I found myself in a difficult situation a few months back and I feel that there are other people out there that could definitely benefit from hearing about what I went through.

Bit of a backstory

I've always been terrible with cars but I had a friend who would help me out by loaning me a vehicle that I would use until it had some sort of mechanical issue and then he would swap it out for another one. They were never amazing cars but it was a pretty amazing situation to be in. I always had a vehicle to use and I never had to fix it or maintain it. Perfect for someone like me with almost no idea at all when it comes to motors and mechanical stuff.

No more free cars for me

When I shifted town, I didn't take one of the loaned cars with me and I had to buy my own for the first time in a few years. I picked up a cheap runabout from an online auction and it worked well to start with. It wasn't a great car but it was good enough to drive to guitar lessons and pick up my boy from school.

The engine troubles started

I think it was a CV joint that started going first. That loud rattle every time I turned a corner. I ignored it and hoped that it would just go away - typical guy thing to do! Then it started making noises that were louder and nastier than the CV joint cliking away. Withoutn really knowing anything much about how a car works, I had a feeling it was something serious.

Time to call the car wreckers

I took the car to my local mechanics and the guy told me that the car was done for. It was most likely on its way out before I bought it and it was just a matter of time before it stopped running. I called my friend who was always dealing with the old cars and gave me the number for National Car Parts - Auckland car wreckers. Here's a screen capture of their website. I've linked it to their site if you want to get in contact.