My car has developed an oil leak of sorts.
It does not seem bad at this point, but being that I am in a new apartment and a new city it means that certain issues have to be dealt with. For the new apartment, I am laying down a piece of cardboard to catch the drip. For the new city, it means I have to find a new mechanic.
Sigh. I really hate starting over.
I have solicited my coworkers for suggestions and will consult the InterWeb reviewing service as well; in a perfect world, the most desirable mechanic is 1) Reliable and well rated; and 2) Not so far that I cannot get to work (alternatively, that I can work from home). But it did bring to mind the idea of how much longer I may want (or need) to hold onto this car.
The car is at this point a shade under 1.5 decades old. It is a standard transmission with reasonable (26 mph or so) gas mileage. It seats four comfortably, six uncomfortably, and has a drop down back seat such that I can fill it with things like 40 lbs of rabbit litter or hay. It has some general mechanical issues: the driver's side slide door does not quite latch without a hip thrust and the passenger's side sliding door (replaced in the accident of last year) takes a bit to get in place, but the car runs.
More importantly, it only has about 219,000 miles on.
I checked my mileage this week. Currently I drive less than 10 miles a week (excluding any weekend jaunts). Even when I get a bit more established here and likely have an Iai class to attend and a place to volunteer at, I cannot see my driving at more than 50 miles a week. At my current gas mileage, that is 1.5 months a tank. And were I to keep that kind of mileage up, I would accumulate something like 100,000 miles over what I estimate is the rest of my driving "career".
That means, in theory, I could continue to drive this car for the rest of my driving life with care and luck,
We do have a "nicer" car of course; it belongs to The Ravishing Mrs. TB. It is the one we use for drives and going out and has all the nice bells and whistles. Once upon a time, her old car would be my next new one; given the state of car costs now, I suspect it will be hers for a long time as well or will transfer to one of Na Clann at some point (this is what we do in both of our families, shift cars around until they fail beyond repair).
Financially of course it makes a great deal of sense: we have been without a car payment now since the mid 2010's and I have zero interest or need (or, to be honest, ability) to save for a down payment and get another one let alone afford monthly payments. And given my new work commute, one could argue that we need only one (although one never knows where one will end up).
Can I "keep" my car until I can no longer drive? I do not have complete control of that, of course: I could get hit by someone at any time (and very much would likely have the car totaled at that point) or Our Political And Social Betters (OPASB) could simply outlaw the thing, as they seem intent on doing to everything that is not an Electric Vehicle. But that could take time, and every day that is delayed in that respect is a day less I have to buy a new vehicle.
Does there come a point at which the cost outweighs keeping it? I suppose there is. But then I keep looking at car prices and thinking about monthly payments and suddenly keeping the old car running seems like a better than average investment.
In fact, at this rate it may be one of the few used things I own that continues to accrue in value.
Probably best to keep the evil you know.
ReplyDeleteAl, it sure is. For all of its quirks, it does everything I need it to do.
DeleteThat said, my daughter's car is now getting replaced. It needs some work (leak of refrigerant under the dashboard), but it drives great and has great gas mileage. I am tempted to "trade up" to it.
Al, it sure is. For all of its quirks, it does everything I need it to do.
DeleteThat said, my daughter's car is now getting replaced. It needs some work (leak of refrigerant under the dashboard), but it drives great and has great gas mileage. I am tempted to "trade up" to it.
Seems my 08 Corolla is about the same age and milage as yours. A good mechanic is a treasure. Mine I've had for over a decade. He tells me what's going to be coming up and doesn't BS me.
ReplyDeleteI replaced the whole exhaust pipe (muffler+) as he told me it wouldn't pass and I asked about His opinion about replace or buy new.
Cheaper than a car payment for 1.5 months.
Until somebody crashes it or my mechanic tells me its "Dead, Jim", I keep Shatzie running.
Michael, we have a very good mechanic in New Home and I am sorry to have to leave them.
DeleteLike you, I will run the car into the ground. Given our change in financial status, no way we can afford anything approaching a used car payment now, let alone a new one.
Michael, we have a very good mechanic in New Home and I am sorry to have to leave them.
DeleteLike you, I will run the car into the ground. Given our change in financial status, no way we can afford anything approaching a used car payment now, let alone a new one.
Yah as has been mentioned repair costs vs new car/new to you used car costs are a biggie. Good luck finding that mechanic you can trust TB, they are out there.
ReplyDeleteI know they are, Nylon12. I am hopeful a combination of my fellow employees and Yelp will help.
DeleteI'm still working on my own stuff. And, like you, I figure they will outlast me if I do my part on preventative maintenance and repairs. And good hunting on the honest mechanic.
ReplyDeleteSTxAR, being home this weekend I am driving Nighean Dhonn's car, which is even older (2004) than mine. That said, it has less mileage and drives well (and gets great gas mileage). It has a refrigerant leak under the dashboard, which would have to be removed and (as our mechanic told us) would be a bit pricey. That said, I am debating waiting out to next year and then doing the work - I think I could easily get 20 more years out of that car.
DeleteHad to give up my 17 year old one this last year. Scoured car fax, ad's and drove through used car lots a lot. Finally found 2019 Dodge SUV for 12K. A few dings and top of bumper in back like he was dragging heaving items across. Something in a report said salesman owned car. Only had to replace front tires but worry free for last year now.
ReplyDeleteAargh Anon, that must have been a bitter pill. We have had that happen as well - I never get quite as much life out of them as I would wish. Hopefully you get years more out of this one.
DeleteWe figured our that no car payments and liability insurance beat car payments and comprehensive, by a huge factor. For us, only a tranny or engine replacement makes a car too far gone.
ReplyDeleteT_M, same here (and we have lost at least two transmissions over the years). The math on a new or even used car payment simply does not work.
DeleteAm oil leak can be "nothing" or "something." It can be a "sweating" valve cover gasket that can, if minor, be ignored. It may even be reparable with a quarter turn of each of the valve cover bolts. It could be a deteriorating head gasket that's (thankfully) leaking oil to the OUTSIDE of the engine instead of INSIDE, into the coolant. Subarus are NOTORIOUS for this. Subaru OWNERS are NOTORIOUS for IGNORING this, unless it REALLY starts to leak. It could also be the rear main seal. You said your car's a stick. Have the clutch and pressure plate replaced, and have the seal done at the same time, as it's behind the flywheel and the flywheel needs to be resurfaced when the clutch is replaced. One and done. Honestly though, if your care leaks less than a quart between oil changes, just ignore it!
ReplyDeleteI'm a "drive the WHEELS off of it" kind of guy. If you're only driving 50 miles a week, "CHEAP" trumps "NEW." Hell; I drive more than that PER DAY! If you DO want "new," wait a while until the economy bottoms out again. It won't be long, and then the sellers will be almost PAYING YOU to buy their cars!
Thanks Pete! Ours is a Mazda5 , which we have gotten a lot of great use out of over the years. I have been placing a piece of cardboard under the engine to catch the oil; it is not a significant leak by far.
DeleteThe car is indeed a stick.
Like you, we have driven every car we had to the point where they needed serious work - and even then, there is money to be had with those. It can only be more, given the current economic situation.
Over the years, I've sold vehicles that would soon need repairs that meant either not going to work, or biting the bullet for a new one. A few, if I had kept them, and repaired as the money was available, would now be collector's items. I wish I had the resources at the time. There's something good about an old, dependable vehicle that doesn't have a note, or the demand for high insurance.
ReplyDeleteJess, to date there has not been one we have let go (having driven them to the end of their useful life) that I would regret having now - mostly coupe's and minivans, although we had a 1990 Escort that I would love to have now.
DeleteThere is indeed something about having a vehicle you own free and clear and has does the job it needs to do - and has the insurance payment to match.
Oh boy, I hear you, TB. Finding new people to service things is among my most dreaded things to have to do. I suppose that's universal. I'm driving a 21 year-old Honda CRV that we bought used in 2007, and I'm trying to keep it as long as I can. Just recently put about $1,000 into repairs, but every time I have something expensive fixed, I tell myself, if I get just one more year out of it, I've kept money in my pocket. Like you, I'm not sure how long that will be true (or even how to figure that), but I believe it's true to date. I also know it won't last forever, but I am loathe to drive a highly computerized car. I love my old CRV - not sentimentally, but it's a terrific little vehicle.
ReplyDeleteWow Becki - you have us beat! I admire your ability to keep it.
DeleteThe repairs are always a bit bitter, especially given the current prices - but still cheaper than a new car payment, as I remind myself.
Like you, I am loathe to get a computer car - in fact, I would rather go back in time and get an older car than "move up" and get a new one.
I sincerely hope you find a new mechanic; a knowledgeable, trustworthy mechanic that doesn't charge exorbitant prices.
ReplyDeleteThanks Leigh! We have gotten spoiled by the mechanic we have had for the last 7 years or so: reliable, honest, and will tell you what needs to be done now versus later.
DeleteDitto - I was thinking one or two more for the rest of my life.
ReplyDeleteJohn, depending on where I end up , I could make a reasonable argument that a truck would be a useful thing. But given the prices, it does not make that much sense as a useful thing that costs more than it is worth.
DeleteI used to think used cars were by far, the cheapest route to go in vehicle ownership. But these days, trusted mechanics are hard to find and if you find one, getting a vehicle scheduled through them that doesn't disrupt your entire world, is hard to do. My vehicle was our of commission recently for fuel pump issues and that week it was gone required nightly brain storming sessions and complex schedules to get everywhere where they needed to be at the right time.
ReplyDeleteAll of this is causing me to re-evaluate things. The last four vehicles we have bought were all purchased new and with 100% cash. One of the four got totaled in a freak hailstorm but the other three are still plugging away and hopefully will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.
Ed, scheduling is no joke for a family that has multiple commitments - even my weekend trip home has become a shifting of cars to get everyone where they need to go.
DeleteThere is something to be said for an all-cash new purchase, if one can manage not to pay full retail (and has the cash, of course). And coming by a mechanic you can trust sometimes seems like a miracle of God. One advantage of new or newer cars is they are likely to have parts well into the future, something that the used car market may struggle with.
I have even pondered the idea of continuing down a road to a single car, when it is just The Ravishing Mrs. TB and myself. What I am not accounting for in this post is insurance costs, which are their own punishing issue.