Arggg.
I was a good little girl and getting my old car smogged before it went to a new home. Good thing too because it didn’t pass smog. It runs fine, seems ok but I did get a new car because I didn’t know when this one would need money poured into it. That time is now. The radiator needs to be replaced, it is leaking. The car is running hot and that might be why it didn’t pass smog. Other reasons might be (probably are) hiding behind that one and won’t be found until after that repair is done. laurelt was going to give me $750 for it. In a way it hurts to lose it and it a way it is ok because it is just potential money.
I also found out that a program to buy failed smogged cars ran out of money since my last smog check.
So, now what to do with the car. I can donate it to a charity. It would be a “good” thing to do but I don’t really itemize my taxes so it won’t be useful come tax time, at least not for me. Anyone want a fix-it-uper?
When you do your taxes,
use Turbo Tax ($20, roughly) and they figure the itemization for you. So totally worth it.
Re: When you do your taxes,
I just don’t really have anything to itemize so the standard deduction seems great to me. I don’t even have commute to work to use. I pay for that out of pre-tax money.
See if one of your local high schools has an auto-shop program. They can generally always use donated cars, and even if you don’t itemize, it’s definitely a good thing to do.
good idea, I will have to look into it
Car woes
I feel your pain. My dealings with cars have not been particularly pleasant since the Honda was stolen from BayCon last year.
I’ve been going round and about with the new-to-me car I bought as a stop gap until the Prius arrives (which as this point may be next year). Previous owner didn’t have it smogged before I bought it. I didn’t read the fine print on my first trip to DMV, so I didn’t know that it had to have been smogged in the past 30 days. Took it to the smog check place nearest to me ($60 PLUS certificate PLUS MCI communications fees) and it passed the emissions part of the test, but the timing was off so they wouldn’t give me the certificate. Took car to Angus to have timing fixed. Took car back to smog check place paid another $20 (PLUS certificate PLUS MCI communications fees) and this time it passed. So, back to DMV tomorrow morning to see how much additional $$ they want out of me before they’ll give me the &*^% sticker and a new title paper with my name on it.
Ugh.
- D
Re: Car woes
I’d report that smog-test place.
Get a second opinion!!!!
Drive it around for at least 45 minutes before you get in smogged. And, it might just need a (cheap-to-repair) thermostat.