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Projects Makes more sense to buy OLDER cars

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by 62rebel, Jan 23, 2019.

  1. 62rebel
    Joined: Sep 1, 2008
    Posts: 3,232

    62rebel
    Member

    Kinda like preaching to the choir, right? Not really. I've been working on cars for nigh on forty years and spent almost twenty selling parts and working on newer cars. What my takeaway is, is this: new cars are a ripoff. Once the warranty is gone, you can forget keeping a "new" car operational on a cost-effective basis. Look up the prices of the various and sundry hundreds of electronic sensors, switches, solenoids and control units that are 100% necessary to keep a "modern" car running. Now, compare those prices to their counterparts on a big 3 car from the early sixties. Oh, right... nearly nothing crosses directly over to ANYTHING on a normal early sixties car. Let's see... points, plugs, wires, coil, resistor, temp and oil senders.... voltage regulator, alternator or maybe a generator.... automatic trans with no electrical parts except a neutral safety/backup light switch. Manual trans same way. Some consider all the "modern" stuff vital to their safety and comfort when driving. I think it simply makes people less attentive and more complacent to have so much technology riding along with them. My next car, not saying what it will be yet because I don't have it in my driveway, will not have anything in it that wasn't common the year it was made, except maybe radial tires.
     
  2. flatheadpete
    Joined: Oct 29, 2003
    Posts: 10,479

    flatheadpete
    Member
    from Burton, MI

    I work at a Chevy dealer in the parts dept...I'm smellin' what you're steppin' in.
     
  3. squirrel
    Joined: Sep 23, 2004
    Posts: 55,941

    squirrel
    Member

    if you can get a modern car used, with 100k miles on it, and drive it for 100k miles, then you'll probably be money ahead compared to an old car. Something about not really needing many repairs, and getting twice the gas mileage.

    But damn, they're BORING
     
  4. mr.chevrolet
    Joined: Jul 19, 2006
    Posts: 8,860

    mr.chevrolet
    Member

    repair costs are why everyone is leasing. if you can get a decent car/truck at a good monthly price you'll have a new car all the time and a constant monthly payment.
     
    AHotRod, B Bay Barn and chriseakin like this.

  5. kbgreen
    Joined: Jan 12, 2014
    Posts: 341

    kbgreen
    Member
    1. Georgia Hambers

    The problem is that we car calling them cars when they are actually an integrated, multi-computer controlled gasoline burning device with some semblance of a car attached to it. As you are probably aware, one little software upgrade and you are now obsolete within three years of being purchased.
     
    65ny, AHotRod, reagen and 4 others like this.
  6. jaw22w
    Joined: Mar 2, 2013
    Posts: 1,671

    jaw22w
    Member
    from Indiana

    I agree. New cars are boring as hell.
    But I'm not so sure if I agree on the 100K used car. In Indiana new cars are hit heavily for license pates. $400/year plates are not unusual. My old car is $35/year for plates. My insurance runs about $150/ year. Any repairs are done by me with inexpensive parts. I am retired. I don't have a daily commute racking up miles, so mileage is not quite as important.
    I think my old car is at least a wash with a used car, and WAY more fun.
     
  7. olscrounger
    Joined: Feb 23, 2008
    Posts: 4,770

    olscrounger
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Back in the 70's we were tight for money. A new car was not a consideration. Our main car was our 55 Chevy. Drove it for 7-8 years as our main car-I had a company car for work only. Wife commuted in 101 traffic in the Bay area daily and we took it on long vacations. Probably the most reliable car and cost effective car we have ever owned. Easy to fix on the road if needed. Still have it. The old girl has paid for itself many times over and is still a very nice car. Have no plans of letting it go. Kids all want it too. Her new Denali is nice but mucho $$ and license is insane.
     
    AHotRod and lothiandon1940 like this.
  8. egads
    Joined: Aug 23, 2011
    Posts: 1,419

    egads
    Member

    They're getting worse every day!
     
    Last edited: Jan 23, 2019
  9. Jalopy Joker
    Joined: Sep 3, 2006
    Posts: 31,179

    Jalopy Joker
    Member

    have to agree that enjoying a ride in an old car, in good shape, is much better than a new car - but, as a daily to commute in, etc not so much - we have a '05 Chrysler 300C that we bought new for cash - now has about 263,00 miles on it with just normal servicing, etc - but, each to their own
     
    Krash Vegas, jimgoetz and BigDogSS like this.
  10. RacingRoger
    Joined: Sep 11, 2017
    Posts: 208

    RacingRoger
    Member

    Actually, the cost of the new car itself is why I would consider leasing. I'm not so much worried about repair costs on a brand new vehicle... Usually the new vehicles come with bumper to bumper warranty for a few years so I have some time to give it a good shake down cruise and get things repaired under warranty. It's that $800 a month car payment to buy outright that kills it for me...
     
  11. I hear ya !

    The requirements for any (new to me) car is a carburator and points.

    By the time a new vehicle is paid for the parts for repairs have been obsoleted.

    But you know the Feds are gonna fuck us with those autonomous self driving pieces of shit making anything self drivable illegal to have on the roads.

    I"ll be dead by then (hopefully)

    Oldmics
     
    Atwater Mike, 41woodie, czuch and 4 others like this.
  12. denis4x4
    Joined: Apr 23, 2005
    Posts: 4,198

    denis4x4
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Colorado

    I have four daily drivers, newest is 2008 model. Dumped a late model Grand Cherokee a couple of years ago. The cost of registration, sales tax and insurance on a new car is far more than I want to pay. Three of the cars are serviced by a trusted mechanic and the fourth one is dealer serviced. Several trade magazines are talking about the high costs of fender benders due to sensors, CPU's and electronics. I'm well aware that the OP is referring to really old cars, not 15-20 year old daily drivers.
     
  13. partsdawg
    Joined: Feb 12, 2006
    Posts: 3,503

    partsdawg
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Minnesota

    My dailies are Chrysler minivans.
    Both my wife and I drive them.
    Remove all the seats except the two buckets up front and you have a 4’x8’ bed in the back.
    Works great as a parts hauler that gets 20-23 mpg with easy access.
    Never pay over $500 for them and replace as needed.
    My fun car will be a 50’s vehicle when I get around to it
     
  14. I agree with Jalopy on this one. I'm old and sore. As much as I like my hot rods, for a daily commute or long road trip. I need my comfort.
     
    wicarnut, Hombre, Frankie47 and 2 others like this.
  15. badvolvo
    Joined: Jul 25, 2011
    Posts: 471

    badvolvo
    Member

    Snow and ice this morning, 30 mile drive to work. I've been making this drive to work for 40 years now. I love my old hotrods & stuff, but I am damn glad I have a modern truck for days like this. The new shit sets outside, the good stuff stays warm & dry. I am lucky my company provides me with a new vehicle. My wife has an 05 WRX, we bought it new so I would not have to work on it. I don't have time to build and play with my old cars if I have to maintain the daily drivers. I sure don't own a trailer queen, but I am not ashamed to load & go either. AC and comfort allows me to enjoy myself once I arrive.
     
    Truckdoctor Andy likes this.
  16. BamaMav
    Joined: Jun 19, 2011
    Posts: 6,709

    BamaMav
    Member
    from Berry, AL

    This/\

    Anything I buy has at least 100,000 miles on it and about 10 years old. Get it for about 1/10th the price of a new one, fix a few small things along the way, drive it another 100,000 or more and get rid of it. Last Expy we had we gave $3000 cash for it, put 125,000 on it, had to rebuild front end, $500, and three sets of tires, was still going strong when it got rear ended, insurance paid us $3500 for it. We basically drove it for 3 years almost free!
     
    R A Wrench and HunterYJ like this.
  17. chriseakin
    Joined: Jan 21, 2009
    Posts: 391

    chriseakin
    Member

    And somebody else gets a good deal on your used car when the lease is up.
     
  18. coilover
    Joined: Apr 19, 2007
    Posts: 696

    coilover
    Member
    from Texas

    They have high teched me out of the new car market. I would give the stupid high price if one had a column shift, a flat floor, a full bench seat, and nothing in the dash but volt/temp/oil/fuel gauges. Same for a SINGLE seat 8ft bed pickup except for a 5sp manual trans. The sales people aren't knocking on my door.
     
  19. Truck64
    Joined: Oct 18, 2015
    Posts: 5,325

    Truck64
    Member
    from Ioway

    Modern cars and trucks are pretty awesome in a lot of ways and normally don't really need maintenance as such but God help you if they do, they are packed tight as a drum under the hood and fairly major disassembly is necessary to get at anything. Labor cost reflects that, and the opportunity for something else to get buggered in the course of their repairs. Nothing is simple or straightforward anymore. Gonna pay one way or another.
     
    RAR1947 and williebill like this.
  20. I remember Dad saying the same thing. In 1955.

    Ben
     
    badvolvo likes this.
  21. My current daily driver is 21-year-old S10 pickup...sad part is I had to sell a 1947 CJ2A to afford to buy it but paid cash for it...I love the looks of the old iron and smells too...working on them is pretty cool too...but when it comes to actually trying to drive one...I will take my S10 hands down...and it makes me money every day I drive it to work...the old stuff costs me money every day I work on it...

    MikeC
     
  22. Boulderdash
    Joined: Jul 24, 2009
    Posts: 154

    Boulderdash
    Member

    Cars have been downhill since the mid 90's......
    I suspect globalisation has made cars much the same as over here in the U.K. I feel its gotten to the point that referring to new cars as "cars" is misleading, and needs to be applied much more loosely. Proper cars, cars in our sense of the word, are a world apart from them. I mean 4 wheels and (at the moment at least!) a steering wheel is about all the similarities they share.
    I get depressed every time I see what the next new model of jellymold bilge the manufactures unveil.
     
    Ned Ludd likes this.
  23. Three Widow's Garage
    Joined: Jan 18, 2010
    Posts: 230

    Three Widow's Garage
    Member

    Its kinda ironic that this has come full circle, a lot of the advancement in auto technology has come from hot rodder's working on there cars for better performance. Now there getting to the point we cant keep up. Sometimes I think the current tuner / rice burner crowd are the hot rodder's of today.
     
  24. 396/425
    Joined: Jun 11, 2014
    Posts: 70

    396/425

    People are paying 50 grand for 1/2ton p/u ‘s and I assure you those aren’t even the fanciest ones. Totally ridiculous. I’m of a mindset. By a POS used car and drive it til it quits and get another. It’s WAY cheaper. I’m not talking OLD cars, I mean like 10 yr old ones.
     
    verno30 and jvo like this.
  25. flatheadpete
    Joined: Oct 29, 2003
    Posts: 10,479

    flatheadpete
    Member
    from Burton, MI

    Right? I bought a 'new' daily (actually a 13 yr old Suburban) with 200+ on it for way....WAY less than I could have paid. Sure, I had to fix a couple things but I'm still way ahead had I bought something comparable in a new car.
     
    tractorguy likes this.
  26. DANSLED
    Joined: Sep 15, 2005
    Posts: 159

    DANSLED
    Member
    from CW, Ohio

    Just my 2 cents, I'd prefer any old car or truck, but I'd have to have today's fuel injection, I'm spoiled with the convenience it provides on the new vehicals
     
  27. Petejoe
    Joined: Nov 27, 2002
    Posts: 12,264

    Petejoe
    Member
    from Zoar, Ohio

    New cars???
    My experience will argue that point.
    After the 1980’s when I finally realized the American car companies have no interest in reliability, I began buying Japanese cars.
    I can honestly tell you that my wife hasn’t had any breakdowns for 30 yrs. they were all traded back in after 3-4 years. Count them. That’s 10 cars!
    I’ve owned 5 Tacoma’s since 1990. The Tacoma I’m driving now is the longest vehicle I’ve owned. It’s a 2005. I’ve yet to have a breakdown. Normal wear yes but no mechanical or electrical issues.
    Safety??
    You can’t beat the new bell and whistles they are using nowadays.
    I agree. The more complex a vehicle is the more that can go wrong.
    Flipping new cars is the way around this.
     
    wicarnut likes this.
  28. I agree with you guys that the payments are hard to swallow. That is simply due to the prices being so high, of course. But there's no way that leasing is ever a better financial option. The lease company, the dealer, the salesman, and the state sales tax collection agent are not charities. They are getting their pound of flesh up front, just like when you buy with cash or with a loan. You're basically paying for those costs, plus depreciation, plus some profit but minus any equity when you lease. At the end of 3 years, the lease company will have made enough off of you to sell the car at a profit for wholesale to CarMax or kick it to an auction house. And you will have a stack of 36 canceled checks, actually 37 because you had to pay a big deposit (like a down payment) just to get the lease.

    These days with low interest, even 0% loans, and a respectable down payment or equity in the form of a trade-in, a car note will net you lower payments, lower costs, and possibly more months with no payments than non-stop, back to back leasing every 3 years. You will do even better if you stretch your new car replacement out to 4, 5 or more years instead of the forced 3 years when you lease.
     
  29. I buy em wrecked (for the wife )
    New cars are just super easy to fix
    The electronics is just knowing how to locate the info
    I drive old beaters cause I like em
    No way I would ever buy new
    I also stay away from newer problem cars like mopars,US cars, gm 5 cyl, certain year 150s, off brand foreign and anything British
    My daily drivers are a 63 and 67 Ford product
    Hope to have the 57 take the place of those after one sells
     
    belair likes this.
  30. paintman27
    Joined: Apr 23, 2011
    Posts: 287

    paintman27
    Member
    from new jersey

    Remember when a brake job was less then $200. I just had brakes put on my 2014 Jeep Wrangler with 48,000 miles on it. 4 new rotors 9don't cut rotors anymore), and all new pads, cost $825.00. 2 weeks later the 1 rear caliper froze up so I bought new rear calipers for $300.
    Meanwhile over the past 2 years I have had an intermittent check engine lite come on for a evap leak. Dealer told me I needed a $750 new fuel filler neck. Took the truck to the local mechanic and he lightly sanded the rust off the top of the fuel filler neck where the cap and o'ring seats. Havn't had a problem since!
    These new vehicles are designed to fail earlier in their life so they come back to the dealers more often. It's a fact that dealers make more profit on repairng the junk they sell then when they intialy sell the vehicle. CRIMINALS!
    Now my Ford Econoline van that I use for work, with only 50K on it, needs a new power steering pump. UGH!
     

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