So this was my first "adult" purchase of a car. When I moved to colorado I did not have a steady vehicle and had employment with a company that provided one so I saw no need. When I left that job, I needed a vehicle. I spent 3 months working in Alaska, saved up 3k+ and poured 3k to get this thing used off of someone.

In my naivete I did not check the VIN number or anything. Turned out the 120k speedomenter was incorrect and the vehicle was actually at over 200k miles. It ran great for a few months and still runs fairly well (except that winter sitting killed the battery), but I could never get it "legal" through emissions requirements and Cali..Rado....

So now it is in the shop again to finally get running now that I have a full time job and share a car. Unfortunately fixing will require being in debt to my other half who volunteered to help out, but whom I've been also having principled disagreements with over the last year. Part of me doesn't want it fixed if it means having to feel guilty at being in debt to someone I have such difficulty speaking with on issues important to me, but the realist in me knows I NEED a car for any semblance of individual autonomy.

I hate feeling in debt to others (individuals) and feeling like I can't do for myself. If I could just save up for 4 months or so I could fix it, or if I could do without paying rent for 2 months I could do it in 2. The last estimate had it at 3k to fix and get it legal to run (oil pan leakage, but certainly not one I can see, but enough to throw on the check engine line which prevents the passing of emissions of the cat-issue I already fixed myself).