Drive Your Car to Death, Save $31,000

[taffy19 Gold Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close taffy19]

My favorite car was my little VW Karmann Ghia that I bought in 1964 and drove through Europe before I brought it over here. It took 13 months to arrive because it got shipped to the Orient somewhere by accident. What a mix-up that was and also with the license plate as I drove several years with a German plate trying to get a CA license plate.

I kept it for 23 years and sold it as a classic for a lot more money than I bought it for. It was cute, but not a safe car if you had an accident because it was so tiny and light. I was lucky. It had no A/C and no radio. Can you imagine this today? My first car was a used Chevy 1954 with no radio or A/C either but I was so happy with it because it gave me freedom. I bought it a week after I arrived in the USA. We have liked all our cars and we hang on to them because we are too lazy to shop and we get attached to them.

[wackymother Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close wackymother]

When I was little, my father had a sky-blue Valiant station wagon.

It looked like the top one here only in sky blue.

1965 Plymouth Valiant 100 station wagon

I loved that car. But in 1972 my mother, who had never had a driver's license, finally got one and she drove for one day. In the course of that day she was waiting for a light on a hill, the light changed, and she rolled back and hit a police car, causing minor damage to the back of the Valiant (and really, really annoying the policeman).

Two hours later, she had another accident--drove the front of the Valiant right into a big yellow construction digger that was doing roadwork in the middle of the biggest street in town. I don't know what the heck happened, and my sisters and I were in the car--this thing was as big as a barn, but she smacked right into it and totaled our beloved sky-blue Valiant station wagon.

So, of course, that's why I've always longed for a station wagon, trying to recapture that one! And now we have one. I don't know how we'll ever let it go. Unless my DH smacks into a big yellow digger one of these days.

[taffy19 Gold Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close taffy19]

I hope not Wacky.

[wackymother Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close wackymother]

Oh oh oh! Here it is in sky blue! Ours looked JUST LIKE THIS!!!

JC Auto: 1965 Plymouth Valiant station wagon

I think I have to print this out on photo paper and pretend it's our old one.

[JimJ Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close JimJ]

I bought a 1990 Honda Accord in Dec 1989 and it now has 120,000 miles and is still going strong. Mainly use it for around town driving and only putting about 3,000 per year on it anymore. It may last longer then me.

Have a 2003 Honda Odyssey purchased new. Financed 100% at 4.9% when I bought it. Later transferred the balance to a credit card with a 1.9% rate for the life of the loan. The monthly payment is 1% of the loan balance plus current month interest charge. It will pay-off sometime in 2034. I keep telling my wife we can't get a new car until this one is paid off!

[biskits Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close biskits]

Older Volvo's

Because I put on 30K+ miles each year with my job, I learned the hard
way that some imports hold up better than American cars (especially American cars of the 80's and 90's). In the early 90's I bought a Volvo 740 with 15k on it and put 200k+ miles on it and then gave it to my son when he was in high school. I then bought a 1995 Volvo 850, put 180k on it, and that has over 240K miles on it today. I gave it to my son to use in college and when he moved to Manhattan after college, my wife started driving it and fell in love with it, and is still driving it!!
After the 2nd Volvo, I bought a used Audi A6. It was the only car I ever bought that wasnt a Consumers Report recommended buy, and boy was that a mistake!!! Those Geman cars are soooo expensive to repair, and it became a money pit.
At 90k I got rid of the Audi and found a 2001 Lexus RX 4 years old with
20k on it on Craigslist. I love it!!! I now have 90k on it and havent had to put a penny into it. Downside is that it only gets 20 MPG. Ill probably drive this for another 30k, by which time my wifes Volvo should be ready for the bone yard, let her take the Lexus and buy an Accura TL with about 20k on it. Anyone have an Accura??? If so, do you enjoy it???
Have a great weekend, and go Sox!!!
Ciao!!!
Biskits

[KathyR Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close KathyR]

My great cars

In 1985 I bought a new Honda Accord. I put over 200K miles on it before selling it in 1994. In 1992 in bought a new Acura Legend which now has >250K miles on it and my husband still keeps it on the road as our "back up" car when the newer ones are getting fixed. I just loved both of those cars.Back when I was younger and more foolish I always bought new cars but now I buy pre-owned for alot less. My husband just bought a new Chevy truck and it is the first brand new vehicle he has bought since his 1972 Plymouth Duster. I think 35 years is a long time to wait for a brand spanking new car but he definitely does not like car payments! I would like a new Acura but don't want to part with that much money!

[Summit1231 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Summit1231]

2000 Ford Explorer with the 5.0 V8 at 120K + miles.

This auto was made on a good day at the factory. It has required little more than the scheduled maintenance. I think it actually is running better with age. The newer SUVs just don't have the umpphh of this vintage.

Recent road trip at 19MPG with some mountain driving.

Just fits my garage and lifestyle. Also have problems thinking about a new $40K purchase as the car is just running soo darn good.