UnicycleGran

Hi, Thank you for taking the time to answer this. My 88 Subaru DL lost pressure and wouldn't restart the other night. The mechanic said he thinks I need a new starter and that 90% of the time when a car does what mine did it's a gear in the distributer. He said the total repair would be around 600.00. This car's shocks are fairly shot (I bump around but don't mind), it has some rust and nearly 198.000 miles on it. The mechanic said maybe I want to junk it and then added that they would be willing to be it off of me, do some basic repairs and turn it over. SO I am wondering, is it worth it to just go ahead and fix it? My investment in a "new" car is usually around or under the 600 dollar range. I think buying a 600 dollar Saturn or something would not have the value of this car but I am not all that knowledgeable on this and could use some feedback. Keep the car running and avoid searching for another car as well as paying registration and plate fees or start searching? Thanks for your thoughts, UnicycleGranny