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Beaters Out Of Choice, Not Necessity

59 messages,  Last post on May 06, 2013 at 6:55 AM

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Messages Page 5 of 7

#38 of 59 Re: had another scare [berri] by steve_ HOST

Sep 18, 2012 (7:39 pm)

Replying to: berri (Sep 18, 2012 5:40 pm)
Well, the last tech who replaced the in-cabin filter was me. I've had the cowl off several times but I bet I did mess something up. That should be easier to fix that trying to find a clogged drain hole.

#39 of 59 Re: had another scare [steve_] by hpmctorque

Sep 18, 2012 (7:48 pm)

Replying to: steve_ (Sep 16, 2012 6:42 am)
"Rolled over 179,000 miles and really want to see 200k, but the years are taking their toll at this point."
 
Of course age matters, but 200,000 is the new 100,000. In the spirit of beaters by choice, your van can do it.

#40 of 59 Re: had another scare [hpmctorque] by steve_ HOST

Sep 18, 2012 (8:19 pm)

Replying to: hpmctorque (Sep 18, 2012 7:48 pm)
Yeah, but I think the odds would be better if the van still lived in the high desert, not in the salt flats of Michigan.
 
Ruking1 is right in there with me with 178k on his VW Jetta TDi. He drives more than we do so he'll get to 200k a year earlier that we will. And his mpg is twice as good as ours too.

#41 of 59 Re: had another scare [steve_] by fezo

Sep 19, 2012 (9:02 am)

Replying to: steve_ (Sep 18, 2012 8:19 pm)
My daughter's Celica has 178K on it so we have a race going...... I just spent a fortune on brake work for it but where else I'm gonna find a basically good car for $1,000? She's back on the road.

#42 of 59 Re: had another scare [fezo] by lemko

Sep 19, 2012 (12:33 pm)

Replying to: fezo (Sep 19, 2012 9:02 am)
"...where else I'm gonna find a basically good car for $1,000?"
 

 
These guys can send you back in time about 30-35 years and you'll find one!

#43 of 59 Re: had another scare [lemko] by fezo

Sep 19, 2012 (4:12 pm)

Replying to: lemko (Sep 19, 2012 12:33 pm)
Perfect!

#44 of 59 water update by steve_ HOST

Oct 03, 2012 (9:50 am)

Beats me.
 
Took the cowl off and there wasn't much of anything in the way of debris in there. Didn't pull out the in-cabin filter but it looked like it was fitting well and didn't look particularly dirty. Plus it's all the way to the passenger side and my leak is right at the brake pedal.
 
I poured a couple of cups of water into the area while the cowl was off and the water drained out quickly through the front fender area.
 
So, I screwed everything back together and in keeping with my long maintenance tradition, I'm going to ignore it until I can't.

#45 of 59 The cheapest car you will ever own is the one you are driving now by steve_ HOST

Oct 16, 2012 (10:16 am)

That's a comment from a WSJ article titled For Some of Us, We Are What We Drive.
 
Another commenter talked about falling out of his chair after totaling up ten years of driving expenses.

#46 of 59 I think I'm slowly starting to shrug off my beater phase by andre1969

Oct 16, 2012 (10:55 am)

A little over 3 weeks ago, I bought a new Dodge Ram. We used my uncle's '97 Silverado, which was fast becoming a beater itself, as a trade-in, so it hasn't replaced any of my vehicles. Yet, at least. Eventually I think my '85 Silverado will succumb to something, but it seems to be holding on. And I'm holding onto it as a work truck, because, well, the new one is too purty to dirty up!
 
Originally, I thought about just driving it till it drops, but then the more I thought about it, as little as I drive these days, it probably won't have 35,000 miles on it by the time the 5 year powertrain warranty is up Heck, it might not even need any maintenance in that time, other than oil changes and a couple air filters and, at the worst, front brake pads. So, I wonder if it might be a good idea to trade it around that time, and get into something brand-new again, with a warranty? With only around 35K on it, it should have pretty good trade-in value, even for a Dodge! So, that'll be a bigger down payment, so that whatever replaces it won't cost all that much.
 
But, I'll just see what happens when the time comes. A lot can happen between now and then.

#47 of 59 ten years may be the magic number by steve_ HOST

Oct 25, 2012 (7:39 pm)

"Whenever a new part—like that gas-pedal hinge—is designed, the first question an engineer must ask is, how long does it need to last? Ford’s standard warranty guarantees all parts for three years and engines and transmissions for six. But Ford wants to be sure its products last longer than this. To ensure that parts easily surpass warranty claims (and hopefully ensure that buyers feel they own a reliable product), Ford aims to have everything last 10 years. Upholstery, transmissions, paint—all of it is built to last at least a decade. Ford has not only constructed nearly all of its elaborate lab testing around the 10-year mark, it has also built tracks that are designed to, over a number of runs, roughly simulate a decade of regular driving."
 
Why Things Fail: From Tires to Helicopter Blades, Everything Breaks Eventually (Wired)

Messages Page 5 of 7

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