When the cost of fixing it is higher than the car is worth is when I get a new one.
How old is too old for cars
- Thread starter cleanshaved
- Start date
I'm looking to buy a second hand Cuban taxicab...
July will mark the tenth year I've been driving the same truck and it's still running strong. I figure I'll keep it until it dies. It's also payed for.
Keep it till it's a gigantic non-functioning paperweight or a soul-sucking lemon. I was looking to upgrade my 11 year old car with 105k miles, but the resale was worthless so I now plan to drive it till it won't drive no more.
Here's my saga in bullet points:
- In 1948, two years before I was born, my dad bought a '47 Chrysler Windsor and kept it until 1968 -- 20 years. (He gave it to my cousin, who drove it for another few years.)
- In 1968, when I got my driver's license, he bought me a Plymouth Valiant, which I drove until 1981 -- 13 years. (I gave it to my cousin's wife, who drove it for another several years.)
- In 1981, I bought a Toyota Corolla, which I gave to my BIL in 1990 -- only 9 years. Would have kept it longer -- the engine was great -- but the body was rusting away like crazy. My BIL didn't care.
- In late 1990, I bought a '91 Honda Accord, which I drove for 20 years until it died. The last several years were hell, with a never-ending series of expensive repairs, but I loved the car and was determined to drive it as long as I could.
- In 2010, sick of car repair bills and unsure what to do next, I leased an Accord for 3 years. The 2010 Accords were bigger than previous models (having been redesigned in '09, I think), and it was really nice having a new car.
- In 2013, I leased a new Accord for another three years. By then the Accord had been redesigned. Yes, it was smaller, but zippier, and it handled really well.
- Last year, I leased a 2016 Accord -- same design as the '13. Despite my (and my father's) history of keeping cars a long time, I've really been enjoying the carefree experience of driving a new car.
I have a 2005 and 2006 Honda. Both have less than 90K miles. I plan to drive them to the ground.
Last month Chevy was doing a 20% off deal on the last SS Sedans to get rid of inventory. GM never promoted the SS anyway, and they are closing Holden (their Aussie company that makes the car...it's actually the Holden Commodore AKA Pontiac G8/Chevy Caprice PPV/Chevy SS. Holden also made the "new" GTO from the Holden Monaro).
They were going to give me $13K for my '09 G8 GT, and I was going to put a few grand down, making a brand new 2017 SS after the sale price even cheaper than I paid for my G8 used in 2011!
Well, it turns out the car I wanted was in transit and GM wouldn't let them do the deal if it wasn't already on the lot. The car arrived 2 weeks after the sale ended and was sold immediately due to it being the manual version (they paid full price). There's an automatic on the lot now too and it's been sitting there for like a month now, not selling. There is no way I would buy the car at the normal price so I'm keeping my G8 that's been paid off for a while.
My stepdaughter will be in the need of a reliable used vehicle soon though. Used car prices should be crashing soon...there's about to be a million more in inventory than last year mostly due to leases ending.
The big problem here is that leased cars get returned to their originating lenders every three years for new leases...can't have people rolling in a 5-year-old hooptie, right? However, modern cars useful lives of 15-20 years nowadays. Thus, it doesn't take many excessive lease cycles to flood the market with used supply and bring the whole ponzi scheme crashing down. Should be great for those who can pay cash for one of them.
I also think the days of cheap credit on $40K cars for people making $30K are coming to and end. Subprime housing lending ring a bell? Now apply it to auto loans. Going to be a lot of cars coming back into inventory from this scheme as well, I believe.
They were going to give me $13K for my '09 G8 GT, and I was going to put a few grand down, making a brand new 2017 SS after the sale price even cheaper than I paid for my G8 used in 2011!
Well, it turns out the car I wanted was in transit and GM wouldn't let them do the deal if it wasn't already on the lot. The car arrived 2 weeks after the sale ended and was sold immediately due to it being the manual version (they paid full price). There's an automatic on the lot now too and it's been sitting there for like a month now, not selling. There is no way I would buy the car at the normal price so I'm keeping my G8 that's been paid off for a while.
My stepdaughter will be in the need of a reliable used vehicle soon though. Used car prices should be crashing soon...there's about to be a million more in inventory than last year mostly due to leases ending.
The big problem here is that leased cars get returned to their originating lenders every three years for new leases...can't have people rolling in a 5-year-old hooptie, right? However, modern cars useful lives of 15-20 years nowadays. Thus, it doesn't take many excessive lease cycles to flood the market with used supply and bring the whole ponzi scheme crashing down. Should be great for those who can pay cash for one of them.
I also think the days of cheap credit on $40K cars for people making $30K are coming to and end. Subprime housing lending ring a bell? Now apply it to auto loans. Going to be a lot of cars coming back into inventory from this scheme as well, I believe.
- Thread starter
- #28
Got the parts. Three little plastic parts getting in the way of my window working. Well I hope that is all that is wrong as I have not taken the door card off yet.
They had to get them in for me and the parts salesman said back in the day they always had them on hand. Guess getting parts can get harder with less of them on the road.
There are a lot of Jap' imports here because the cost of ownership of older cars in Japan.
I bought a Mazda Atenza wagon for the wife. It is the same as a Mazda 6 that is sold here. zoom zoom
It's still a great car with plenty of life left in it. I think we have had it for four years and it has only done 130000 k's
I had the same issue a few years ago and almost gave up on it then as well.
As it turned out it was another common fail for the car and many others as well. The steer wheel clock spring. Basically it a power coil, so the wheel can turn and still power stuff on the wheel and column, including the air bag.
I was a happy camper again after changing it out for a new one,
My indicators stopped as well as my horn. If you turned the wheel full lock it reset the clock spring and the horn would work for a short while. It was listed as crude test to see it that was the part broken.
Holden stopping making cars in Aussie is a said day but has been a long time coming.
They also sold Holden's in the UK as a Vauxhall.
They had to get them in for me and the parts salesman said back in the day they always had them on hand. Guess getting parts can get harder with less of them on the road.
There are a lot of Jap' imports here because the cost of ownership of older cars in Japan.
I bought a Mazda Atenza wagon for the wife. It is the same as a Mazda 6 that is sold here. zoom zoom
It's still a great car with plenty of life left in it. I think we have had it for four years and it has only done 130000 k's
I had the same issue a few years ago and almost gave up on it then as well.
As it turned out it was another common fail for the car and many others as well. The steer wheel clock spring. Basically it a power coil, so the wheel can turn and still power stuff on the wheel and column, including the air bag.
I was a happy camper again after changing it out for a new one,
My indicators stopped as well as my horn. If you turned the wheel full lock it reset the clock spring and the horn would work for a short while. It was listed as crude test to see it that was the part broken.
Holden stopping making cars in Aussie is a said day but has been a long time coming.
They also sold Holden's in the UK as a Vauxhall.
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@cleanshaved - thanks for the info, but it's a common problem on older Camrys to develop a short in the low center area of the dash that keeps the signals only from working... I could have pulled the dash and fixed it but with summer coming and the a/c being out yet again, I opted to go the more expensive route. I needed a truck (ok...*wanted*) so I threw in the towel. I still have the car and will tinker away and probably use it as a work car during the cooler months to keep from putting mileage on my truck.
Cleanshaved - I am not sure how true it is but I did hear that NZ was the most popular destination for 10yr old Singaporean cars, usually high spec and well-maintained and low mileage (drive 50k in any direction and you'd end up in the sea!).
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- #31
@CigarSmoka Having to pull the dash may have pushed the need/want scale in favor of getting a new car for me as well. Everyone has their enough point.
My AC stopped working and I've never bothered fixing it. I've known a few people who had expensive repairs done to only have it fail again a year later. As summers are not brutally harsh here in Wellington NZ, I just use my car around town and wind down the windows. Guess I can't complain too much about the window needing the new parts, given it gets used a lot.
If we are going out of town in summer, we take the wife's car as it has a working AC.
@Rushman2112 I've not heard of that myself but a quick look and I see they are there. Guess it may be overshadowed by the number of Jap' imports we receive.
My AC stopped working and I've never bothered fixing it. I've known a few people who had expensive repairs done to only have it fail again a year later. As summers are not brutally harsh here in Wellington NZ, I just use my car around town and wind down the windows. Guess I can't complain too much about the window needing the new parts, given it gets used a lot.
If we are going out of town in summer, we take the wife's car as it has a working AC.
@Rushman2112 I've not heard of that myself but a quick look and I see they are there. Guess it may be overshadowed by the number of Jap' imports we receive.
- Thread starter
- #32
The window is fixed. It was a bit of a PITA but not too difficult.
Looking for a few more years out of this wagon. The engine can start crapping out at 300,000km's/186,000miles but many if looked after have gone over 400,000km/248,000.
It has been well looked after so are hopeful for the higher distance.
While I tend to follow the drive it into the ground idea, I would prefer to move on just short of total failure. If she starts smoking then the time is up. I won't be rebuilding the motor on this one.
Been there done that. I enjoyed the rebuild, don't get me wrong but when the car was written off in a accident the insurance company only paid out on a cars value of the same age and km's. They gave no value for the extra money spent.
Looking for a few more years out of this wagon. The engine can start crapping out at 300,000km's/186,000miles but many if looked after have gone over 400,000km/248,000.
It has been well looked after so are hopeful for the higher distance.
While I tend to follow the drive it into the ground idea, I would prefer to move on just short of total failure. If she starts smoking then the time is up. I won't be rebuilding the motor on this one.
Been there done that. I enjoyed the rebuild, don't get me wrong but when the car was written off in a accident the insurance company only paid out on a cars value of the same age and km's. They gave no value for the extra money spent.
We have an '04 liberty also. 286k on it. Something electrical is wrong with the brakes, but motor is still chugging along.
I'm with people regarding keeping cars a long time. The only concern for me is when cars get old enough to be unsafe compared to newer cars on the road. Most new cars will rip an older car to shreds in a head on crash.
@cleanshaved. My wife's nephew from Jakarta is currently studying somewhere near Auckland, and brought a 10yr old Nissan something for 2,000 Kiwi dollars, car is in great condition decent spec and very low mileage: it can only be ex-Singapore(!)
- Thread starter
- #36
Once the mfg had air bags for front and sides, I decided it was time to get my midlife crisis car. Now my '05 CTS-V with an LS-6 has 75k on her and I'm hoping to ride on into the realm of classic cars worth $$... Of course, we need to get a 2k tune up on the paint and such pretty soon, but I'm waiting for the day she has the garage all to herself - I hate people who leave paint marks on my side panels because they don't care when opening their car doors! ( I'm still trying to figure out how I got in a 20 year relationship with one)
I don't know what you guys are complaining about. My 1884 De Dion Bouton et Trepardoux Dos-a-Dos is still running fine.
We drive 'em till they have more rust than paint. Just too expensive to get rid of.
Do the math, nothing more than a depreciating asset.
Do the math, nothing more than a depreciating asset.
I don't know what you guys are complaining about. My 1884 De Dion Bouton et Trepardoux Dos-a-Dos is still running fine.
Aw, c'mon, admit it. You get a new Rolls Royce every time you run out of Grey Poupon.
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