Posted on 08/07/2013 3:50:29 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Americans are keeping their cars and trucks longer than ever, and even with new car sales increasing, the average age will continue to rise, an industry research firm says.
The average age of the 247 million cars and trucks on U.S. roads hit a record of 11.4 years in January, the latest figures available from state registration data gathered by the Polk research firm.
That's up from 11.2 years in 2012, and nearly two full years older than in 2007, before the start of the Great Recession, Polk said Tuesday....
(Excerpt) Read more at dailynews.com ...
later
When I was a kid, I worked for a guy who had a pretty cool car collection. A couple mid-60’s vette’s, Jaguars, Benz, a yet to be restored AC Bristol. His everyday driver was a Pacer. He loved the thing.
Wellll ... the odometer stopped at 239 and I have no idea how long it had driven with 239 and I've got about another thou on it.
Smooth as silk engine but I have no idea if it's original or not.
When I had the inspection the guy said the exhausr was original .. and it was solid and tight.
Gas tank leaks at the seam in two places so I can't fill it to take a mileage reading ... but it rides SO nice.
Paid 500 for it and I've got about 4 in tires, fuel pressure guage, oil change and filters, and some other things I can't remember right now.
My OTHER miracle is a 93 Nissan pick-up .. in the shop now having (pretty much a new) frame welded/patched.
Paid a thou for it three years ago
Might be her last year ... not much parent metal left ... my man is welding on the the patches we did LAST year.
24MPG, 4WD hi & lo and has hauled more firewood than I can guesstimate ... at LEAST 30 or so cords of wood over the last 3 years.
I'll MISS that truck when the frame just splits and drops.
My post was strictly concerning the current cost of a vehicle.
I, too, usually buy an older used vehicle. The 1990 Mazda 626 I mentioned was bought new to replace a 1974 Dodge Aspen which continually died in the middle of an intersection. The Mazda, unfortunately, was not immortal. It died after someone pulled in front of me from a side street. The Mazda had recovered from being hit by a drunk in a 1978 Olds 98 and a deer on the I-85. This time the impact wrinkled the roof and I could put my hand between the door frame & body with the door closed.
The Mazda had 426,000 miles on it. It went 359,000 on the original clutch disk. Good car!
Our current vehicles are a 2004 Honda CR-V 200,000 miles, a 1997 Subaru Outback, 236,000 miles and a 1998 Ford E-350 with 298,000 miles.
”Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.” To that I would add, keep it running as long as resonably practical.
2008 Ford Fusion -100k miles - runs strong - will keep
2008 HUMMER Alpha - 90,000 miles - Obama killed HUMMER - will keep
2000 BMW 740i- 89,000 miles - car screams and is not Eco modified like current models - will keep
I know that.Co-workers keep telling me I should get some of that moldy money out of my mattress and get a new car.I’ve checked the mattress twice and all I found was some coins that fell out of my pocket from a time I laid down fully clothed and tired.
2001 Mercury Mountie AWD with the 5 liter engine-130,000 miles and still rolling, gave it to my son and hope to get him through college with it, he’s a senior in high school.
2003 Mazda MPV minvan that my wife has put 160,000 miles on, hope to get another 2 yrs. out of it, maybe 3.
2006 Mercury Grand Marquis that I drive with 62K on it, will drive it until it falls to pieces since they have stopped making this big car.
Got a daughter turning 16 in a couple yrs. and she will get a used sentra, corolla or civic.
The new cars are way overpriced and I hate car payments!
Some of our family live on part of the original land grant from the 1600s--yep waterfront. Nothing special in terms of a dwelling, but the State there charges phenomenal taxes for a river that didn't cost them a cent to build.
Between the State and Federal Management, a river I crabbed, fished, clammed and oystered in 50 years ago is a virtual dead zone full of snakeheads and catfish, with silted over oyster bars, stripped of aquatic vegetation. Residents are prohibited from erecting new erosion control structures, and have to obtain up to nine permits to cut down a tree (planted by ancestors 180 years ago).
If they could have paid less in taxes and let the waterman's association take care of the river, chances are there would have been a better outcome.
I'm out to avoid the black box, don't want GPS or any of the whistles and bells, and find air conditioning and an effective heater to be luxurious. I prefer vehicles I can work on, especially after being nearly stranded in subzero weather by a bad O2 sensor and a fouled catalytic converter. (Perfectly operable engine, just the antipollution junk could have cost me my life.) I have saved thousands in the difference between having to pay for full coverage and loan interest and a cash on the barrel head deal on a vehicle I carry liability only on.
One thing to note: we do not have the emissions inspections in this state many others do, primarily because our vehicle population density is much less. That makes driving an older vehicle a mite simpler, too.
Mre. kearnyirish had a new car before we were married; it is the only new car either of us ever had.
“My goal is that if the yearly repair bills are less than six month of car payments, keep the car. My bride’s Buick is getting to the point were that is an issue. My truck’s only issue is AC, but that is what windows are for.”
I agree, but my car is so old that putting six months’ worth of payment into it might be foolish. I’ll drive it until it falls apart, but as it ages that day is coming.
Some corrosion, but they took it in and pit an undercoating on it. I've had rust issues though. Once while driving up to a job 4 hours away at 2am, I heard this loud boom, like I hit something. Pulled over (it was pitch dark and nobody on the road at that time) I didn't see anything, saw nothing unusual so I continued. When I got to the jobsite it was daylight, I looked under the truck and saw the gas tank hanging by the hose connecting it to the fill pipe. The strap and the metal plate holding the tank in place had completely rotted and fallen on the highway. So I've had my share of issues with the truck. Over the years I've replaced the gas tank strap, engine and universal joint. The 4 wheel drive no longer works but at this point I don't want to put big $$$ into it so I'M HOPING to baby it along for another year. We'll see
..it was sl used then, he managed to bend the frame in an accident but it was fixed properly, and its been one easy running economical car forever..
..it has almost 200,000 miles on it and has been back and forth across the country several times....
knock on wood no major problems at all....
not let me tell you about my 1993 Plymouth Voyager...):
Chrysler Sebring.
Dollar for dollar the best car I ever had was my ‘92 Camry, V6. My 16 y.o. daughter wanted to drive it to the “library” to do “research” for homework during an icy snowstorm. I was adamant that she not, it was the kind of night I would not have gone out in, except in an emergency. I offered to drive her, leave her and come back for her. She refused, and insisted she drive herself. Her mother jumped in, and I was forced, against my better judgment, to relent. Surprisingly she slid into a telephone pole on way back from the mall - nowhere near the route to the library. That was the end of the Camry. It wasn’t sexy, but it was a fine car.
I had a similar experience with the spare tire holder.
Driving to work one morning it detached and went bouncing down the road behind me. I saw it bounding along in my rear view mirror. Fortunately, the car following me was actually back about 150 feet and was able to avoid my tire. Also, I was on a country road only going about 35 mph. At least, I was not going 70 down the highway. I could have caused a major accident.
This was about a 2 weeks before I turned it in to Toyota. So, I guess I would advise you to check that cable/bracket holding on your spare.
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