Beater car drivers, what's your breaking point?

What's the Crown Vic's role?
 
I always find the breaking point too late. After I've already had it fixed with too much money I realize I should have scrapped the car before repairs.
 
  • Like
Reactions: lip
I have a ford escort that I bought for 500$ still haven't put any repairs into it yet, only oil change every month. It has a lifter tap that's sorta maybe could be quiet loud??? Bought it to save miles off my jeep and to go to work mainly. Wanting to get a year plus out of it.

I've told myself that anything over 100$ breaks I'm just going to toss it in the trash and buy another. But I'll probably not learn and keep putting money into it.
 
With the MG, it was when I realized despite all the thousands I put into it, it was horrible thing to drive. :p That and I moved into a place without free parking.
 
I have a ford escort that I bought for 500$ still haven't put any repairs into it yet, only oil change every month.

How much do you drive if you need to change oil every month?
 
I have a ford escort that I bought for 500$ still haven't put any repairs into it yet, only oil change every month. It has a lifter tap that's sorta maybe could be quiet loud??? Bought it to save miles off my jeep and to go to work mainly. Wanting to get a year plus out of it.

I've told myself that anything over 100$ breaks I'm just going to toss it in the trash and buy another. But I'll probably not learn and keep putting money into it.



Quiet loud? This confuses me. It is on the loud side of quiet, or is it the quiet side of loud? :mrgreen:
 
Too much rust in structurally important places to make fixing unsafe. That has been the only thing so far. Plenty of big rust fixes otherwise, engine&gearbox swaps, electrical work etc..
 
I always find the breaking point too late. After I've already had it fixed with too much money I realize I should have scrapped the car before repairs.
I've done that before...not fun.

My breaking point I think will be if the mechanic comes back with a 1k+ estimate.

If so, I'll have to seriously evaluate my situation - while I could afford about 1k in repairs, I'd have to make a bet that I'd have no issues for a while.
 
Last edited:
I've done that before...not fun.

My breaking point I think will be if the mechanic comes back with a 1k+ estimate.

If so, I'll have to seriously evaluate my situation - while I could afford about 1k in repairs, I'd have to make a bet that I'd have no issues for a while.

Its all relative though. If a $1k fix will make your car driveable for another X years, its probably worth it, as it would be hard to sell it in a broken state then use that little amount of money + $1k to buy something else in unknown condition.
 
Quiet loud? This confuses me. It is on the loud side of quiet, or is it the quiet side of loud? :mrgreen:

Hahaha well go with that it's on the loud side of quiet:D almost non existent after a drive.

And I get an oil change for all my older vehicles every month and I usually only drive them MAYBE 500 miles a month. It makes me feel good about the engines health and I believe it helps clean the sludge out better from years of misuse.
 
Its all relative though. If a $1k fix will make your car driveable for another X years, its probably worth it, as it would be hard to sell it in a broken state then use that little amount of money + $1k to buy something else in unknown condition.
This is true. In that case I'd be all for it and would do what it took to make it work.
 
What if all you need was 1,000 to stick a turbo on the Jeep?
 
I still don't know when I will get out of beaterland. It's been ages since I've owned a car with no dents or a value of several thousands. In a way I like it here, there's barely any burden except for the nickeling and diming, but sometimes I think if someone over 30 should actually have payments on a car made in this century. I dunno.
 
This is why you were told not to trust people over thirty as a kid. :tease:
 
Frame damage that causes the suspension alignment to go out of whack. Everything else I can fix/live with, but that I can't. Unless I get a frame straightener.
 
I sometimes wonder how close you could get with a come-along and a tape measure.

That's how frame repairs used to be done, actually. The body shop I patronize has been around since the 30s in the same building and there's still anchor points in the floor from when the building was new because that was the fully factory approved technique used.
 
The way I do it:

1. Expected repairs/maintenance cost more than half of the cars value = The beginning of the end.
2. Start searching for next car. Always have three different offers on standby (I only buy from garages, never from private)
3. Drive the old car until it explodes is unsafe or has a massive breakdown.
4. Call breakdown insurance, tell them to send the car to the garage where you next car is waiting.
5. Buy the thing, change plates, leave the old car there, drive off with the new one.
6. Repeat all this in a year or two.
 
Last edited:
Top