Almost a classic car

I tend to keep cars until they are no longer economical to repair. Some even eventually start going up in value. I’ve never been one to change cars every year or so. Although, I'm more likely to buy another and still keep the older one, or older ones, as at times I’ve owned several at the same time.

I seem to put a lot of time and effort into deciding what car to buy, each one chosen for different reasons, and different purposes. Then I find that, mostly, I can't part with it, as I’ve formed an unwitting connection with it. It would be like selling part of my own history, depending on the level of connection I had formed.
 

I should clarify my feelings, that being a mechanic, there's nothing worse than trying to track down an electrical problem in an automobile. Therefore, I look with jaded eyes at all the modern electronic devises that are installed in todays cars... and trucks.
It is always just a matter of time until a problem will arise.
 
squatting dog said:
I should clarify my feelings, that being a mechanic, there's nothing worse than trying to track down an electrical problem in an automobile. Therefore, I look with jaded eyes at all the modern electronic devises that are installed in todays cars... and trucks.
It is always just a matter of time until a problem will arise.
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I’ve always kept my cars until they became totally unreliable but my new little Kona is so tech heavy that I won’t feel comfortable owning it after the warranty expires.

I was talking with the salesman and he told me that the cost to replace the computer that collects data and feeds it into the screen is approx. $7,000.00, or approx. 25% of the original cost of the car.

IMO the days of private ownership of vehicles are numbered.
 
I have an acquaintance that buys a new car every 3 years. That seems like such a hassle and suggested that she lease, that way she can turn in the old car for a new one every 3 years. She, in effect, told me to mind my own business. Of course we can see solutions to other people situations but often not our own. I am guilty...I ask for advice and seldom take it.
 
squatting dog said:
I should clarify my feelings, that being a mechanic, there's nothing worse than trying to track down an electrical problem in an automobile. Therefore, I look with jaded eyes at all the modern electronic devises that are installed in todays cars... and trucks.
It is always just a matter of time until a problem will arise.
Click to expand...
Ain't that the truth. Also everything's linked together thru your cars brain (electronic control modual), so if something fails it starts throwing alarms and fault codes and can make the car undriveable.

Perfect example is recently my daughter's car had a spark plug foul out, pretty much shut the car down, she had to have it towed. In the old days a plug fouls out and the car would run rough but it wouldn't shut down leaving you stranded.
 
Tom52 said:
If I want to feel really stupid all I need to do is get in my newish car and try to figure out how to do something beyond just the basics. I do like the feature where you can hit a button to get an overhead view of the vehicle to help get centered in a parking spot.
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if I was reversing then that automatically comes up in my car
 
debodun said:
I have an acquaintance that buys a new car every 3 years. That seems like such a hassle and suggested that she lease, that way she can turn in the old car for a new one every 3 years. She, in effect, told me to mind my own business. Of course we can see solutions to other people situations but often not our own. I am guilty...I ask for advice and seldom take it.
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The salesman at the showroom today, told me he gets a new car..gratis from the company as do all the salesman, every 4 MONTHS!!.. they don't have to pay insurance, or taxes... but they do have to change the car after 4 months even if they like what they're driving.

He's due to have a new car given to him in 2 days... currently he's driving the 2025 Kia Ceed and he loves that.. but the next one he has to drive will be an electric model which he's not keen about... but anyway can you imagine getting a Brand new car every 4 months ?
 
debodun said:
I've had my 2002 Honda Civic 23 years today (July 29th). It still gets me where I need to go.

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Well done Deb, back in the late 1990's my wife's eight year old BMW was running up some serious servicing and repair bills. Time for a change I said. Just get an easy run-around like a VW Golf she said. Twenty-seven years and two hundred thousand miles later, it's still going strong. The garage where it's serviced called it bullet-proof.

There is a possible explanation though, it shares a heated garage with my seventy-eight-year-old MG. Being kept out of the weather when not in use has paid dividends over and over again.
 

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