Need Advice on Repairs For a '91 Ford Escort

[CL8]

This Escort was my grandmothers who died last November (at 94)
She still had her drivers license!

This 1991 Ford Escort has just under 60,000 miles on it (she didn't drive much)
My dad put over $1000. 00 of repairs on it in the last seven months.
We picked it up near Seattle this last weekend, drove it to Portland.
I'm in the process of getting title changed and Oregon plates.

This vehicle will be my daughters who just got her license at 16.

I just had the brakes checked at Les Schwab, brakes are in good shape but rotors need replacing for $135.

They also said the vehicle needs new struts, the struts now will cause fluid leaks and of course more bumpy ride.

The struts will cost $478.00 to put in, plus $40.00 to get the parts (hard to find on that old of a vehicle),
then another $81.00 for an alignment.

The guy suggested we might get another vehicle than pay for the struts,
but with all the work my dad put into it, plus only 59,000 miles,
we have no car payments for it, I figure the $600.00 would be worth it.

What would any of you do given what I said?
Is the extra $600.00 worth it or not?
What if we let the struts stay as they are?

Thanks,
CL8

[Blt2Lst]

I would get the brakes squared away first.

The struts are probably the originals and could be changed at another time even if they are leaking.
The car will not ride as good as it could with the old struts but will still be drivable none the less.
Struts for a 91 ford should not be hard to find.
With 60,000 miles, the car should last a while and may be worth putting the money into compared to what it would cost to replace the car.
Probably a good first car for a 16 year old.

Good luck

[jpb53]

Struts for $40.00 to $126.00 here.
http://rockauto.com/ A diyer could do this job and then get it aligned.

[CL8]

Thanks Blt2Lst and jpb53 for the input!

The price they gave me for the struts are $76.48 for two and $78.86 for the other two.
(I would guess the front two are one price and back two are another)

I am no DIYER!
However, I just met one of my neighbors who said he knows how put struts in a vehicle,
but doesn't have the equipment he would need.
He said another neighbor just rebuilt a vehicle and would have the needed equipment.
(I just recently moved to this neighborhood)

Though I would guess it might be worth the warranty to have it professionally done even if it costs more.

[shorod]

The price they quoted for the brake rotors seems VERY high, and it sounds like your neighbors could easily replace them for you. They are not difficult at all and there's very little that could go wrong in the process. Also, $81 for a 4-wheel alignment also seems about twice as high as it should be. If I were you, and not willing to attempt to DIY, I'd check another place or two. Maybe check with your neighbors to see where they would take their cars if they didn't want to or didn't have time to do the work themselves.

-Rod

[CL8]

Thanks Rod!

How does the price for replacing the struts sound?

I wonder, does the price for auto mechanic labor cost more in the Northwest
(Portland area) than in the South like Iowa?

Les Schwab has a very good reputation in the Northwest.

[shorod]

As long as the "$478 to put in" includes parts and labor, that is probably about right.

I'm not sure that I'd consider Iowa part of the "South" but sure, it's possible the prices vary by region, I'm just not sure they would vary THAT much. You could go to some of the chain auto parts store websites, enter your zip code, look up the parts and see what a DIYer would pay for the parts. You could also try this fancy little website estimator to see what it says a reasonable price would be for your region. Although it looks like the estimate may not go back far enough for your application.

-Rod

[CL8]

Thanks again Rod,

I just got off the phone talking to my regular mechanic (The one who does stuff other than brake work, AND they shuttle you home in a limousine if you need!)
Anyway, they would charge $108 for a front wheel alignment and $199 to put front rotors in.
That's quite a bit more than Les Schawb, however, Les Schwab is a chain of brake and tire shops, I would guess they would be able to charge less because they could get parts in higher quantity than my local mechanic.

I'm not sure that I'd consider Iowa part of the "South"

Yes I see Iowa is just below Minnesota (where I live almost every other state is South!) : )

[Blt2Lst]

Originally Posted by CL8

Anyway, they would charge $108 for a front wheel alignment and $199 to put front rotors in.

These prices are high, I would keep looking around for another estimate.

[CL8]

Originally Posted by Blt2Lst

These prices are high, I would keep looking around for another estimate.

Yes the $108 and $199 are quite high

How about the $81 for alignment and $135 for rotors (including installation)

I see you are in Southern Ca. Blt2Lst, how are these prices compared to your area?
I would think Southern Ca. would be higher than Oregon.