Holden Barina 1996: Cost of blown head gasket?
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Asked by Sharon and Jess
Last month I purchased a 1996 Holden Barina for my daughter for $1700. It ran beautifully for a month, but started overheating last week. I have just been told it has a blown head gasket and will cost $1500 to fix. Do you recommend spending this amount on a car of its age? It is lovely condition otherwise. Is there any way of reducing the cost? How do I avoid being over-charged as a middle-aged woman and teenager are likely candidates to be ripped off.
Answered by CarsGuide
8 Mar 2011There really isn’t much option, if you don’t spend the money to repair it you’re left with a car that is worthless and you are faced with spending more to buy another car. As you say it is in good condition otherwise I would recommend you went ahead and repaired it. If it does have a blown head gasket, as you have been told, there is no other way of repairing other than replacing the head gasket, and there’s no way of reducing the cost of the job. To minimize the chances of being ripped off use a reputable mechanic, perhaps one who is well known and respected in your local area, take a friend or relative with a knowledge of mechanics with you when talking to the mechanic, and get two or three quotes for the job.
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