Locate an Auto Repair Shop in Craig, Alaska

What would you do if your shade tree mechanic days were over, you had a limited budget, and you want your car healthy again? My '89 Isuzu Trooper (4 cyl) has delivered 167,000 useful miles, 95% of it in the city. Three weeks ago the heater stopped heating, the radiator (original) gave up, so I had a cooling system overhaul done including a new radiator. $700 invested. A few days later, with the heater warm some days/cold on others, the engine began to run rough when started in the morning. "Trying to clear its throat" rough. After 20 seconds or so, the day's roughness ended. Car ran fine for the first few trips around town. Then Tuesday the heat gauge began to climb so I took it home. I let it sit for a few hours until everything was ambient temperature, 55 degrees, then checked it out. The radiator water level was low, somewhere below the tubes; the pressure reservoir tank was full. Ergo, the system had no vacuum to suck the overflow back. I brought the car back and asked the shop to check the cooling system, and if nothing obvious was wrong, run a cylinder leak down test. The engine is Isuzu's RLJ 4 cylinder 4ZE1 2.6L. SHOP REPORT: No leaks found in the cooling system pressure test. Cyl % leak down test came out 18 - 18 - 80 - 23. Two pass, two fail. "Testing showed head gasket problem. Note also during testing could hear air coming from radiator." Conclusion: "needs head work." What the car does NOT have: coolant in the oil sump; white or any other color exhaust smoke. Aside: You can check for coolant in the sump by putting Gasoila APO2 all purpose water finding paste (Amazon has it) on the end of an old speedo cable and feeding it through the dip stick tube. Mine came out the same brown it went in. Coolant would have turned it green. I'm assuming the plug in cyl #3 is getting coated with coolant when the ignition is shut off. That would account for the roughness the next day till it boils off. It's an expensive deal today to have a head replaced. I can find good replacement parts for a fair price, but is it worth the labor cost? Craigs list and other sources of classifieds are full of vintage 90s Isuzu Troopers to replace mine for a few thou. Is that the way to go? How about the dangerous gunk that supposed to seal leaking head gaskets. Worth a try? Our next AACA dinner meeting is the 27th so I won't do much until then. One reason this car is like a family member is the hood. It has a gorgeous, rechromed 1942 Nash hood ornament. And below that, in chunky chrome letters, it says PACKARD. Wouldn't you want to save it?

Hey Craig. Ford Credit's current base lease rate and residual value for a 36-month lease of a 2012 Explorer Limited 4WD with 12,000 miles per year are 2.0% and 54%, respectively. Yes Ford does indeed offer 24-month leases. The numbers for a 24-month, 12k lease of this truck are 0.25% and 63%. You can convert these lease rates into approximate money factor equivalents by dividing them by 2400. Car_man Host Prices Paid: Buying & Leasing Experiences Forum

Hey CarMan, First time to consider leasing a Ford Explorer. Can you advise February MF and Residual for 4x4 Limitted for 3yr/36month? Also, do they offer 24 month leases? can you advise MF/RES accordingly? Thanks. Craig

I hope you are right. At least the person that did respond still wants to see it today, even though it is frigid out and there is snow on the ground. A women from close by, which is good. So we shall see. I picked a bad weekend to list it, weather wise. So hopefully that is why I am getting no action, but it is just on craig's. If I get desperate I will fire it up on cars.com too. I think it is one that will get snapped up by a smart buyer when they see it. The trick is getting them to see it! Of course, this is what I am usually looking for but can't find...

TTT is message board speak for To The Top. as in getting your ad to to top of the page. Craig's is where I have it listed. Too cheap to pay for an ad if I don't have to!