How much money do you have invested in the car? How much do you like the car? How many miles on it? Are there any other problems with the car? Those are some of the things I would be concidering if I were in that situation. I would look up under there and see what's actually damaged. You can get tires rather cheap, and that plastic thing I hope isn't too important cause I had to cut it off my 94 GT. If you have a little bit of mechanically ability you could always take the tire off, pull the wires apart with the battery unhooked, trace the wires back to where there not damaged on both sides. Get some wire and replace what's wrecked yourself. That might help cut down the cost. See if there's other things you can replace yourself.

[93tblx]

[quote=Nocturnall]How much money do you have invested in the car? How much do you like the car? How many miles on it? Are there any other problems with the car? Those are some of the things I would be concidering if I were in that situation. I would look up under there and see what's actually damaged. You can get tires rather cheap, and that plastic thing I hope isn't too important cause I had to cut it off my 94 GT. If you have a little bit of mechanically ability you could always take the tire off, pull the wires apart with the battery unhooked, trace the wires back to where there not damaged on both sides. Get some wire and replace what's wrecked yourself. That might help cut down the cost. See if there's other things you can replace yourself.


Thanks! I plan on doing just that. I only paid 700 for it a month ago. It has 79,000 miles and it runs good barring of course what just happened. I think if the car starts up with no problems (I'm not a mechanic) that it can't be that bad. 1000.00 dollars is excessive and in my opinion it's a rip off. Here in the midwest automotive repair is like gas in winter months. they know that you need a car in the cold and they jack up the prices.

[RatLabGuy]

Um..... do you know what caused the fire? That should, in itself, be a concern.

[93tblx]

Originally Posted by RatLabGuy

Um..... do you know what caused the fire? That should, in itself, be a concern.

a bad caliper caused the fire. It caused the brake to lock up on the passenger side overheating it and of course it caught fire. I won't cost 1000.00 seeing that the shop guy was trying to squeeze me for cash. I had one of my friends brothers, who is a mechanic, take a look at it. He said all I needed was a new caliper, brake hose, and brake shoes.

[J-walk]

no offence to your friends brother but a shoe goes in a drum brake on the back of the car so i dont see how you could need one of thoughs if it was front right of the car and if there is a fire in that area chances are that you will need a rotor to because it will probably be warped due to over heating

[93tblx]

Originally Posted by J-walk

no offence to your friends brother but a shoe goes in a drum brake on the back of the car so i dont see how you could need one of thoughs if it was front right of the car and if there is a fire in that area chances are that you will need a rotor to because it will probably be warped due to over heating

He didn't say that actually. I was just trying to paraphrase what he said. All I needed was a brake hose. I still don't know what caused the fire becasue nothing else was damaged to my knowledge.