Why Cars and Trucks are expensive these days? (gaskets, fuel, exhaust)

[Stonepa]

Originally Posted by Blackandgold51

There was time where you could get a car or truck for about 1000 to 3000 Dollars or lower.

Now cars and trucks are expensive like a house.

A new 2015 to 16 Silverado can cost around 60 thousand and a Suburban up to 90 thousand.

Cars like a Honda or chevy sedans around 30 thousands. Plus you can't work on them like you use to back then. Now you have to take it to the dealership where it can cost you(unless you have warranty).

Also the parts are expensive . A headlight on my 90 Suburban V1500 4x4 can cost 20 to 30 dollars brand new while on a new 2016 it can cost up to a thousand of dollars.

Matter of fact one time this year I was at my buddies paint and body shop where a 2014 or 15 mustang needed a new headlight from the dealership. Headlight was 865 dollars

If you bought a pickup truck or Suburban equipped as they were 40 years ago they are a lot cheaper. Buy a work, farm, or fleet spec and the price comes way down and is pretty comparable to what a vehicle used to cost, if you adjust the dollars. A lot of cars are actually a lot cheaper. I bought a used low mileage Toyota 4Runner SR5 in 1994 for 5k more than I can buy a new one today. And the new one has airbags, blue tooth, an engine with horse power, etc.

[Fleet]

Originally Posted by urbex

Engine, transmission, body.

Engines didn't last 100,000 mostly, as the tolerances weren't anywhere near as tightly controlled as they are now, nor is the metallurgy as advanced so the things wore out a lot faster. Same with the transmissions.

Not this again.

I have mentioned before the 1966 Dodge Dart GT V-8 I used to own. It already had 109,000 miles when I took ownership in 1979. Transmission was rebuilt in 1988 at 160,000 miles (too many powerbrake burnouts). Engine was rebuilt in 1990 at 170,000 miles. It was still running fine but burning oil.

My brother's 1966 Plymouth Fury III (318 V-8 engine) had a similar record.

My mom's 1970 Cadillac Coupe de Ville went past the 200,000 mile mark with the original engine (it did have a valve job) and original transmission. Neither of those components were rebuilt.

A friend sold his 1966 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham a few years ago. 218,000 miles with the original, non-rebuilt transmission.

There are many, many more examples.

The 1968 Cadillac 472-cu-in engine had cylinder bores honed to a tolerance of .0002 inches (two ten-thousands of one inch), the entire range between the smallest and largest bore.

The maximum clearance between a piston pin was .00015 (fifteen one-hundred-thousands of one inch).

[Stonepa]

Much of the reason cars were replaced more often in the past had to do with the poor quality of the sheet metal. In areas using road salt they rusted so quickly that they needed to be scrapped in just a couple of years. If you lived in California, Arizona, Texas, etc those cars lived a long time.

[SAAN]

I dont think the OP is talking about the 60's, it was just 10 years ago $3000 could get you something semi decent. Now people with 15 yr old cars with 150-200K want $3000 for it and the car is worth 1500-1800 tops if it gets totaled.

Used car prices are insane, as everyone thinks their 10 year old car is worth $10,000 and while newer cars do last longer, a car is still a car and many components start to wear out after 150K and definitely 200K once they are reached their usable life span.

Many Honda and Toyota owner will brag they have 300K on their car, and not mention all the random parts that have been replaced to get to that point.

[notnamed]

He did bring up a new Silverado in the OP so presume he is talking when you could still get new cars for $3k which pretty much puts it in the 60s.

[Vision67]

I recently searched for a used car for my daughter. I was hoping to buy a 3 year old Camry for $15K. I discovered that's not possible.

Now, $10K gets you a car with 100K miles on the clock.

Most of the 3-4 year old cars are either rental returns or they have been wrecked and repaired, or they have been transferred from flooded areas.

So I gave up.

Instead, I bought a new Elantra at the Costco price. It is a sweet deal.

[zoomzoom3]

What's funny about the Silverados, F-150's, and Ram pickups is that they are replacing the BMW 7 series and Mercedes Benz S class as status symbols in gated communities & country clubs. Luxury sedans aren't too exciting anymore and everyone knows how expensive pickups are now, so people can tell that you're ballin hard if you have a top of the line pickup truck.

[curiousgeorge5]

Originally Posted by Vision67

Most of the 3-4 year old cars are either rental returns or they have been wrecked and repaired, or they have been transferred from flooded areas.

I didn't know this.

I wonder how many have been transferred from flooded areas. I though once flooded (whatever that legally constitutes), the vehicle is done.

[gtt99]

Originally Posted by zoomzoom3

What's funny about the Silverados, F-150's, and Ram pickups is that they are replacing the BMW 7 series and Mercedes Benz S class as status symbols in gated communities & country clubs. Luxury sedans aren't too exciting anymore and everyone knows how expensive pickups are now, so people can tell that you're ballin hard if you have a top of the line pickup truck.

Trucks are way more practical than sedans and pretty luxuries these days.

[ged_782]

Originally Posted by notnamed

He did bring up a new Silverado in the OP so presume he is talking when you could still get new cars for $3k which pretty much puts it in the 60s.

I remember the Ford Maverick debuted in 1969 with a base MSRP of $1995. The Pinto debuted a year later at $1919. You could still get a new car for $3K or less into at least the mid-late 1970s, although at that point, you were into a stripper subcompact.