Just got home from the tire store. I put new tires, Firestone's, on the 98 F-150. Had them redo the front disc brakes, clean and adjust the rears along with a coolant flush and an oil change. Out the door for just under a grand. The way I see it that equals three small truck payments and then she is paid for again. Hadn't spent a dime on tires or brakes for 5 years so I can live with that. My eleven year old Ford (only 95,000 miles), is the best running vehicle I have ever owned. In ten years it will be my 21 year old pick em up. Anybody else keeping their ride forever?

Just got home from the tire store. I put new tires, Firestone's, on the 98 F-150. Had them redo the front disc brakes, clean and adjust the rears along with a coolant flush and an oil change. Out the door for just under a grand. The way I see it that equals three small truck payments and then she is paid for again. Hadn't spent a dime on tires or brakes for 5 years so I can live with that. My eleven year old Ford (only 95,000 miles), is the best running vehicle I have ever owned. In ten years it will be my 21 year old pick em up. Anybody else keeping their ride forever?

I drive em til the wheels fall off, somtimes literly.

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Big bang, much smash'em.

If "O" offers tax incentives to crush everything 7 years and older, better hope new parts are still offered. Times are changing, and your electronics will be hard to find.

I gave my parents my 2000 f150 about a year ago. I loved that truck. 150,000 miles, no major mechanical problems.... ever! We put it through the paces too, towing, hauling, and a bit of offroading.

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I mean, you feel me....

Wow, I never heard that one. How could a tax incentive possibly cause folks to crush 7+ year old vehicles??? I do know that my truck is worth more in parts (to the car thieves/chop shops), than Kelly Blue Book would give but I sincerely doubt that parts for an F-150 will ever be scarce.

I really thought a truck post in the Lounge would be immune to political comment...go figure. (o;

I have two a 96 Dodge Ram with 181,000 miles, bought it with 32,000 miles on it .Its getting a face lift right now, and a 88 Dakota been in the family since it was new with 190,000 miles, already had a face lift. OH, its has a bad tank of gas in it right now,LOL!!!

That's a plan being floated. Energy Companies have been allowed to crush cars for energy credits rather than clean up their acts for years. Anyway now that everything is computer comtrolled, they won't support them forever. Imagine still having your first computer. http://bobmccarty.com/2009/01/...-to-crush-cars-jobs/

Our Gov't here in the UK has just introduced a scheme (aka scam) on ten year old vehicles...
but they have to be roadworthy (with MOT Cert) when scrapped! CRAZY
I will not be parting with my 9yr 6 month Merc C 220 diesel - 183,000 miles = all those trips to Bisley to shoot my pistols... and a 20 year old Isuzu Trooper with only 151,00 miles used for locally in places where the Merc won't go.
Both have had MOT Cert problems recently like a busted road spring (C220) and an unobtainble windshield wash pump(Isuzu)but nothing bad enough to stop me buying back an old pal...
a Swedish 6.5mm Mauser :-)

DCC

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DCCUK

My old F150 has 160,000 miles on it and is still running great. I'll keep it until it drops and then buy another used vehicle.

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SWCA # 2294

I agree with Capt. Steve; I drive 'em till the wheels fall off also. Had a 1960 Falcon my mother gave me after my dad died. I put 232,000 miles on it in 18 years.Overhauled the motor once & the tranny once. Had a lot of vehicles, Fords, Chevys, Plymouths & two old Ramblers.Put over 100.000 miles on all of them. Just turned 198,000 on my Explorer. My advice???? Keep the oil changed.

Dick you really brought back a memory for me. My dad had a little ole widow lady for a neighbor back in 1972 when I got out of the army. She had a 1962 Rambler wagon, flat head, cast iron, in line six, three on the column. Her late husband bought it new. I waited three years before she finally agreed to sell it to me in 1975. I said name your price, she said $300. Oh, did I mention that it had 36,0000 miles on it?

I used it like a pick up truck for 4 years and 50,000 miles. Hauled all sorts of stuff, camped out of it and had lots of fun parking it right next to bozo's in fancy cars trying to take two parking spaces. (o; Finally sold it to a couple of guys starting their own business that needed a cheap reliable beater. Seemed like good karma at the time to let her go for the original $300. I threw one hell of a New Years eve party for my friends with the money($300 went a lot farther back in 78-79). If I live to be a hundred I will never do better on a vehicle!.

I had a 93 Chevy with 279,000 on her and I would drive it any where without fear. Gave it to a sister inlaw and she drove it for two years and let it go down hill. It was over 300,000+ when it passed away.

yep, my advice too. seems to be the major factor between having a car last for years and one that can't make it's 7th birthday.

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I mean, you feel me....

My '93 Nissan 4x4PU has over 300,000 miles and is still going strong.......B.

Yeah I'll be keeping my 96 Ranger 4wd with 56,000 miles on it.

I don't have any vehicle newer than a 97, my oldest being my 59 Studebaker.

re: "my oldest being my 59 Studebaker"

One of the best rigs I ever had was a Studebaker Lark. I'd buy it's clone today. It served it purpose incredibly well.

Some of my own 'best-most memorable' rigs:

1965 Citroen DL a true 'passengers-car' the most comfortable living-room easy chair I've ever driven with features from another dimension--too bad the hydraulics were a plumbers nightmare and parts/service were so difficult to locate;

1947 Cad convertible with leather seats, wire wheels, full hydraulic powered windows/seats; a real bargain at $49 cash. It ran like a champ and I got a LOT more $$ when I sold it;

1964 Dodge Dart; I put 185K on it, a buddy ran it another 125K; gave it to his sister for another 100K. Lost track of it after about 10 years;

1968 Saab 96 V4; marvelous;

a truly noble 1962 Cadillac Coup de Ville;

last of the round bodied 1958 Mercedes 220S sedans that showed what real engineering could be, although a rare 1951 Mercedes 170S had great potential;

I've had a fleet of pick ups over the decades; the best of the lot is the current 2005 Ram 4x4. Just got back from a cross-country trip; at 60K I still like it far more than any previous Ford or Chev;

the last F150 I had was a disappointment;

Been running a Volvo 850 since 94; rides like a limo, handles like a sports car, feels even better at the end of a 12 hour drive, minimal upkeep, no complaints after all these years. Wish Volvo built a pick-up.

[geezer ramble mode /off]

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Dum vivimus Vivamas

My 1997 F150 almost ready to turn 204,000 still runs great, has a bit of a hard 3-4 shift but thats all, will drive it till it dies

I drive them till the wheels fall off, too. My '97 Merc Sable has 189k on it. Still starts/runs/drives every day. It's not worth anything if I tried to sell it, so I'll keep driving it. I also recently bought a '93 F-350 with 110k on it. That should last me a good long while.

Of course, the one with all the miles on it is the '97 International 9400. I'd have to look up the records (replaced two speedometers), but I think it's over 1.3 million now.

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Insert short witty words here

How about a Toyota pick-up?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lrk6vsb77xk

Smoke 'em while you can boys, cause the times they are a changin'. There are already lots of mid 80's GM's that you can't buy parts for. There is even less incentive to keep the old iron on the road these days. I will agree that in the past vehicles could be patched together until the wheels fell off. But junkyards have fallen by the wayside, and in their place are salvage yards that remove the hot selling parts and crush the rest. It is scarey to see what the big yards crush per day. And for the full coverage insurance types, if your car's accident repair bill creeps too close to it's book value, it's gone. By allowing the manufacturer's to computerize and over complicate our vehicles we have forced obsolesence on ourselves.

I've got 276K on my 97 Subaru Outback. Going for 1000000 miles! I've got my own parts car and there's plenty of these cars around. Also their like legos even parts from different models are interchangable.

CaptianSteve I hear you.
1999 Suburban with 291,000 miles on it. I pay a "car note" in repairs about once a year. I actually took delievery in June of 1999 abd I thought I would be able to get to 300k by the 10 year anniversery but it looks like I may not quite make it. Slowed down a lot on the travel when the kids got out of sailing and went off to college. I'm afraid to give it to my son because I just Know it wouldn't last another 10k miles. I know that thing and it's pecadillos like I know my " ". She is perfect on the outside except for that bit of "Mexican pinstriping" she got on my vacation a couple of years ago. She can tow my whaler and is my rolling office/mobile tackle box/storage facility, etc. I'm keeping her till she dies cause she will be the last one I can justify buying.

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Forum consigliere

My '82 Suburban that I have had 10 years and two weeks isn't going to leave my possession as long as parts can be found. I have had to have the carb rebuilt and replaced the alternator in the 75K miles I have driven it. The odo shows 66K, but I really have no idea how many times it has gone around.

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Formerly know as Lucky Derby

My wife has been driving a '93 Volvo 850 for over 5 years now. Paid a couple grand for it and put about that back into it over 5 years. It has about 168k on it and it's at the point where it's not pretty, leaks some oil and the A/C never did work. The previous owners neglected it pretty well though... We're replacing it with a newer used Volvo soon, however we'll give this one over to my brother and he can use it as a commuter and hopefully get a couple more years out of it.

+1 on the Volvo pickup truck! The next-best thing is when I see people at the Home Depot filling up their old '80s 240 with 1,000 pounds of lumber and mulch. Volvo's are the original SUV (Swedish Utility Vehicle)...

=1 ON THOSE CITROEN HYDRAULICS ... been there with a BX - never again...

If y'all want a Volvo pick-up why don't make one?
I've seen all sort of cars made into pick-ups and a Volvo would be a good "donor"...
Must be someone who's done it - just need a gas axe and mig welder...
how much money do you want to spend? :-)

DCC

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DCCUK