It's so hard to say goodbye... to my beloved car!

Ok, ok.  I'm such a girl.  I'm getting choked up at the thought of getting rid of my car.

I was not quite 13 when my parents bought my '97 Grand Am.  My parents asked me very specifically what I thought of the car, saying it would be mine one day.  First week of September '99 I got my driver's license.  Spring of 2000, my parents bought a 2000 Grand Am for my mom, and I bought the '97 from them for $3000.

I remember Steve and I buying leopard print seat and steering wheel covers for it.  After a while he hated it, but I loved my little leopard car.  He bought me a disc-man so I could listen to CD's in the car for my 17th birthday.  On my 19th birthday, he bought me a proper CD player and had it installed for me.

I remember the morning I woke up and my car had been broken in to.  I bawled my eyes out.  They smashed a back window, got blood all over the seats and took my CD player. And my 'In The Name Of Love" CD  I was 8 months pregnant, I was an angry mess: had to shampoo the car, replace the window, replace the radio and fix the broken door.

I've always loved my car - because it was mine.

We've put a lot into this car over the last few years.  It was great to not have to worry about a car payment.  But the gas mileage has been getting worse, and we really have put quite a bit into it every year.

I'm hoping it can be fixed, that we can get at least 6 more months out of it.  I know that whatever car we get next will probably driven by our kids.  I don't even want to think  that far in advance...   For now, let's just just hope it can be fixed at a reasonable price, and I'll have to find a reasonably priced car to replace it with when the time comes.

Suggestions...?