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I started out buying new cars and paying cash for them, driving them several 100 thousand miles and the scrapping them. I'm retired now, and I have changed to buying used because I'm only driving a few thousand miles a year. The last vehicle I bought cost $6000 and than I put $300 into it and now have been driving it for 3 years with no problems. Because it's old and of limited value I only carry liability insurance. The yearly licensing is also cheap. Everything works on the car, so I'm not missing out on any benefits from new.
I also do all my own mechanical work.
Vehicle cost $6000
Insurance a year $250
License renewal $50
Total repairs $300
I drive an old but well maintained 91 F250 with a Windsor V-8 and a ZF-5 5 Speed Manual with Manual locking Hubs a Sterling 10.25 Rear and a Dana 50 TTB front and manual windows and doors and only have rear Abs and ODBI
So it is very simple to do DIY repairs and parts and trim from most 1980-1996 F-series trucks and Full-size Ford Broncos will fit as well as them having a huge aftermarket support and both the Chilton and Haynes manual cover everything you would need to know and how to do it to upkeep a F-series PU Truck from that era.
Heck even when I owned my 1996 Corvette it was just a LT4 and a T56 6-speed it was relatively easy to keep the drivetrain maintained just things like power seats and the FX3 selective ride control were major issues or PITA to keep maintained or replace without spending some $$$
Again the 5.7 (350ci) LT1/LT4 V-8 and T-56 were used in both the Y-body and F-body cars of the same era so lots of parts and info and experienced independent mechanics could world on them they were the last of the "Old SBC V-8" before the LS1 took over and had atleast on my 96 had ODBII
The most valuable ride-and-handling option available on 1989-1996 Corvettes is RPO FX3 "Electronic Selective Ride and Handling". Known by many Vettesters as "adjustable suspension" or by its RPO number "FX3", GM engineers called it "Selective Ride Control", "Selective Ride" or just "SRC". Selective Ride's core is four, Bilstein, electrically-operated, ride-adaptive shock absorbers; ok, real engineers call them "dampers". "
Ride-adaptive" means the shocks adapt their damping to changing vehicle dynamics while the car moves. Along with the dampers, SRC has an on-board computer to control them, a center console selector switch and the wiring harness that links all this hardware.
Bilstein also supplied the fixed-valve, high-pressure, gas-filled dampers introduced on C4 for 1985. About the time the first 959s hit the road in Europe, Chevy was working on a 1989 project called "King of the Hill Corvette". The Bow-Tie guys wanted a technologically-advanced suspension to go with a four-cam V8 and a six-speed they were putting in this up-level C4 which was eventually branded "ZR-1".
According the Dave McLellan, Corvette Chief Engineer from 1975 to 1992, the reason he envisioned SRC for the ZR-1 was simple: it would enlarge the car's performance envelope with improved handling in combination with better ride.
The only way that could happen was if the dampers were ride-adaptive and controlled by some vehicle dynamics parameter such as speed. Scott Allman, Lead Engineer for Corvette's ride-and-handling development from late 1987 to 1994, told us in an interview, "At low speeds with the Gatorbacks (Goodyear's first generation, ultraperformance radial tire on '84-'91 Vettes), C4's rode like trucks.
With Z51 and Z52, we were getting a lot of complaints about ride harshness. We were doing everything we could to take control authority out of the shock absorbers to improve the low-speed, rough road, ride and handling. When you do that, but then go autocrossing or road racing; the car is all over the road.
It's difficult (with fixed-valve shocks) to get enough control authority to have proper damping at high speed without negatively impacting the low-speed ride and handling. "Bilstein had talked to us about this variable damping with six steps," Allman continued.
"The idea was at low-speed, we could have a lot less damping than we needed at high-speed." The rest, as they say, is history.
The Chevrolet/Bilstein partnership repackaged the damper hardware used on the 95, recalibrated the controller software and developed the system for C4.
When ZR-1 slipped a year, SRC was introduced as a Corvette option for model year 1989. The King-of-the-Hill finally arrived a year later with Selective Ride as standard equipment. Between MY89 and '96, 35,614 C4s, including all 6,939 ZR-1s, were built with SRC. - See more at:
Mc is right. It all starts with buying a very reliable car. Lexus or Toyota.
2. Do your maintenance religiously
3. do your own repairs. As far as your arms are growing out of shoulders, not out of buttocks, you as qualified to work on cars as anyone else. Just start low and simple and learn as it goes.
That's it.
How can one do that these days unless you own the computer interface? In the 90s it was trivial to get out my book and fix my own alternator. But these days you need tools that cost more than the car!
By used (one owner only with excellent maintenance history).
I know how to do the basics.
I pay cash for my vehicle.
I try to keep mileage driven down (live five minutes from work).
Anticipate an item that may cost more to repair (water pump).
I will NEVER buy a new car, such a terrible waste of money on a depreciating asset.
How can one do that these days unless you own the computer interface? In the 90s it was trivial to get out my book and fix my own alternator. But these days you need tools that cost more than the car!
Not every repair requires you to have the computer diagnostic stuff, but you're right, it is very helpful.
Over the years I've had a lot of cars from a variety of makes, and eventually, if you like one car from one brand so much, it's typical that you'll eventually buy another. If that is the case, then it makes sense to buy the diagnostic stuff that will work on that brand. Even though it's expensive, when you figure that you may be using it on 3, 4, or even 5 plus cars over several years, it really isn't that bad.
Typically, just doing 1-2 repairs yourself will make the cost of the diagnostic stuff pay for itself.
I've always had a hard time with car repairs and the cost of car ownership (depreciation + repairs, I'm not talking fuel cost, insurance, or replacing things that wear out like tires or brakes.)
What do you to try to keep the cost down?
I've found repairs on my vehicle average about $0.05 to $.07 per mile.
Lol.
Driving can be cheaper than running.
My running shoes cost $150 and are good for 300 miles. So 50¢ a mile
My car costs 37¢ a mile to operate (fuel, insurance, maintance to 100,000 miles, dep to 100,000 miles, and reg costs).
How can one do that these days unless you own the computer interface? In the 90s it was trivial to get out my book and fix my own alternator. But these days you need tools that cost more than the car!
You might be looking in the wrong places. For instance there is an aftermarket cable that gives you dealer level access to Audi and VW cars. It costs around 350.
I buy 2 year old low mileage cars that are Certified Pre-Owned. Not only do you save big up front, but they come with a 100,000 mile warranty to save on any repairs.
How can one do that these days unless you own the computer interface? In the 90s it was trivial to get out my book and fix my own alternator. But these days you need tools that cost more than the car!
Not true at all, cheap obd code reader from harbor freight, after u get the code let google be ure friend, and repair u need to make, you tube the repair with ure car make and model year, watch the video on repair, u'll know more bout how to do it than most mechanics, lol. Not to say u can do all repairs, but with good maintance you can do most, good luck. Study the repair on you tube, then save hundreds of dollars and do the job right with no short cuts, its truly amazing this internet.
I've always had a hard time with car repairs and the cost of car ownership (depreciation + repairs, I'm not talking fuel cost, insurance, or replacing things that wear out like tires or brakes.)
What do you to try to keep the cost down?
I've found repairs on my vehicle average about $0.05 to $.07 per mile.
tired tired:
Many here, most in fact say "do your own maintenance". I don't know the engine head gasket from the tailpipe! I am also disabled, if I got down under the vehicle to change the oil anymore, I seriously won't be able to get back up!
So, assuming you are like me:
Our current vehicles are: '06 Kia Sedona, 83500 miles, bought used @ 45k miles, 1.3 years left factory warrantee, financed and paid for 2.3 years. And a '14 Hyundai Elantra, 28k miles, bought new paid cash. It gets used more than the Kia does. Before that, we traded in an '92 Ford Taurus on the Kia and a '98 Dodge caravan for the Hyundai.
I will keep the '06 at least until 2020, if not 2025. I don't really put a lot on per year.
SInce the Hyundai gets used fro MOH's work with special needs people, driving them around to appts. and to community things to get them out and about. IT will probably go at 200k miles unless it will last longer.
Do you see a picture forming? We keep the vehicles until the fall apart form rust or wear out or can't get decent parts for them. at least 12 years, if not 15 or 16. They each gave us good service, and they began to be a problem. The '98 gave 16 years of service, and the engine was sound when we traded it, but it was a rust bucket, Had MOH NOT been driving special needs people around, we probably would have kept it another 45K miles anyway. {MOH prefers, due to my disabilities that I had the newer car until the '14 Elantra..it ws bought to replace the '98 MOH was driving while I drove the new Kia.}
We also MAINTAIN our vehicles. THAT is the biggest vehicle saver.
WHen the oil is old at 3k, we change it and the filter at our local FIrestone. We ASk the oil filter to be changed, as some places will only change the oil IF you say "change the oil please", so ask specifically for an oil and filter change! At 10 years old the '98 caravan cost about $3k in repairs, but gave us another trouble free 5 years of service, longer had we not traded it in. The kia cost about $1200 one year, but I can't get a lease or buy payment for $100+/month, the average it cost me that year. a couple of oil changes and a light or two is why I said "100+" per month. since that was 3 years ago, that cost is even less for the 3 years those repairs has lasted so far, nad more years will come.
Breaks will wear out and so will tires.
MAINTENANCE is a big deal, spend a little and it will serve you well. avoid it and it will cost you! AS soon as a dash light comes on, as soon as we hear a noise, we get it in to FIrestone or our favorite independent repair shop.
so, if you can't do your own, or have to have the newest latest model,our plan wont work for you. But then, our costs are cheap compared to new cars or payments every month. Up to you.
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