Honda Civic LX 1998. Should I keep or try to sell?

So I have a Honda Civic LX. She is 20 years old with about 70,200 miles on her. I bought the car from my grandma about two years ago with about 50,000 miles on her. My sister and I both learned how to drive on her. My grandma drove the car very little in its first 18 years. Since buying her, I Drive it daily to and from work, sometimes twice a day. I usually drive between 8-20miles a day, give or take some.

Since buying her two years ago these are the repairs I have gotten done
- new muffler
- some new belts (not quite sure what they were called
- new radiator and water pump
- new timing belt
(And possibly another thing or two, just can't think of it all)

She is now making a rattle sound in certain rpms and a buzzing sound when accelerating. I'm going to take her a mechanic this week, but i'm guessing she needs a new exhaust system/catalytic converters.

In your thoughts and opinions, should I spend the money to get her fixed? Or just drive her until she can't be driven and look for a new car? I've sunk atleast three thousand into and not sure it's worth it to sink anymore. Do you think she has more life left in her- a year, two, three? Think the motor is good since it is low mileage.

I think she has tons of more life in her… Certain things wear out with age not mileage.
she is only costing you $125 a month. Where can you get a better deal than that?

When cars get to be this age, much depends on where they are. In the "rust belt" they are done, regardless of how few miles are on the clock. The floor and suspension points will be rusting through, creating a safety problem which can't be easily repaired.

In my own personal "stable" of cars, we just hauled away a 2008 Nissan, with severe rust problems, to the junkyard. It had only 102,000 miles on it and the engine still ran great. However the rear shocks were hanging loose having rusted through their mounts. It spent most of its life in Wisconsin. My own car is a 2002 SAAB with 238,000 miles and is near perfect, having spent the majority of its life in the New Mexico desert and was meticulously maintained by a rather wealthy family.

I can't see your car much less look under the hood or under the chassis so I can't tell what kind of condition it is in. My best advice is to consult a reputable, professional mechanic.

Everything you've mentioned are normal scheduled maintenance items that require replacing in any vehicle with enough miles. Owning a car isn't cheap.

Probably just heat shields on the exhaust. A good shop can spot weld them back on. Get the engine valves adjusted. Something this engine needs. Plugs and plug wires. Distributor cap and rotor will go a long way to help too. Don't let a book tell you what this is worth. It is paid off and can go another 100 k miles easy.

3 grand for Maintenance? No wonder you are discouraged.

All cars need plugs, wires, hose, w. Pump, eventually. Radiators clog, you can clean it with a hose. Keep good A/F in it and it won't ever leak, either. Mufflers rust.

Why not learn to do it yourself? The rattle may be a bad motor mount and/or exhaust heat shield, as mentioned. Annoying noises that Sound like your motor is shot but isn't. My old Plymouth was idling too lean, it missed like crazy, and shook. I got cr** like: " plugs gapped too wide", "new motor mount", etc.

Keep it. Will go another 140 K. For even 3 grand, you may not get as good a car to replace it. Cars are Point A to Point B, until you get that Gravy job and can afford better.