Cloud's car stuff

[classicman]

Well put Bruce. I think there is a HUGE difference between buying a new Hyundai versus a new Hummer or Mercedes.

[glatt]

Yeah Cloud, I'm not talking about you. I'm confident you have your head screwed on right with this purchase. You've given it a lot of thought, and I think it's a good car you are looking at.

Classic, for me, a shit car is a car that is so old, it costs about a grand a year in repairs to keep running reliably. Even at a grand a year, it's still much cheaper than buying a new car. Once the body rusts out, then it's over, but until then, you can keep a car going for much cheaper than buying new.

Bruce, you're right. The hard part of what I'm talking about is getting that first car. I inherited my grandfather's car when I started out, and got a few years out of it. Enough time to buy my first real car with the money I had been saving.

The other option is to spend a couple grand on a car that will cost a grand a year to maintain. Many don't have the funds for that.

[tw]

Originally Posted by glatt

Classic, for me, a shit car is a car that is so old, it costs about a grand a year in repairs to keep running reliably.

Once I got rid of a new Ford, I never put anywhere near a grand per year into any car. That even includes the Chevy that required a new timing belt every 40,000 miles (+/- 500 miles). Driving a car for 12 and 14 years has been routine.

Probably my biggest maintenance expense was new exhaust pipes (and then a cement truck took out that car). BTW, did you know insurance will reimburse for recently replaced parts?

[classicman]

Originally Posted by glatt

Classic, for me, a shit car is a car that is so old, it costs about a grand a year in repairs to keep running reliably. Even at a grand a year, it's still much cheaper than buying a new car. Once the body rusts out, then it's over, but until then, you can keep a car going for much cheaper than buying new.

A grand a year? I wish. I've put over $2000 into my (college student) daughter's "shit car" just in the last few months. It cost about $4000 when she bought it a couple years ago. (without my consult)
If I look at the numbers now, I think I would have been better off spending more and getting a loan for a better car. There would have been far less worry about her safety. The "shit car" is now breaking down more frequently and needs more repair than she can afford. The money saved for the newer car has already been spent on repairing the "shit car."
Conversely, I could have had and planned in advance for a fixed payment instead of having the "shit car" breakdown and/or need repairs at inopportune times where it requires large sums of money on hand to fix it.

[glatt]

The grand a year is an average. You might put 2 grand in one year, and just have to do oil changes the next. You also have to be intelligent about it and not buy a Pinto, for example.

And monster, nice try with the attempt to go way off topic on cell phones. You're absolutely right, or course, but that's too far of topic.