IMHO, this is quite possibly the most sensible posting to the list in a
long time, John!
Lawrie (who drives a 1983 Dodge van when not in his '67 BGT)
----------
> From: John McEwen <mmcewen@gpu.srv.ualberta.ca>
> To: mgs@autox.team.net
> Subject: The price of driving. Semi- LBC related
> Date: Sunday, February 01, 1998 9:48 AM
>
> Hello fellow MGophiles:
>
> It seems to me that in our discussion of the cost of tuneups and
> maintenance on new cars we are overlooking one significant thing.
>
> We are advocates of old iron and most of us possess the wherewithall to
> maintain and repair said iron. So why the hell are you driving new
> vehicles which you can't maintain or repair?
>
> I suggest that there are plenty of decent old cars which can be purchased
> for a song and maintained/repaired very cheaply by their owners - you.
>
> My annual costs for operating 3 drivers are very low. The occasional set
> of tires, brake pad/shoes, and the odd necessary repair are all that's
> really required plust the cost of fuel. I'd rather spend my money on old
> LBCs.
>
> My fuel costs are higher than for new vehicles but my insurance costs are
> much lower while car payments and depreciation are non-existent so my
> bottom line much better. My family is perfectly happy driving old cars
and
> are unconcerned about reliability which is excellent.
>
> My wife drives a 1981 Pontiac Parisienne Brougham Coupe with a 305,
> automatic and every option known to man. I paid $1100 ($750 US) for the
> Pontiac 3 years ago when it had 185,000 km ($115,000 miles) on it. I
> painted it. It looks and drives like a new car.
>
> My daughter drives a 1981 Buick Skylark Limited Coupe with 2.8 V6 and
every
> option imaginable. I paid $1100 for it with 115,000 km (71,000 miles) on
> it 2 years ago. I replaced the rear shocks on it.
>
> The Pontiac replaced a '78 Buick Skylark sedan with a 3.8 V6 in it. I
paid
> $700 for it and my wife drove it for 2 years with no problems other than
> replacing the tires. My daughter inherited it and she drove it for a
year
> then I sold it for $500 and bought the '81.
>
> In December, I purchased a 1980 Chrysler LeBaron Medallion Coupe with 318
> 2-barrel. The car has every option available for the year and has new
> paint. The interior is perfect and the car has 115,000 km (71,000 miles)
> on it. I paid $1500 ($900 US) for it and to date have replaced the valve
> seals which cost me $15.00.
>
> I recently purchased a '76 Ford Ranchero with 63,000 original miles and a
> blown engine. I bought another car - a '78 LTD II - removed the engine
and
> trans (351M and TRX trans) from it and installed them in the Ranchero. I
> then sold the LTD for $100. Total cost $800 (US $500). The car looks
> good, runs well and is a functional pickup truck for me.
>
> I would get in any of these cars today and set out on a cross country
trip
> if I had to. I know that they will start under the worst winter
> conditions, are warm and reliable and can be fixed with parts from any
> junkyard or auto supply store. I don't need or want a new car. The
price
> of my fuel is easily offset by my insurance savings and my cars don't
> depreciate, they are appreciating or at least keeping pace with
inflation.
> If something major breaks, I won't fix it but simply dump the car and buy
> another one. This would apply if I were on a trip as well.
>
> My regular winter beater was a '78 Cadillac Eldorado. I drove this car
for
> 8 winters and put about 75,000 km on it and it now has gone about 1/4
> million km. It is still completely reliable. It cost very little to
> maintain and with the front wheel drive and 5,000 lb weight it would go
> nearly anywhere under nearly every circumstance. It had fantastic
handling
> and ride and was absolutely reliable. I paid $2200 ($1350 US) for it and
> will easily get $1,000 ($600 US) for it today. I think this old car may
> have been the best I have ever owned in terms of the sheer satisfaction
it
> gave me to own and drive it.
>
> My point is simple. There are lots of good cars out there lurking
> forgotten in old people's garages or abandoned at the back of dealers'
> lots. The bargain finders and nickel ads are full of them and the
> classifieds are bulging. Go out and buy one. Swallow your pride and to
> hell with the Joneses. Drive it and enjoy it. Tell the new car service
> writers to hook their computers to some other sucker's wheels. You've
been
> emancipated. And for those of you with pollution regulations, get a
really
> old one. The older they are the simpler were the emissions standards and
> pollution-related equipment - in most cases. You Californians now have
it
> easier with the new regulations.
>
> Drop me a line if you don't want to pursue this on the list and I'll
offer
> "best buy" suggestions to anyone. I've owned enough cars to have a good
> idea of what to get.
>
> John McEwen
>
> Determinedly driving the past and saving money doing it.
>
>
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