Do Repairs = Garbage or Character?
 

I was going through my paperwork for my Saturn and it's ownership has been a labor of love for me. However, not all car owners feel that way. If they have to replace a part on their car, they cry that it's a piece of junk! Other people see replacing parts as necessary and building a character of the car.

So far I've thrown in as much money as to keep it running reliably. It's an old car and things need to be replaced eventually. If it was a new car and I had to do everything that I've done on it, I would be upset. But maybe that's the difference.

Thoughts?

You're right, Dave. Everything wears out over time. I never have understood why people piss and moan about having to replace a water pump or brakes or whatever wears out on their cars. I like changing parts when they're worn out. Old, paid for cars can be a lot less painful, if people would just do the preventative maintenance they all require. No reason why a car built in the last 20 years shouldn't go between 300,000-500,000 miles if properly maintained. I plan on keeping my PT and 200 until I can't find parts for them anymore, or simply can't do the repairs myself.

1997 Saturn SC2-New
approx. $300/mo car payment
4 yr loan
paid off 2001


Year: 2016
Months without car payment=15x12=180 mnths
180 mnths x $300 = $54,000




Yes, maintenance costs, replacement parts & labor for things I could not do myself.


My point is I haven't had a car payment in 15 yrs, and for every month I DO spend $300 on maintenance/repairs/parts, it is the equivalent of ONE car payment. So if the repair extends the life of the car by more than a month, I've surpassed the equivalent cost of a car payment on a newer vehicle.


Drove it off the lot.
19 years of ownership.
Know every idiosyncrasy of that vehicle.
Know what was replaced when and what it feels like when it goes bad again.
Gets the same 35mpg highway as it always has.


Much needed caster adjustment finally made. Drives like a dream again.


Why on earth would I whine about brake jobs, water pumps, and exhaust sys replacement?

My longtime friends used to laugh at me about the car; then gas went to $4. No more laughing.

Ignorance is not always bliss

I'm gonna weigh in here... If you have a car you like, and remains fixable, it rarely pays off to trade up to a new car, unless you are continually spending large amounts each month to keep it in the road... Also, good luck finding a payment on a new car for $300 or less; the average purchase price is around $28k these days...

97 SC2 : 14K Loaded, 17.7K w tax/title/etc.


I'm still fine w it-- and will to continue be as long as it can be safely repaired

I cannot complain about my car cause I have had 2 accidents and 1 engine repair in 135K so when a new vehicle costs what it does I drive by and smile even though mine isn't what it used to be,it is still good.

Quadcoupe, post a pic of that bad azz Dart. I'm a mopar man.

I don't believe it myself but I have no decent pictures,only a picture of it the day I bought it and it was a car needing a motor and some bodywork. I put fiberglass front fenders new bumpers front and rear and a new decklid then had it painted by Maaco but don't laugh too hard until I tell you they painted it the wrong color so I had them re-paint it refridgerator white and that was how I owned it for 30 years It was a great car that got between 13 to 20 mpg and would put down a 12 second quarter mile with a 3.5 second 60 foot time so I imagine with some better tires it could have been a 10 second car that my wife was perfectly comfortable driving. I drove this thing for close to 300K

this a picture of a picture My 2 favorite cars that I have owned a 1970 Coronet and a 1969 Dart I had the Coronet first and it was wrecked then I bought this Dart which needed repairs and this picture is what I brought home into my garage

Thanks for the sideways pictures! LOL Anyway, it's nice to know that I'm not the only member here that loves Mopars. You can see what I currently drive. Nothing special about either vehicle, but I sure love punching the turbo on my PT Crusier. That sucker is pretty fast!

nice to know all the PT Cruisers are not as bad as the one my wife will drive and those are 2 of only 4 cars I have owned the other 2 are a 2004 Saturn and a 1980 Capri(Ford junk)

I see your Capri and raise you 1 1980 Ford Grenada, two tone black/silver.

I'll see that bet and raise you one 78 Buick turbo Regal (later called a Grand National) or better yet one 91 Plymouth Laser,my son's car on Kiggly racing.

I'll bite. I think it adds character, but it also says alot about the owner. Some of it goes back to what derf says, repairing the car will always be cheaper than buying a new one
(Friend traded up his 95 olds 88 royale for a 2015 MY Kia Forte. The kia is a very nice car, not full options but not bare base model. Had the bigger motor pw/ pl/ ac/ bluetooth. car was 22k before taxes and he got abit taken off msrp but it still works out to around $450 a month, he did a $450 down payment cause thats all he got for the olds) He was fixing it every weekend for the longest time and just got sick of it and he wanted something with a warrantee. If it was cared for better before his ownership and we werent dumb teenagers it probably wouldve taken him farther , but he was over it.

As you guys know i am constantly fixing up my truck. (not cause it needs fixing all the time but i want to bring it back to its original glory, and every now and then I have a part go bad) However my uncles partner has mentioned to me that I should just get rid of it and trade up to a nicer one and basically lose all that hard work. "thats what I would have done" . However thats not worth it to me. To me its all about getting it to run as long as possible and take me as far as possible. Im in my truck alot less then what a new one is in this day and age (50k+)

Everything I had into my saturn was much cheaper than a shiny new ride .

Back to what I started with though, all character. It says "look what ive come through and survived" on the car, and for the person that does the work themselves its all about the love of the car and the will to not give up on things. You could add in holy **** look at how much money I saved hahahaha but thats how I look at it.

Also, if you think the way I do, eventually you run out of parts to replace, and boom! brand new car hahahahahha

Excuse my formatting and errors getting used to my new tablet