Repair or Replace Vehicle

**Snake1** · February 6th, 2013 05:49 AM

Im not sure if this is the right place to post this....

I currently have a second vehicle which I use for business and when there is a need to bring the whole family. Its a Toyota Town Ace Diesel A/T import (original RHD). It works... meaning its in running condition and it even has made a trip up to Baguio recently with 2 passengers.

It does have certain quirks / issues that are a bit of an irritant:

- engine is under a seat and an amount of heat seeps thru
- window/door/ side mirror controls are on the right passenger side
- side mirrors are optimized for RHD driving
- gear shift doesnt lock up in its respective selectors
- wippers are set for RHD (so when raining a large spot on the upper left of the windscreen .. my side is left un swept)
- torque is on the weak side (270,000+ on the odometer)

Other than that the kids love it and i think I can fix those quirks for a small fortune.

However, Ill have access to a small amount of money in the next couple of months and I'm thinking that instead of having these quirks fixed, I can just get a new van without the difficulties Im experiencing.

Im looking to get a Toyota Estima/ Lucida from Cagayan (and yes Im well aware of the pros and cons of this). Of course, If I opt to just do repairs/ enhancements on the Townace, I'll still have some left over money for some house improvments and SC stuff...hehehe

So is it worth it to keep the old vehicle or invest in a new (second hand) one?

Any opinions would be most welcome.....

**Manilablock** · February 6th, 2013 06:13 AM

Kung meron kang buyer sell mo na, safety ang priority mo and based sa description mo ung wiper pwede maging cause ng poor visibility in the rain

**ParticleX** · February 6th, 2013 06:14 AM

You're still going to have the replacement vehicle (incase you decided to change) repaired for the similar quirks you're experiencing now with your Town Ace. Weigh the costs, if you'll be buying another vehicle, might as well go for the local ones, gives peace of mind and you don't have to pay to correct those minor inconviniences.

- engine is under a seat and an amount of heat seeps thru
- window/door/ side mirror controls are on the right passenger side
- side mirrors are optimized for RHD driving
- gear shift doesnt lock up in its respective selectors
- wippers are set for RHD (so when raining a large spot on the upper left of the windscreen .. my side is left un swept)
- torque is on the weak side (270,000+ on the odometer)

1. Add/replace insulation in the engine well, also probably the rubber seals starts to become useless, replace them
2. I guess there is no fix for that, unless there is a local assembly which fits
3. Replace them with local counterparts
4. No idea on this
5. Could be retrofitted I guess, many JDM vehicles I saw natransfer na
6. Have you changed filters and fluids already? Delayed ba ang pag shift, if so then you may need to have your transmission overhauled.

Guesstimate cost is 40-60k with tranny overhaul already.

**1D4LV** · February 6th, 2013 10:08 AM

kung bibili ka ng bago, pagpagawa mo ulit.... and Cagayan unit yan.... converted RHD din.
if i were you, i'll have the current unit fixed and allocate excess funds for the home repairs.

**dct** · February 6th, 2013 11:12 AM

retain na lang. ganun din yun e. same repairs lang gagawin mo sa kukunin mong unit

**Retz** · February 6th, 2013 11:15 AM

Toyota Town Ace pa? I think you should sell it na.

**weisshorn** · February 6th, 2013 11:49 AM

Benta ang luma at palitan ng mas maayos ng used vehicle but should be local model for ease of maintenance. Used car kasi yan kaya kailangan madali maka kuha ng original spares..

**Syuryuken** · February 6th, 2013 01:08 PM

Kung converted ipapalit mo para ka rin lang bumili ng bagong sakit ng ulo. Mag spacegear or starex ka na lang.

**raine** · February 6th, 2013 01:09 PM

since original yan na ganyan mahal para ma palitan mo yan, bentya mo na lang at bili ka ng orig na lh drive

**jaguarpw** · February 6th, 2013 01:42 PM

If I were you, I'd stick with the Town Ace. Unless what you're planning to buy is a brand new or a slightly used model.

Like you, my Delica Space Gear is a converted unit. During the 1st year, it was a money-draining venture, repair expenses here and there. Until almost every issue was addressed, it's now a reliable car, not perfect but reliable.