Re: Do You Buy New or Used Vehicles?

Posted by Dave in GA on September 23, 2004 at 14:24:24 from (163.246.18.120):

In Reply to: Do You Buy New or Used Vehicles? posted by z145fergie on September 23, 2004 at 11:01:03:

I've never bought new. The prices are ridiculous, and the vehicles depreciate too much in the first 5-10 years. That's too much money down the drain. In addition, they are problematic with all of their electronics.

The newest vehicle we have is a 1990 Suburban which we bought used about 3 years ago. It's roomy for the kids and a decent tow vehicle, but otherwise I would rate the workmanship and materials as garbage. The headliner was already starting to sag when we got it. Why can't Chevy (or GM altogether) install a headliner that will last more than 10 years??? We had a 1983 Cadillac with the same silly problem. That lemon-of-a-car is another story for another time. The Suburban transmission didn't last 10 years without needing an overhaul. The air conditioning has been a persistent pain. The two front window motors are almost dead, and I understand they're a devil to replace. The original paint job was wearing off after about 7 years, according to the original owner. The radiator and water pump were leaking before the Suburban was 10 years old. A few months ago, the vehicle stranded my wife a good distance from home because the distributor module and pickup died.

Meanwhile, I drive a mostly-unrestored 1963 Buick 50 miles a day to work and back. The engine was rebuilt at 141k and it was repainted 2 years ago. It's a very reliable car and it's never stranded me. The Dynaflow tranny has never been rebuilt, and the original headliner is still perfectly intact. The windows will never die because they are hand crank, which I prefer. Gas mileage is decent enough to be a daily driver. This car cost me a whopping 2 grand about 13 years ago, and I could probably get 5-7 grand for it now.

The other car I drive a lot is a 1969 Buick, which has a similar story to the 1963. It's very reliable, fun to drive, and will only appriciate, not depreciate. There are no computers or sensors to malfunction. Both these old cars spend very little time in the shop. A guy was at NAPA a few weeks ago needing a starter for his late-model Ford diesel pickup. It was costing the guy about $250. Heck, if my old Buick starter dies, it's about $49.

I also drive a 1965 International 1-ton 4x4 on a regular basis. It's rock-solid and reliable. Insurance on these vehicles is about $180-per-vehicle each year, and annual tag/registration is $23 each. Unbeatable.

The neighbors frown because of the old vehicles in our driveway, but their newer cars, SUVs, mini vans are frequently back at the dealership or local garages having stupid repairs done, causing them lots of money and grief.

Our newest tractor (out of 6 total) is a 1938 Case, and the old iron has only reinforced my belief that new vehicles are unreliable and overpriced.

Just my opinion.

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