Michael Trew snipped-for-privacy@ymail.com on Mon, 21 Jun 2021 11:48:30 -0400 typed in rec.woodworking the following:
In my yout' I lived in Germany. Cars which would not pass the German Vehicle Inspection could be sold in the States (friend was doing just that with Mercedes sports cars.) or "to the east".
snipped-for-privacy@notreal.com on Sun, 20 Jun 2021 23:05:26 -0400 typed in rec.woodworking the following:
I'm already retired.
And that's a separate line item anyway.
Let me put it this way, I drove a lot of cars / trucks / vans "into the ground". The last van developed a problem with the driver window: push the button and it would lower, and blow the fuse taking out the window circuit, and the stereo, and other element. The simple fix, wasn't. We were at 1732 "so far" just for the parts, and no guarantee this next module would fix it. "But other than that it was okay." Traded it in on a Thursday, Monday learned the cooling system blew a gasket ten miles down the road. Okay, so much for my mechanical prognostication.
As I said when trying to change the plugs on my Dad's Pontiac back in the late 70s "Dad, you don't need a mechanic, you need a plumber."
Buddy of mine still has his 1990s Toyota Tercel. Mostly still original parts, mostly, kind of. But he has been working on cars since College, so for him, it is somewhere between hobby and "thrift". If I had a ~73 VW van, I could still do the work on it (I trained for three years on those beasts). But ... yoicks the cost of those things!
OK, then let's look at from a different perspective.
The mechanic opens the door and see a puddle of dried puke on the armrest of the driver's seat, 27 snotty tissues on the center console and 2 used condoms on the passenger seat floor.
Do you think he'll care if he gets a little grease on the steering wheel or puts the inspection sticker on crooked?
I'll continue to believe that a clean and neat car gets just a little more respect than one that looks like a homeless guy's shopping cart.
I had a 69 Coronet with a similar problem that I was never able to locate. If I went through a rooster tail causing puddle, the car would run really rough for a mile or so. I learned fairly quickly not to turn it off until it smoothed out or I might not be able to start it for a few hours.
I got beeped at more than a few times when I slowed down more than other drivers liked if I was approaching an offending puddle. I kind of learned to spot the ones were going to be an issue and took them a little slower.
...snip...
Used parts for what I generally drive are CHEAP and I can replace most of them myself. Surprising how few I actually enf up needing
I bought a 2001 Ranger in Vermont (where they use salt and snow in a
1:1 ratio) and drove it there until '07. I moved South and was using it to move again. I knew there was something wrong so took it, thinking the struts were bad. They found the frame where the rear leaf springs was gone. The springs were just sitting on the frame. I'd just used it to move a significant part of my stuff (almost all the tools) from AL to GA. The salt, then warm weather did it in. It wasn't so good on the battery either.
Back in the eighties that was not uncommon. From about the early to mid 90s, not so much.
Nonsense. 250K for a modern car isn't unheard of. The electronics is quite reliable but it is absurdly expensive when it does fail.
Sure, they're difficult to repair but they are *far* more reliable. Your experience is slanted because you only see cars that have already had long lives. The chances of a car that has run for 10 years, without trouble, will last 20 is much higher than the average for that model.
That's a red herring. The point is that vehicles *ARE* more reliable today than they were in the past. When the do fail, of course they cost more money. Do-dads cost money but they really don't break often. 250K is no problem, particularly for pickups.
Again, nothing to do with my statement.
Then going into the fund to live longer/better.
Money is all green.
I've driven a lot of cars into the ground, too. They weren't old. Some only three years before the body fell apart. It got to be a rarity that I could go 100K.
There is something to say about dependability, too.
Yep, almost all of mine have crank up windows, much preferred. If that were the repair ticket, I'd drive it with the window stuck up.
Well, I can't truly say, since most advanced modern cars are new. I suppose time will tell who's right. Give it 20 years, and see if people still keep today's new cars on the road, or if they go to auction/scrapped upon being traded in. My guess is still that the backyard mechanic is the one getting screwed in general.
Again, I suppose I have no proof, but with things like many new cars that auto shut off and immediately start themselves as soon as you let off of the brake (some cars do this multiple times while on the same light cycle if someone inches up), in my mind, that starter is going to fail much sooner than it should in another car.
Lets look at another angle. Many new high end cars are starting to become self-driving, at least partially so. What happens in 20 years when these systems become stressed and aged? The systems that, for instance, auto-brake to avoid a collision, lane departure (some cars will "nudge" you back into the lane), etc... sounds like an accident waiting to happen.
I can't prove any of this, but my suspicions are when these advances systems start to fail, it might not end well. I generally don't trust people, and it's been fairly proven that appliances, for instance, are basically made on a "planned obsolescence" model... designed to fail.
Me, I'll keep a simple car that doesn't drive its self as long as possible. One that I can repair myself. I suppose time will tell who's correct here.
The early 70's cars didn't have electronic ignitions, emissions stuff, vacuum lines everywhere, or any kind of computers. My '83 F150 does have a "spark control computer" because it's too new for points ignition, that's all it has. I had to replace that unit for like $35 once. Yes, you have to adjust the carb, it needs a valve job, etc. Still stuff a backyard mechanic can do, if so inclined.
Oh, you wouldn't like my cars... for fun, here are the two running Metros. They do not look good from 10 feet. The white convertible has a paint brush hood (was black). Wrecked on all sides. Not very rusty, the floor hole was welded up properly. Despite how they look, I've driven these Metros all over creation. I'll drive one of them to California and back, I trust them.
The rest of my car hoard is in the back yard. I've driven trucks with huge holes through the bed sidewalls, one that rolled over once yet still drove, typically rusted all over. If it drives, I drive it... I'll put it that way I guess. I've had nice cars, but for some reason, I seem to get a thrill out of driving ones that cost $500. Maybe I'll mature out of it... haha
They say that many rich people buy cars well below their means... many wouldn't know they were rich. Some become rich this way over time, many stay rich this way I'd figure.
If I became a millionaire tomorrow, while I might find myself one nice newer car, I can guarantee that I'll still drive my beaters around.
They still do that from Japan. In Japan, they are extremely strict with car safety, condition, and inspection. They regularly ship well under
100K mile, very clean used cars (by our standards) over here. Far nicer than my cars, and many decent used cars for sale, but they won't pass them over there.
Well, as stated, I only have experience with what I know, and my most advanced vehicle (aside from that new 2015 Mirage), was the '97 Chrysler. I got to find lots of "fun" failing electrical gremlins, yet that car was kept up with very well by the middle aged woman that owned it since it was a year old who sold it to me. A few failing electrical systems that I got quotes for made me realize that I did NOT like the car enough for those repair price tags.
I can say one thing though, that being the closest to a luxury car that I've ever owned, it was very comfortable, handled wonderful, and boy was it fast! Almost scary fast with that big V6, compared to 4 cylinder pickups and Geo Metros. I don't like automatics, but that was a fun car to drive for the brief period that I owned it.
A man near me owns a 2002 Toyota Tacoma, 5 speed, in almost perfect condition (by my standards). Due to a recall, the dealer replaced the ENTIRE suspension and frame for free several years back. I mean this nearly 20 year old truck is spotless, well under 100K miles.
He told me that due to getting older, he's sick of shifting and might trade it in... I begged him to let me know first, and I'll give him at least whatever the dealer thinks the trade in value is. I might own a nice truck yet... Haha
I almost owned a Roadmaster, twice. I really like the Roadmaster wagons, I'm sure I'll have one some day. One that I looked at was rather clean too. They are the last full size station wagons sold in the US. The very last ones, mid to late 90's, had the big Corvette V8 in them. Vroom vroom!
I owned a '95 Tercel for maybe 6 months once. It had well over 300K miles on the *original* engine, 4 speed manual. The bottom had hunks of metal patch-welded everywhere, just enough to keep it passing PA inspection. The door was dented, and the insurance company salvaged it.
I paid $200 for it, but getting a non-salvage title was more work than I thought. That was a really good little car! It was like a bulkier, safer Geo Metro, and yet even while burning a ton of oil (super worn rings), it still averaged, real figures, low 40's MPG. I drove it to Virginia when I bought my red Geo, sold it to a lady down there for $200 with the salvage title to unload it quickly, and drove the Metro home.
I'd buy another one in a heart beat... it had thick winter tires on it with good tread, and I bought it in November. It did very well in the snow that year!
And they aren't rusted through the "subframe" at the front??? That takes just about every Metro off the road up here - many get welded up to keep them on the road but can't be sold to be put back on the road
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