Re: truck axles - building engines


"Larry Caldwell" <firstnamelastinitial@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:MPG.2568b1611b72842d98a4d7@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
In article <kajtf5d0982snpgq1oukii6g50f41itqbe@xxxxxxx>, jhunt1x@xxxxxxx
(Jack Hunt) says...

Now with basic care you can get 200,000 miles or more from a vehicle. In my
book, replacement of a vehicle is only warranted when the cost of upkeep exceeds
the cost of replacement. If it's not using a lot of oil, it's not rusted out,
and all the systems are working, it's silly to replace it. When you replace it,
it goes to a dealer's lot somewhere, somebody else buys it and drives it for as
long or longer than you did.

With care and determination, you can keep a modern rig running virtually
forever. I have a '97 Jeep Grand Cherokee with 249,000 miles on it, and
there is absolutely nothing wrong with the vehicle. Compression is
still good and even on all cylinders, the transmission is tight, and the
finish and interior are still good. The plastic rocker panels and
bumpers are kind of dull, but I can get them looking good with an
application of Armor All. It has never run past an oil change and gets
the transmission serviced any time the fluid color starts to go off.

I keep it around for bad weather, and because it has the 5.2 liter
(Chrysler 318) V8 and a Cat IV towing hitch, with two transmission
coolers and an electric brake controller. I could hop in it an drive it
to the east coast and back without a thought. In fact, last year I did
a winter run from Oregon to Alberta and back in it. They wouldn't give
me crap for a trade-in, so I kept it. Most of the time I suspend the
insurance, so it doesn't cost me anything while it sits in the driveway.
I have rigs that get better mileage.

To my way of thinking, the only reason to buy a new (to me) rig is if
you need a different one. If I ever go to a 5th wheel travel trailer, I
will need a full sized pickup, but for now my compact pickup is plenty.
If I need more load capacity, I just hang a trailer on the back. With a
ton and a half on the trailer and a half ton on the pickup, I can drive
down the road with a respectable load. A load leveller hitch helps, and
electric brakes let me stop in a reasonable distance.

I suppose if I were in a wreck, I would have to buy another rig.

BTW, scrap prices are still high enough that I don't trade in old rigs.
If nobody else wants to pay at least scrap price for it, I junk it. I
was just by the steel recycler yesterday, and he had an old steel rim
plow he was getting ready to cut up. It had the colter assembly I was
looking for, so for $6.50 I found the piece I needed for my plow. If
you think you can keep old cars running forever, let's hear it for old
farm equipment.

--
For email, replace firstnamelastinitial
with my first name and last initial.

Long live my Ford 3000.

.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: truck axles - building engines
    ... replacement of a vehicle is only warranted when the cost of upkeep exceeds ... the cost of replacement. ... you can keep a modern rig running virtually ... there is absolutely nothing wrong with the vehicle. ...
    (misc.rural)
  • Re: Hybrid MPG?
    ... rather large expense on a vehicle that has greatly depreciated. ... While common sense says that at some point the battery pack will need to be ... replacement cost will be an issue for owners ... replacement, but so far, that hasn't happened yet. ...
    (alt.autos.toyota)
  • Re: The Drive-a-Toyota Act
    ... into consideration the total cost of acquiring a vehicle, insuring, maintaining, repairing and operating that vehicle and at some point the replacement cost for another new vehicle. ... One buyer is the average American new car buyer who replaces their car in three to four years. ...
    (alt.autos.toyota)
  • Re: ...Nasa/Griffin LYING about Public Support for Moon/Mars Missions!
    ... of the vehicle, could provide benefits if done carefully. ... 10x the cost of an aircraft, and 5,000x the price of a container ship. ... launches, $10 million cost per launch for the vehicle. ... to orbit at a cost of $7.5 billion. ...
    (sci.space.policy)
  • Re: Meat Prices Going Up
    ... I did the math a while back when I was commuting and found that getting ... a small car to use for commuting instead of my big truck would cost me ... insurance vs. just using the truck for everything and that figure didn't ... even include the cost of that extra vehicle. ...
    (rec.food.cooking)