When I was younger, like a lot of guys I wanted every nice looking car I saw. (I was much the same with women.) Today they are nothing but a necessary evil. (Cars, not women). I dread the day I have to purchase another one. If you think about it a car or truck is the absolute worst investment you can make. They cost a fortune to buy. They lose 20% of their value by the time you drive them home from the dealer, pull into your garage and turn off the key. (Or on the new models push the "Off" button). They are a constant financial drain with fuel, service, insurance, license, and upkeep and maintenance.
You'll waste hours cleaning and detailing them to look good, only to have them made filthy within a week, and have to do it all over again. If you have a nice, new one, or even a well kept old one you have to worry about someone hitting, stealing, or vandalizing it. And for all of this effort, expense, and worry all they provide is transportation. I put that into the same category as being married to an ugly woman who can't cook or clean, has a personality like a rabid racoon, hates guns, and is lousy at sex. Where is the benefit or payoff?
This is why I will drive both of my vehicles until the wheels fall off, or until someone renders them useless through accident. To me it just makes sense to stretch as many miles out of them as possible. Both of us don't drive very much compared to the masses. We have 2, 1991 Fords. My F-150 has around 123,000 miles on it, and Mel's Mustang has about 146,000 miles. Not much for almost 20 years and 2 people. That would make it even more financially foolish for me to invest in new vehicles.
Both of our cars have been very dependable, and we take care of them as well as we both possibly can. The general rule is her job is the outside and the interior, and mine is the mechanical end. I do all of the oil and fluid changes, and service as much as I can. What I can't do I'll take them in for. Whatever the bill comes to, it is cheaper than a new vehicle. I have never been late for work, or have had to take a day off work because of car trouble. So from a dependability standpoint I can't do any better than that. When I retire we will still be able to keep both of our vehicles because it will be cheaper to keep 2 old models on the road, than 1 brand new model. With the economy in the dumpster today and in the near future, it makes less sense than ever to invest in new cars and trucks. Especially when you add up all of the depreciation and constant never ending expense. New guns are less expensive, last longer, and hold their value far better. I'll stick with them. Bill T.
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