Run Your Old, POS Car Into The Ground!

Man, I just had “Old Red” up to 60 miles per hour in a 45 (Ok, ok … I know I just broke the law. Whatever … like you never did that)!

Ok, my car’s not much to look at anymore, but in my defense (and his) I only view cars as transportation, and not as a status symbol (like so many phonies in this world do) so I don’t give a rat’s a@# what my car looks like if it’s getting me around just fine (plus, no car payments equals much more money in the bank for yours truly)! Here’s how I view car ownership: I run ‘em till their wheels fall off, or until the cost of repairs become greater than the vehicle is worth.

Yes, I’m definitely advocating keeping a car for as long as possible, up until the point that it gets too unreliable, and/or the cost of keeping it running gets to be plainly not worth it any longer. For instance: if the Kelly Blue Book says it’s worth $2500.00 (which my car is) and it’s starting to need a lot of fairly major repairs (of which my car isn’t … actually it runs like a dream) then go ahead and buy another used car at that point. Sure, I would love to trade my car in every couple years, like most people do … who wouldn’t? However, when I think about getting another few years out of a reliable car without any car payments (let’s say $350 per month, plus higher insurance costs as well) it’s a no-brainer … I’m going to keep it just a little bit longer!

Exactly how long, you ask? Well, my ’00 Ford ZX2 looks great (at least in my eyes)! There’s no body damage, and the original paint certainly doesn’t look it’s almost 10 years old. The interior is pretty clean (minus the clutter) and everything works like it should (well, except for the light in my floor shifter … I’ve been meaning to fix that, which should be pretty easy). This puppy still gets great gas mileage (35+ MPG) and it’s just broken the 100k miles mark. How’d he make it this far, you ask? Well, I’ve kept up with maintenance schedules, and replaced “wear and tear” items when needed, that’s how! Really, the amount I’ve spent is much, much cheaper than another huge down payment, or worse: collective monthly payments on a new car. So what would force me to get rid of him prematurely? Probably nothing, to be quite honest with you (ever hear “If it’s not broken, don’t fix it”?).

So, are you driving a beater like I am? Well then, if you still feel safe and comfortable driving your car, why get yourself trapped into another set of car payments on a new car? However, if you no longer feel safe (either for safety standards, or there’s a chance of it breaking down on the side of the road) or if it is no longer worth the major headaches (read: it IS nickel and diming you to death) then sure, you may want to replace it. Back when I lived PA, I used to say to my cars every winter, “If you live through this very cold, wet and snowy few months, then I’ll forget about replacing you”. Then if it made it to spring, I’d agree to keep driving it … and then this cycle went the distance (see what I mean?).

I live by the “drive it until it dies” theory, ever since I grew out of that “I must impress everyone” phase (man, was that a killer on the budget). True, if your car is a hunk of junk when you’re done with it, you’re probably not going to get diddly squat for it, but who in the hell cares when the real value is in using it that much longer? The way I see it: if my car dies, at least I got my money’s worth out of it, as opposed to letting someone else do it for me! And when my old buddy finally does scream his last ultimate death cry, I have the money in the bank to buy another one, since I didn’t waste it all on car payments! Cool, huh?

Sure, new cars are prettier, quicker and better looking … who doesn’t know this? However, I’m having way too much fun with the one that I have now … and have been on over 100,000+ miles of adventures with him! Try saying that for one of those new cars sitting on the dealer’s lot (truth: you never know what you’ll be getting with one of those pretty packages. Plus, some of them are just bound to be lemons [note: that’s just the way the world works … you knew this right?])!

Alright, Old Red … let’s get out of here and go celebrate another milestone! Man, you drive like you’re on rails … even after all these years! Did you know that?