Wifey keeps saying we need a new car. When I ask her why, she says "because this one's old". What's that got to do with it? With 410,000 clicks on the clock, it still drives like new and is as reliable as ever. I've only ever replaced a car because I needed a bigger one (more kids), or because I wrote it off in an accident.

I love not worrying about what happens to it in the car park, and being able to throw any old junk in the back without ruining it. Why would I replace it?

June 30th

If a newer one is more economical in the long run, and you can sell the one you've got it is considerable. Otherwise, it seems she wants to keep up with the Joneses.

Because the wife wants you to?????????

Back when my surf wagon was an FC panel van, my new girlfriend, told me she wouldn't be doing any long trips with me in "that thing", I had to trade it in on a new HK station wagon. Had a great trip around the south west!
But I always missed the old customised FC

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Buster fin said..
it seems she wants to keep up with the Joneses.

No, she just has this irrational fear that it is going to break down because "it's old".

read somewhere drive the least expensive car that your ego lets you ..trouble is in todays world you are judged on what you drive ...even if it is practical to drive a reliable 5 k car less insurance less depreciation ..makes sense .

Every car should be anually inspected Here in wa. I see homemade harry bodge jobs on vehicles all the time in my line of work and worry for the safety of other road users all the time. A vehicle should be replaced when it's repairs out way its value . Not what the customer values the car at but what the market values the vehicle at. As I've seen customers get a list of repairs required on the vehicle in Perth then the car ****s the tin a few weeks later and they're whinging it's the mechanics fault. Yet if they had got the work done vehicle would of been fine.

So bring in annual testing on all private vehicles.

Bring in proper legislation that all vehicles must be privately insured no insurance given if vehicles annual test is not done.

And move on with the rest of the world :-)

yes your car with 400k on it may be in good nick but at that instant when a child walks out in front of you or your wife and the vehicles brakes / suspension / steering don't perform as the manufacturer designed them to do so you will be wishing you had the more more modern systems in the vehicle :-)

Keep your ol banga harrow for the local stuff and buy ya misso a kia rio or the like,, win/win

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THE PIN PULLER said..

yes your car with 400k on it may be in good nick but at that instant when a child walks out in front of you or your wife and the vehicles brakes / suspension / steering don't perform as the manufacturer designed them to do so you will be wishing you had the more more modern systems in the vehicle :-)

Ahh, over here n NSW, where Harrow is, we do have annual inspections, and they are generally pretty thorough. So, there is much less chance of something getting through that shouldn't.

I have (uhh hem) only three cars at the moment, and their combined value would probably be just over $15k. I.e. they are not that special. But, it allows me to have a car that I don't care about that I can use for renovation projects, a car that I like to drive because its fast and smooth, and another that I like driving because it fits in the windsurfing gear and has a nice V8.

My favorite car to drive at the moment is the beat up 2004 BA falcon wagon. It is fast enough, is safe enough, has enough dings on it, that I am not bothered by anyone else dinging it, yet my family look at me and wonder why I don't just buy new cars. Everyone else I seem to work with buys new cars every few years.

I think the difference is that I do most of my own mechanical work, so the 2004 falcon has new slotted rotors, new brake lines, and anything else that is needed for safety. It just doesn't look pretty. At 340K Kms, it still runs well and has good economy.

At my pink slip inspection for the 2008 Falcon I have, the mechanic told me that brake lines on those split and are a known problem and that I should replace them. He was half right, the ones on the BA/BF were a problem, but the FG ones aren't. A month after he warned me, one of the one's on the BA let go, but luckily it let go in my front yard. They were made too short from the factory and this stresses them too much to the point where they split. So, some new ones were purchased on ebay, and the car is better than ever. I am glad it didn't happen when driving though as there was almost no pedal pressure when it did let go.

On the other hand I would never recommend the same car to anyone else. I actually recommend cheap new cars to people that want reliable and cheap. Most cars will exceed their warranty period with only minor problems.

I would second what HotBodMon above said, buy a new cheap car for the wife, and keep your existing one. Its even better if the existing one is perfectly suited for windsurfing.

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THE PIN PULLER said..
Every car should be anually inspected Here in wa. I see homemade harry bodge jobs on vehicles all the time in my line of work and worry for the safety of other road users all the time. A vehicle should be replaced when it's repairs out way its value . Not what the customer values the car at but what the market values the vehicle at. As I've seen customers get a list of repairs required on the vehicle in Perth then the car ****s the tin a few weeks later and they're whinging it's the mechanics fault. Yet if they had got the work done vehicle would of been fine.

So bring in annual testing on all private vehicles.

Bring in proper legislation that all vehicles must be privately insured no insurance given if vehicles annual test is not done.

And move on with the rest of the world :-)

yes your car with 400k on it may be in good nick but at that instant when a child walks out in front of you or your wife and the vehicles brakes / suspension / steering don't perform as the manufacturer designed them to do so you will be wishing you had the more more modern systems in the vehicle :-)

Hahaha lead foot car dealer lobbier detected

I drive a 60 year old vehicle on weekends w the car club runs, did 200 kms last Sunday alone. And no seatbelts and we all survive for your shock.

The cars are safer than ever but the drivers are the most stupid and irresponsible too. Freakin phones, texting, drive while on drugs what else but for you yearly vehicle inspections will save the day.

Anything kept w good maintenance while is economical is legit to keep running.

Is this the same women who spends $80 a week on haircuts?

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Harrow said..
Wifey keeps saying we need a new car. When I ask her why, she says "because this one's old". What's that got to do with it? With 410,000 clicks on the clock, it still drives like new and is as reliable as ever. I've only ever replaced a car because I needed a bigger one (more kids), or because I wrote it off in an accident.

I love not worrying about what happens to it in the car park, and being able to throw any old junk in the back without ruining it. Why would I replace it?

Sounds like you drive a Toyota.

"she says "because this one's old". Yeah!! So am I and so are you. What's the problem??

I'm not far from the "cheapest car that will support your ego" camp. And that doesn't require much.

But there is another saying "the safest car you can afford" which is pretty important too. The advances in car design and technology in the last decade and a half have been pretty fast. Because we do a fair bit of freeway driving visiting our kids (and going to the boat) and we now have a grandchild we occasionally need to transport we've just upgraded from a Mazda 2 to a base model Ford Focus with the technology pack that supports adaptive cruise control and other radar activated features that make driving and parking easier and safer (as I get older).

unless its a traditional diesel and the oil has been changed every 5000 then you're not far of large bills and well past the economic keep life I reckon. I loathe cars but think it's best not to keep after 200 000 as you begin to get into replacing expensive stuff territory/ value drops too much.

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Harrow said..

Buster fin said..
it seems she wants to keep up with the Joneses.

No, she just has this irrational fear that it is going to break down because "it's old".

How old is your wife?

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evlPanda said..

Harrow said..

Buster fin said..
it seems she wants to keep up with the Joneses.

No, she just has this irrational fear that it is going to break down because "it's old".

How old is your wife?

You sir win at Seabreeze today..

Maybe if I scrape all the lichen off the car roof she will feel differently about it. I might give that a go this weekend.

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Harrow said..
Wifey keeps saying we need a new car.

Why would I replace it?

A. In order to maintain a harmonious relationship with your wife in the sanctury of your own castle, how about, hmmmmmm.......now? Because when it does break down on her, then you are going to be reminded ( perhaps several times a day ) for the rest of your life that "I told you the car needed replacing, but did you listen? No! When I was stuck on the side of the road in the darkness and pouring rain, I dinstinctly rememberred telling you that this would happen, but you knew better, didn' t you, blah, blah, blah".
Women do not forget!
You've just gotta ask yourself Harrow "do you feel lucky?"

I'd let her get her way
4 door family car
big brakes and airbags for safety
decent boot for shopping
Thats all she needs to know

Pulled over to take this photo a couple of months ago. As Maxwell Smart used to say,.. "Missed by that much".

I'll get it right next time 'round.

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Harrow said..
Maybe if I scrape all the lichen off the car roof she will feel differently about it. I might give that a go this weekend.

Do the windows with a glass cleaner inside and outside..it kills that dumb idea of replacing a car...works for us anyway.

I once sold my old banger for similar reasons (back in 2001).
Turns out that VW kombis are worth quite a bit of money now, so have always regretted selling it.

Now I'll hang on to my 93' Hilux Surf until its wheels have fallen off. I quite like pulling up alongside a Ranger or Amarok or whatever with their low profile road tyres, shiny paint jobs and for some reason a snorkel? Posers.

The more derelict mine becomes, the prouder I am of her.

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THE PIN PULLER said..
Every car should be anually inspected Here in wa. I see homemade harry bodge jobs on vehicles all the time in my line of work and worry for the safety of other road users all the time. A vehicle should be replaced when it's repairs out way its value . Not what the customer values the car at but what the market values the vehicle at. As I've seen customers get a list of repairs required on the vehicle in Perth then the car ****s the tin a few weeks later and they're whinging it's the mechanics fault. Yet if they had got the work done vehicle would of been fine.

So bring in annual testing on all private vehicles.

Bring in proper legislation that all vehicles must be privately insured no insurance given if vehicles annual test is not done.

And move on with the rest of the world :-)

yes your car with 400k on it may be in good nick but at that instant when a child walks out in front of you or your wife and the vehicles brakes / suspension / steering don't perform as the manufacturer designed them to do so you will be wishing you had the more more modern systems in the vehicle :-)

Logistical nightmare
Zero advantage in stats
And yes mechanic as well, for a longgggggg time.

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Harrow said..
........With 410,000 clicks on the clock, it still drives like new and is as reliable as ever. .......

how are the shockies? must be a bit of body roll in the corners.

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Poida said..
how are the shockies? must be a bit of body roll in the corners.

Revised all the suspension at 200K. Handling is superb.

Installation of 3/4 inch felt across the floor pan and generous application of bitumuous sheeting throughout the cabin mean it's the quietest car on the road too.

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Harrow said..

Poida said..
how are the shockies? must be a bit of body roll in the corners.

Revised all the suspension at 200K. Handling is superb!

So, what car is it? Skoda?

No Potholes in Australia in the main urban areas. Shocks here last foverer.

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novetti said..
No Potholes in Australia in the main urban areas. Shocks here last foverer.

If only they'd stop installing speed humps every 500m across Sydney .

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THE PIN PULLER said..
Every car should be anually inspected Here in wa. I see homemade harry bodge jobs on vehicles all the time in my line of work

I know. Dealerships do some dodgy stuff in the service dept huh

Glad I'm not married. Nothing can come between my and my Hiace.

Has the engine ever had to be overhauled, or did you get 400K up just on oil changes?
My suggestion, with your skills, if the body is still good, is to let the missus buy herself a car and then do a DIY conversion to an electric vehicle to get yourself down to the beach in.