Re: Cheaper to keep and maintain 2 very old cars (vs 1 newer one?)

"Mark" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> I had 2 older cars, a 1995 and 1991 with theory nice to have a backup.
> I decided it was better to keep the 1995 with 65,000 miles and do
> meticulous maintenance to reduce chances of break downs. I am thinking
> with proper maintenance I can at least 150,000 miles out of it. I
> found with 2 cars I ended up driving the one most of the time and the
> other one sitting idle for long periods of time, which is not good on
> a car either.
>
> I now do not have to license, insure and maintain 2 vehicles and think
> it makes more sense financially.
>
> I have the 1995 paid for but still make car payments to what I call a
> car fund account. Hopefully by time my car dies, I will have a good
> chuck of money to put down on new car.
>
> My best advice is crack open the owners manual and follow maintenance
> schedule and car should last. Although some cars are not all that
> reliable and a transmission or major engine problems can throw the
> budget out of whack. I am always envious of those people driving cars
> with over 200K and still running fine. (Mostly Hondas, Toyotas,
> Nissans)
>
> Just my 02 cents

I got over 225 on a Mazda I nicknamed "Hal" because it got quite a
personality over 200k. When I was at work I'd get calls that the headlights
were on, even though the switch was in the off position. The heat in the car
would make the worn contacts touch. Then the dash lights went out for a
year, then came back on. Then off. And he'd stall in a snowstorm or throw
wipers off in a rainstorm for no apparent reason. Actually, it got kind of
frightening toward the end. When I moved and tried to get it past inspection
with  a mechanic who wasn't waiving me through each year after paying a
toll, the repairs were so extensive it would have cost thousands.