It sounds like you purchased this car during an extreme emotional time (btw, I'm glad your still here
), do you still have that emotional attachment? If so, maybe you could step away from the financial side and look at this car as something that you are committed to saving regardless of cost (granted, not $$k all at one time, but spread out as a project). I've said this many times, but if you look at the whole overall outlay, we are all going to lose money on these cars...and personally, I don't care.
I guess my point is...is this car now family, or is it still just a car? If it's become more than just a machine, you'll never fret over money or maintenance. If it's just a thing that gets you from point A to B, you'll curse every penny spent. Once you decide where you reside on that spectrum, your decision will be simple. Actually, the fact that you are even asking opinions leads me to believe you are closer to the former rather than the latter.
