I like to fix things, but I have not done anything remotely near the complexity of changing a timing belt, plus the other gaskets. I have my Forester and considered doing this at the O'Reilly across the street from work, where I have my other car parked, so if I need another tool, I can purchase or rent it, if I need something else, I can use my Subaru, and if I need help, hopefully they could put me in contact with a mechanic.
I could also go to U-Fix It, where I had considered going to replace the timing belt for my Forester, and they would rent out a bay with tools, with a mechanic that would take over if necessary, although that really seems to be up to him, not me. He told me that I needed new rear brakes. "Oh, okay, let me get my repair manual." He told me the first few steps, but then said that he was going to finish.
Normally, I research work that I will be doing on the car, and try to figure out what I am doing ahead of time.
So, here is a 2,003 Sentra for $2,350
NISSAN SENTRA XE. Instead of my bad black paint, I would have... bad black paint. It has an EPA rating of 32 highway and the EPA says that it costs $1,000 more to fill up than my HX every five years.
So, I break even if I pay a thousand dollars to replace the timing belt, which I would need to do every five years, if I drive twelve thousand miles a year.
The Blue Book for my car is $2,086, although I might need to sell for less, since it needs a new timing belt. Also, I would have an easier time selling it if I reinstalled the power steering, and then they might not like the holes in the bumper from my air dam.
The Sentra also has manual windows and doors, but still no cruise control.