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Highest mileage vehicle I ever owned was an Infiniti G35x that had over 200K miles. Thing ran like a champ. I owned it since around 10K miles so took care of it. It ate front wheel bearings like nobody's business but other than that it was just fluid changes and other routine stuff. My plan was to drive it as long as i could, and at that point of time it was running so well I thought that could be at least another 50K miles.
Then, one day on the highway, a universal joint for the front driveshaft let go at 80MPH. It slapped around loose under the car (but captured up in the body so it didn't drop) and damaged a significant number of things. Broke some wire harnesses, broke the front differential and cracked a good chunk of the trans bellhousing off. Needless to say the car was totalled just due to cost of repairs, even if i did the work myself which I would certainly have done.
Went out and bought myself a new car the next day. Really, it's my own stubbornness that prevents me from buying more cars than I do. I have the money, but I like keeping old cars running well. Does come a point where you have to throw in the towel though.
As for the Infiniti. Dealer didn't want a broken car so I pulled the driveline and parted what was good of it out, swapped an LS motor into it and sold it. That was a fun project
I am very particular in what I buy and with my daily drivers, I never keep them more than a couple years as there is always something different that catches my attention. Cars make me happy and I enjoy driving and owning them very much. I also have this bad habit that once a vehicle is paid off, I view it as a big down payment on something even better. For me, car payments are like mortgages...I will always have one and when there isnt one, its time to get another, lol.
Then, one day on the highway, a universal joint for the front driveshaft let go at 80MPH. It slapped around loose under the car (but captured up in the body so it didn't drop) and damaged a significant number of things. Broke some wire harnesses, broke the front differential and cracked a good chunk of the trans bellhousing off. Needless to say the car was totalled just due to cost of repairs...
See, THAT'S what worries me. My 15-year-old car could go another few years and hundred thousand miles or die tomorrow. I have no way of knowing. Meanwhile, EXACTLY the car I want next is sitting on a lot a half hour away. It seems almost insane to take the chance...
And a still-working car is easier to sell or trade than a broken one.
And a still-working car is easier to sell or trade than a broken one.
That was one of the gating factors in my decision to never run a car to failure again. Had i traded the functional car in, i would have gotten...something. Instead, it was now a non-mobile parts car that was on me to dispose of.
There's a billion ways to skin a cat here. Part of the reason I don't buy new cars often is because i'm stubborn, and less about trying to save money.
See, THAT'S what worries me. My 15-year-old car could go another few years and hundred thousand miles or die tomorrow. I have no way of knowing. Meanwhile, EXACTLY the car I want next is sitting on a lot a half hour away. It seems almost insane to take the chance...
And a still-working car is easier to sell or trade than a broken one.
Decisions, decisions!
And there's the dilemma...do you get rid of a "perfectly good" vehicle just because it's old, or do you hang on and risk a major repair that's not worth it?
Only had one instance where a vehicle failed me...a 12 ish y.o. corrola with about 150k that the engine self-destructed about 300 mi. from home. Was able to basically ditch it at a buy here pay here lot, and buy a $1000 beater with a credit card to get me home.
Everything else got sidelined due to rust and not being able to pass our state's safety inspection, at least that gave time to shop for a replacement.
And there's the dilemma...do you get rid of a "perfectly good" vehicle just because it's old, or do you hang on and risk a major repair that's not worth it?
Only had one instance where a vehicle failed me...a 12 ish y.o. corrola with about 150k that the engine self-destructed about 300 mi. from home. Was able to basically ditch it at a buy here pay here lot, and buy a $1000 beater with a credit card to get me home.
Everything else got sidelined due to rust and not being able to pass our state's safety inspection, at least that gave time to shop for a replacement.
That was probably cheaper than renting a car would be today.
The issues with me are that I have no one to help me (if I got stranded somewhere, it would be up to me to get home and deal with the hassle), and then there's the matter of locating EXACTLY the car I want, as it may be my last one, and I don't want to settle. And that exact car is available here and now.
Could I just park it and leave it without driving, insuring, or registering it? After all, my current car sat stationary on a lot for over a year!
I just hate to give up on this one when it's running great. The aforementioned "stubborness"? It seems to be a Toyota thing...
Just wondering what motivates people to buy a new car. If your current car is lacking in some respect -- reliability, features, etc? Changed lifestyle? Just tired of it?
If not now looking, what motivated you last time you did trade up? Me, generally I don't start looking around until trips to the repair shop shart killing me.
A number of things.
One, I have an expensive repair coming up, the catalytic converter. Secondly, it is over 20 yeas old. Third, suggestions, at least, of various government mandates in future years don't thrill me. Fourth, I figure better to get that last car before I retire. At least.
Now on the topic of a new car, I am thinking of going to the cheaper dealer and doing it that way.......but is there a way to get a new, me as the first owner, car, cheaper, without going thru the dealer?
One, I have an expensive repair coming up, the catalytic converter. Secondly, it is over 20 yeas old. Third, suggestions, at least, of various government mandates in future years don't thrill me. Fourth, I figure better to get that last car before I retire. At least.
Now on the topic of a new car, I am thinking of going to the cheaper dealer and doing it that way.......but is there a way to get a new, me as the first owner, car, cheaper, without going thru the dealer?
I hear ya on the government mandates, not too thrilled with them myself.
As far as being able to buy a new vehicle without using a dealer, the answer is pretty much no. Tesla seems to have found a loophole in the law that they've been able to exploit, but I'm not sure their cars are quite ready for prime time yet. I don't think any other automakers will sell a car directly to the customer.
One, I have an expensive repair coming up, the catalytic converter. Secondly, it is over 20 yeas old. Third, suggestions, at least, of various government mandates in future years don't thrill me. Fourth, I figure better to get that last car before I retire. At least.
Now on the topic of a new car, I am thinking of going to the cheaper dealer and doing it that way.......but is there a way to get a new, me as the first owner, car, cheaper, without going thru the dealer?
You should not allow yourself to exaggerate the cost of a new catalytic converter. $150 will get the job done, usually. I paid less than that for a "free flow Cat" for my 90 GMC.
Just don't go to a dealer. Use a muffler shop.
How does CarMax work? Do they deliver cars from all over like Carvana does, with the buyer paying for shipping?
You can certainly order a brand new car from the factory (unless they've discontinued it, like mine), but you'll buy it through a dealer.
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