TL:DR Homeless Disabled Pensioner needs car back on road.

Hi, My name is Elaine and let's just say things have been a bit difficult this year. Long story short, rent increases of 50% over the last three years led to having to let go of the flat I was renting, but extreme rental shortages plus only being a Disabled Pensioner (so looking for something cheap and accessible) have led to having to couch-surf and stay with friends this last six months or so. Luckily most of my stuff is in storage, and having a car meant being able to attend several inspections a week, and not being limited to places close to transport.

I knew my car needed some repairs done fairly soon, (cv joints, universal joint etc) but could space those out and try to get the money for them. Unfortunately a few weeks ago (3 days before i was supposed to leave to drive down to my only child's wedding) the clutch went suddenly. Got it towed to the mechanic, and got the bad news. $3,200 to get clutch done. It did mean debating whether it was worth fixing the car at all, but on balance, it has a lot of things that are good about it (heated seats to deal with back pain, not too high or low to get into). Plus I need transport. Luckily my brother was able to lend me his ute for long enough to get down to the wedding and back, and the mechanic agreed to hold onto the car for a few weeks for me to get the money. Unfortunately plan A (raiding the last of my super) has fallen through, and time is ticking onwards with no other way for me to rake up that much in one hit. Certainly not early enough to be able to pay the mechanic in a reasonable time so he doesn't have to keep holding the car. My illness severely limits my energy, and makes public transport (which is not great in some of the cheaper areas to live in anyway) not really an option. It is hard enough having to rely on friends as much as I've had to these last few months. I hate having to ask for help, but can't see any other way forward at the moment.

So the needs are:

To get back on the road -

Clutch done $3200

To get back up to where it needs to be - about an extra $3000.

I can put some in from my pension each week, but expenses seem to just gobble it up. And if I am successful in getting another home, there will be extra start up costs to do with that.

What I need the car for:

To get to medical appointments

To get to inspections for units so I can apply to try to get a home of my own again

To transfer stuff to and from storage

To sleep in if things go bad

To get to and from social obligations, including handcraft demonstrations and classes.

Maybe this will work, maybe it won't, but any help at all will be deeply appreciated.