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Update: the pawn shop guy in Reno who said my '92 Miata timing belt was fine, two ways to look at it
He said the belt had maybe 30k left on it and to save my $600, so I drove it to Sacramento and back twice before it let go on I-80 at 70 mph. Was he right for being honest that he couldn't tell for sure, or is any shop that waves off a 60k belt on a 30 year old car just setting you up? Curious what you all would do, since the tow alone ran me $275.
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iris_hall5h ago
Pawn shop guy gave you car advice, that's the whole problem. A $600 belt beats a new motor any day.
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harpercampbell5h ago
The "honest that he couldn't tell for sure" part is doing a lot of work here, because a timing belt on a 30 year old car isn't something you guess at, it's something you replace on a schedule or when you can see cracks and wear. A guy running a pawn shop shouldn't be the last word on a 60k service item, and telling you to skip it to save $600 when the downside is a $275 tow plus a possible motor is a bad trade every time. Maybe he meant well and maybe he just didn't want the job, but either way you got bad advice dressed up as honesty. On a '92 Miata the belt is cheap insurance, and the smart move is to just do it if there's no record of it being done. I'd take it to a shop that actually knows Miatas next time and not let a pawn guy talk me out of maintenance.
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