A NEW CAR today averages $15,000 - $25,000, not even counting the added costs of putting it on the road - registration, sales and excise taxes, increased insurance premiums, and car loan interest - which will add thousands more to your total cost. In addition, depreciation will cut your new vehicle's value in half within three short years. It's no wonder that the percentage of older vehicles on the road is growing, according to national surveys, and that large companies like UPS and Federal Express retain their vehicles longer through engine replacement programs.

A USED CAR is often an unknown. Is it really any better than your old one? Do you know its inside story? Can you get a good warranty? There are good used cars out there, but remember you can buy a bigger problem than the one you have if you're not careful. Unless your current vehicle's body or chassis is really beyond repair, you should consider replacing the engine only. Here, there are several alternatives.

A USED ENGINE usually costs considerably less than the price of a remanufactured engine, although the installation cost is the same and the warranties typically run from 30 to 90 days only, and don't cover labor. Most important, the used engine is just what you could get with a used vehicle power unit, uncertain quality and life expectancy.

A REBUILT ENGINE is a step in the right direction, but it is most often only a halfway solution. A rebuilt engine may have had damaged or worn parts changed, but other essential components may remain in "not new" condition. Even rebuilt engines with new bearings, rings, valves, and seals retain many older components, leading to shorter life expectancies for rebuilt engines.

A REMANUFACTURED ENGINE , on the other hand, is assembled essentially the same way engines for new cars are made - in a factory setting. With the aid of computers, the major reusable components are machined, bored, welded, planed, and polished to the highest possible tolerances. Crankshaft, block, and head castings are subjected to precise checks using X-ray and magnaflux technologies to guarantee their integrity and fit. The remanufactured components are then assembled together with entirely new, factory fresh valves, rings, pistons, bearings, rods, gaskets, seals, bushings, lifters, oil pump, and more. The engine is then thoroughly tested before it is shipped to NECO Engines regional warehouses.