If you owe too much, then why spend the money on the engine and not pay off the car??? Does anyone have any money management skills anymore???
Well, since Ford has been giving zero percent on loans, this statement doesn't really hold water. At zero percent interest there is no extra benefit to paying faster, and, as it is fixed over the course of the loan, your car payment is immune to inflation, therefore, in adjusted, referenced dollars, it goes down. So, by holding out and paying the minimum amount each installment, you are actually saving money long term. Since he could have bought the car with zero percent and no money down, the depreciation schedule of the car could just be well ahead of his payments, thereby putting him in a situation where he owes more money than the car is worth (hence impractical to sell) but has actually followed a sound fiscal plan. As long as he accounted for this by not needing to sell the car, all is well.
To answer the original question, trash the auto and put in a manual. It is the only choice if you like driving.