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And I know people that buy a beater car ONLY because they are not afraid to get their hands dirty, do their own maintenance, repairs and, as the result, they SAVE a ton of money. Then again, those folks usually do not buy certain makes that are known to be money pits.
When we moved here, I was surprised that Americans rid of cars that reach 60 000 miles. I asked buddy that lived here a few years longer, he said - yes, they know that after that mileage, those cars are destined to start breaking down.
Designed obsolesce. That's what it is. I could point you towards excellent show on this, solid proof, but you don't speak Russian. DESIGNED things that serve no other logical purpose but to make engine break down.
And I know people that buy a beater car ONLY because they are not afraid to get their hands dirty, do their own maintenance, repairs and, as the result, they SAVE a ton of money. Then again, those folks usually do not buy certain makes that are known to be money pits.
When we moved here, I was surprised that Americans rid of cars that reach 60 000 miles. I asked buddy that lived here a few years longer, he said - yes, they know that after that mileage, those cars are destined to start breaking down.
Designed obsolesce. That's what it is. I could point you towards excellent show on this, solid proof, but you don't speak Russian. DESIGNED things that serve no other logical purpose but to make engine break down.
I fall into that category. I can explain fully why it works well for me, and show that I have saved hundreds of thousands of dollars over the last 40 years.
But not everyone is able and willing to do what I've done.
I work in a tire/repair shop and I see people come in who constantly dump THOUSANDS into cars that aren't even worth more than a couple of hundred dollars. With all the money they put into these cars they could have bought themselves something more reliable. I tell them it's not worth it to keep putting money into this car and to use that money towards something else. We see them every couple of months with more issues and it's always the same brand of vehicles..
You spend more money on repairs with an old car, but you save more money by not having to pay for a new car every couple of years. No car payments, lower insurance rates. I have an older but low mileage car, that is very reliable. But I spend more money on my insurance, then I do on operating and maintaining the car. If I had a old junker, the first thing I would do is cancel all of the insurance, except for the legal minimum liability. That would be a big chunk of money in my hands every month, to put toward repair costs.
My sister and her husband do this and it makes me crazy. They spend thousands of dollars every year on repairs on 20-year-old American cars, and they'd spend more if a family member didn't do a lot of work gratis. My BIL refuses to buy foreign cars, or "throw away a lot of money on a new car." They could easily pay for a new Camry every 5-6 years with the money they're spending on repairs on a 1994 Chevy, not to mention the time wasted on repair logistics since they live out in the boondocks.
My sister and her husband do this and it makes me crazy. They spend thousands of dollars every year on repairs on 20-year-old American cars, and they'd spend more if a family member didn't do a lot of work gratis. My BIL refuses to buy foreign cars, or "throw away a lot of money on a new car." They could easily pay for a new Camry every 5-6 years with the money they're spending on repairs on a 1994 Chevy, not to mention the time wasted on repair logistics since they live out in the boondocks.
"Thousands of dollars every year."
Do you know what they're having done? That sounds excessive.
I own a vehicle that is a junker, but runs pretty good, is fairly reliable and might be worth 500 bucks. Yeah, if something big goes wrong, no way I am going to shell-out bucks to fix it. But 100 bucks here, 80 bucks there.....no problem, just the cost of keeping a vehicle going.
I own a vehicle that is a junker, but runs pretty good, is fairly reliable and might be worth 500 bucks. Yeah, if something big goes wrong, no way I am going to shell-out bucks to fix it. But 100 bucks here, 80 bucks there.....no problem, just the cost of keeping a vehicle going.
Right.
And when you compare it to the cost of buying a new one, it's pretty remarkable.
I work in a tire/repair shop and I see people come in who constantly dump THOUSANDS into cars that aren't even worth more than a couple of hundred dollars. With all the money they put into these cars they could have bought themselves something more reliable. I tell them it's not worth it to keep putting money into this car and to use that money towards something else. We see them every couple of months with more issues and it's always the same brand of vehicles..
Sad, Himain, extremely sad . . . you need to "get out more"
My 1986 Jeep CJ-7 (the final year for AMC Jeeps prior to Chrysler taking over) is frequently the Center Of Attention whenever and wherever I go around town. The requests to sell with offers to buy more than four to five times the original sticker price have no bearing on my decision to politely reject and drive away.
Right now the Jeep is securely tucked in the garage and there are absolutely no plans to change that in spite of the need for a little extra maintenance plus a few idiosyncrasies.
I could comfortably afford a new vehicle but . . .
I work in a tire/repair shop and I see people come in who constantly dump THOUSANDS into cars that aren't even worth more than a couple of hundred dollars. With all the money they put into these cars they could have bought themselves something more reliable. I tell them it's not worth it to keep putting money into this car and to use that money towards something else. We see them every couple of months with more issues and it's always the same brand of vehicles..
The personal worth of a car, is different than the car's financial value. The individual may not be able to replace the car with an upgraded or newer vehicle, that is suitable to them. In their view, the car they have is reasonably reliable, and they would rather put money into maintenance, then purchase a slightly newer car that may not be as reliable.
Another factor, is the huge disparity between trade-in values of older cars, and what an individual would have to pay a used car dealer to replace the car they have. I know you can deal on the private market, with better results, but not everyone is adept or comfortable doing that.
It's all about getting from point A to point B reliably, and within the financial constraints of the owner, rather than the financial value of the car.
I fall into that category. I can explain fully why it works well for me, and show that I have saved hundreds of thousands of dollars over the last 40 years.
But not everyone is able and willing to do what I've done.
+1. There is an assumption on this forum, that everyone is born with the mechanical aptitude to work on cars, and if they refuse to, it's a negative character trait.
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