I believe liquid calcium chloride and rock salt put on the roads for snow and ice removal is pretty hard on just about everything on a vehicle. So that might cause the need for replacement due to corrosion.
Car Payments
- Thread starter Narragansett
- Start date
I believe liquid calcium chloride and rock salt put on the roads for snow and ice removal is pretty hard on just about everything on a vehicle. So that might cause the need for replacement due to corrosion.
forindooruseonly
Member
So I'm in the market for a newer car. Just retired my old one at 687,000 miles, it still runs fine but needed more work on the suspension than I was will to pay. Did all the work and maintenance myself - I kept that one so long that I deserve a nicer car now. However, I'm scared of all the Chinese technology on the newer stuff failing after warranty, that lack of DIY options, the astronomical cost for said technology, and the feeling that if it ever goes out of warranty, I had better ditch it quick.
I wish there was a car company that would sell a simple car, but stylish, luxurious and well built, with good materials and designed for easy maintenance and repair, focused on driving and not technology. I'd pay a lot of money for that particular car. Unfortunately, I'd probably be the only buyer.
I wish there was a car company that would sell a simple car, but stylish, luxurious and well built, with good materials and designed for easy maintenance and repair, focused on driving and not technology. I'd pay a lot of money for that particular car. Unfortunately, I'd probably be the only buyer.
The dealers here - Ford, Chevy, and Ram - have literally hundreds of plain jane white 4 x 4 work trucks on their lots. Of course, we're in the busiest oilfield area in the US, so . . .
Just this month, a bud sold me his 1999 Ford Expedition. He is an old fart like me, so it is low mileage for a 25 year vehicle: 200,300 miles. I paid him $2,000. Heck the new Michelin tires cost about $1000, and the new battery $200.
Bud took good care, took it to the dealer for regular maintenance, which includes upper ball joints and inner and outer tie rods. When I gets warm, I am going to remove the front wheel bearings and replace with new. I don't hear any roaring from the back, (but I am deafer than a stump of wood) so I am hopeful the rear wheel bearings are good. If not, I will pull the axles and replace them, and the rear axle seals.
The AC, heater, power steering, radio, power seats, etc, all work. Drives straight on the highway.
There is some work I won't do anymore, because my body is worn. I don't have a lift, so I ain't dropping no transmission any more. However, given that the average price of a new vehicle is $48,000, lets say I put $5,000 to $7,000 into this vehicle, such as I did with a 1995 vehicle in 2010. That vehicle is still running in 2024, I took it out regularly on the highway, 1.5 hours plus each way, to matches. If I can do that with this Expedition, I figure, I will age out before the Expedition stops moving.
And I don't have to deal with the ever increasing stupid federally mandated safety equipment. Such as the cruise control that slows the vehicle down to maintain a 100 foot separation on the highway. Where in the US, on these 1960's Interstates, is there a 100 foot gap between vehicles? One hours before I get into Dallas/Houston/Phoenix, I have semi's tail gating me, and one hour after. The interstates are carrying four times the traffic they were designed for. Our infrastructure money was spent rebuilding foreign countries in the Woke Infinity Wars. A bud had the automatic braking system lock all four wheels on the interstate. He was behind a vehicle taking the off ramp, stupid automatic braking system locked up all four wheels and he was lucky that he did not get rear ended. And then there is the "centering" system, and a new one rolling out, the alcohol detection system. Wonder if the ethanol in hand sanitizers will keep vehicles from starting?
Old is good. Keep them running.
Now that is beautiful:
and so was this:
Carburetors just require more maintenance. After a rebuild, (new gaskets, a flush) they work very well.
Bud took good care, took it to the dealer for regular maintenance, which includes upper ball joints and inner and outer tie rods. When I gets warm, I am going to remove the front wheel bearings and replace with new. I don't hear any roaring from the back, (but I am deafer than a stump of wood) so I am hopeful the rear wheel bearings are good. If not, I will pull the axles and replace them, and the rear axle seals.
The AC, heater, power steering, radio, power seats, etc, all work. Drives straight on the highway.
There is some work I won't do anymore, because my body is worn. I don't have a lift, so I ain't dropping no transmission any more. However, given that the average price of a new vehicle is $48,000, lets say I put $5,000 to $7,000 into this vehicle, such as I did with a 1995 vehicle in 2010. That vehicle is still running in 2024, I took it out regularly on the highway, 1.5 hours plus each way, to matches. If I can do that with this Expedition, I figure, I will age out before the Expedition stops moving.
And I don't have to deal with the ever increasing stupid federally mandated safety equipment. Such as the cruise control that slows the vehicle down to maintain a 100 foot separation on the highway. Where in the US, on these 1960's Interstates, is there a 100 foot gap between vehicles? One hours before I get into Dallas/Houston/Phoenix, I have semi's tail gating me, and one hour after. The interstates are carrying four times the traffic they were designed for. Our infrastructure money was spent rebuilding foreign countries in the Woke Infinity Wars. A bud had the automatic braking system lock all four wheels on the interstate. He was behind a vehicle taking the off ramp, stupid automatic braking system locked up all four wheels and he was lucky that he did not get rear ended. And then there is the "centering" system, and a new one rolling out, the alcohol detection system. Wonder if the ethanol in hand sanitizers will keep vehicles from starting?
Old is good. Keep them running.
Now that is beautiful:
and so was this:
Carburetors just require more maintenance. After a rebuild, (new gaskets, a flush) they work very well.
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My last car loan was 0% just after 9-11 for 36 months. That Silverado still pulls my horse trailer. Never, ever paying interest on anything ever again, and that's been true for a while. Lots of the guys I've contracted with over the years blew their cash on stuff and on playing Santa Claus; then the contract ends. 
That's what I've always done. Buy used, but still with some factory warranty left.
In 2018 when I wanted a Tacoma, I looked everywhere and people were asking $30K for used ones with 40 to 60K miles on them.
Went to the dealership, and told the sales dude I wanted a 4x4 access cab with a V6 and AC in dark gray. Told him I didn't care about anything else. Next day I picked up my new truck with 37 miles on it for just over $31K.
I drive about 30K miles per year with my construction business and I've bought lots of new and used vehicles over the years. The IRS currently gives 67 cents per mile deduction for business use so I can usually write off about $15,000 per year. I paid $24,300 for my new Ram quad cab in 2018 and it now has 207,000 miles on it, and have had about $3k repairs until recently. Last month it had a head gasket leak and that put a tiny groove in one of the heads and the dealer charged me $5,800 for the repair. I felt like an idiot because I knew not to take it to a dealer for a repair and probably got over charged more than double. So now I'm looking at new trucks and I wouldn't mind used if I knew the individual who owned it but I would rather get brand new and know the vehicle history. My ex wife once had a radiator leak on her Dodge Charger and ignored the hot light and drove it until the engine started burning the paint off the hood! The car went several more years without much problems but I wouldn't wanted to have been the next owner. I've got other friends that drive their vehicles through water 3 feet deep, and people who don't ever change the oil or do any maintenance after they get the keys. So put me down as fan for buying new vehicles.
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Hmmmmm I didn’t know avg cost of new vehicle was $48k. I suddenly feel pretty good about buying my 7.3 liter f250 for $46k. It strickered at $52k.
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About 20-25% lease their vehicles, but that may climb with prices being high. It could easily get far worse if Mexico and Canada institute export tariffs.
A year ago we decided to get rid of the F250 as we no longer needed a truck since we sold the RV. The good news was we got a really good price for the truck. Then we went shopping for a new car. Not going to happen. Bought a mechanically excellent 2012 Honda Civic and banked the balance. An electric car would work for us (short run urban driving) and some of them are cheap. Maybe next year.
But I'm kind of digging the Honda. Took it to the dealer for something and they had the full maintenance records in their system. It's like being in high school, driving an old car and fixing what you can yourself.
The only real problem it had was a sunroof leak that left water in the trunk every time it rained. I managed to figure out it wasn't really the sunroof but there was a drain blockage in the rear passenger side pillar where it backed up the gutter and overflowed into the trunk. I got it clear without too much trouble.
A year ago we decided to get rid of the F250 as we no longer needed a truck since we sold the RV. The good news was we got a really good price for the truck. Then we went shopping for a new car. Not going to happen. Bought a mechanically excellent 2012 Honda Civic and banked the balance. An electric car would work for us (short run urban driving) and some of them are cheap. Maybe next year.
But I'm kind of digging the Honda. Took it to the dealer for something and they had the full maintenance records in their system. It's like being in high school, driving an old car and fixing what you can yourself.
The only real problem it had was a sunroof leak that left water in the trunk every time it rained. I managed to figure out it wasn't really the sunroof but there was a drain blockage in the rear passenger side pillar where it backed up the gutter and overflowed into the trunk. I got it clear without too much trouble.
Yendor357
Member
I like Dave Ramsey. But his saying of “live like no one else so later you can live like no one else” never made a lick of sense to me.
My Chevy truck is that old and going strong. My 96 Z71 out by the shop. Is still going.......Put key in.....Crank and go........How's that for an oldie?.....I don't like rice rockets in any shape or form.
The thought is to live responsibly and frugal now like nobody else does…. So that later when u have cash and no debt you can live in abundance like nobody can/does. It’s about setting yourself up. I personally can appreciate his methodology but he’s a little to extreme and over the top at times. If your working hard and living right it’s ok to reward yourself once in awhile
Bozz10mm
US Veteran
On aging vehicles, the rubber hoses deteriorate on the inside. Once they do, the brake lines become one way valves. You step on the brakes and they stay on. The master cylinder has enough pressure to push the brake fluid to the caliper or drums, but there is not enough natural pressure for the fluid to return. Not sure how the metal brake lines would go bad tho.
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K-22
Member
Question?
What is a “Car Payment)?
In the second quarter of 2024, the average new car loan was 734/month and the average used car was 525. Duration was 68 months. That is the average, I bet the average truck or big SUV loan is over a thousand.
Where does the money come from? Jeepers
Edit: The average truck payment is 913. Loans as long as 96 months.
What is a “Car Payment)?
DWalt
Member
There is a large Ford dealership located close to my house, and it seems like nearly all his business is in trucks. He has a huge lot full of nothing but. Of course, this is in Texas.
One of my cars is a paid for 2008 Mercury Grand Marquis that just turned over 160,000 miles. This discussion piqued my curiosity about how much I had recently spent in significant/major repairs. Since I keep all my car repair records, I found that over the last about 5000 miles I spent about $1200.00 when a power window and the rear pneumatic suspension system went kaput. From the figures that Pete provided, I paid the equivalent of 2 1/2 car payments to keep a paid for gently used big V-8 Ford product running (and paid for) for probably another 80,000 miles.
I bought what I hope is the last vehicle I ever have to buy a few years ago, a new ‘18 Ram 3500 SLT CCSB SRW 4x4 that had been on the lot for close to a year. Only options were the 6.7L HO CTD/ Aisin transmission and foglamps ($50K). No sunroof, leather, power seats, etc. Still pretty nice compared to what used to be a “stripper” so I’m happy. I really don’t need or want all those options anyway, too much to go wrong (let alone what they add to MSRP).
It gets me around in the winter and will tow my travel trailer with ease. Funny thing, I paid it off a year early and my credit score dropped ten points.
Most importantly, no credit card debt. I’d rather do without...
It gets me around in the winter and will tow my travel trailer with ease. Funny thing, I paid it off a year early and my credit score dropped ten points.
Most importantly, no credit card debt. I’d rather do without...
Those are good cars. LE’s automotive budgets have just about doubled since the Ford CVPI was discontinued. Best patrol cars I ever drove.
Too many government mandates and things that used to be optional, but are now standard, are driving the cost up. What I want in a car is a safe, reliable machine that gives reasonable mileage. Not a rolling entertainment center with sensors on the sensors.
Like was also mentioned earlier in this thread, with all those government fuel standards, I'm still getting 1970s fuel economy on most of my vehicles.
