'98 Mazda 626 - Worth Keeping?

[JimGoose]

Hi, have a 626 in the family passed down from my brother.

It's got 240k km (149k miles). The water pump and timing belt need replacing, and the Moms managed to drive it into someone's bumper yesterday (sad2) resulting in a bent hood that won't close properly.

the body work on the hood/front is $350
the pump+belt including labour is $550

so $900 canadian.

the tranny was replaced 1.5 years ago and it's been good since. I think the exhaust might be going, but a weld here and there has kept it in working order.

is it worth fixing and keeping? thanks (bowdown)

 

[Captain KRM P5]

4 or 6 cylinder? manual trans or automatic? i had a 97 with the 4cyl manual trans. great car all around for daily driving. sold it, bought the mazda5 and that was a mistake. should have kept it!

 

[JimGoose]

it's 4 cylinder automatic, it's put up with a lot and the engine has been solid, though there's some rust on it from all the winter driving. hmm

 

[Mazda_323T]

I say worth it, the mazda 626 was a great car, a guy i work with has a 96 i believe or 99 between there and its never let him down, my grandmother(dont want to be insulting by saying its a grandmas car, it not) had heres since 97 i believe and shes driven it between Montreal, Quebec, and Winnipeg, Manitoba and never had any problems. They were well built cars