I have a 2003 gmc savna that I bought to turn into a camper van for summer adventures. When I bought it I knew the transmission was bad and needed to be replaced, which the previous owner had a new (used) transmission in the back as well as a new alternator and water pump. I had it towed to a mechanic in the city I bought it in (1.5 hours away from me) and they keep finding more things wrong with it to the tune of 5k+ to get it running. I paid 2.5k for the van. Issues: rear brakes aren’t good, brake cable isn’t good, rear shocks are leaking, leaky rack and pinion, bad seals, battery, upfront ujoint, misfire cylinder 7/8, bad transmission, bad torque converter, and suspected bad fuel injectors and water pump. Do I call the junkyard and pay off the 1.1k I’m in already for the mechanic? I can’t tow it my city as I can’t store it anywhere and bought it when I had money and space. I have seen no paperwork, just told over the phone this is what they found and found more today after they were going to try to test drive but had barriers. I have not talked to the mechanic face to face, only over the phone. I am a young dumb girl who got star struck by a dream and found a money pit
I had a similar experience with a '94 Geo Metro.
Ended up just selling it to the scrap yard.
Lost money was lost. I called it a “stupid tax” - as in, a tax for being stupid enough to try to save a broken down has been with a seized engine… which i got because I was poor and couldn’t afford anything better. Stupid.