Have you seen the prices of new cars lately?

It's like getting a second mortgage.

Even used cars are selling for more than they cost new a few years ago.

That's why I'm obsessed with making my current vehicle last as long as humanly possible.

Most people think "maintenance" just means changing the oil every 5,000 miles. Haha That's a joke. I am talking like rebuilding the engine, transmissions, and drive train. Replacing rusted body panels, and welding up and reinforcing rotted out frames.

At the farm we have made vehicles last past 50 years and over a million miles

Why make payments on new, buy junk and rebuild it at a 3rd of the cost of new. You got a bent frame! Fixable! You have a Rotten rusted out frame! Fixable! Blown engine or transmissions! Same Fixable!

Nothing is it fixable unless it looks like this

When it looks like this. Then it's too far gone to save

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ArishMell · 70-79, M

One reason for the rise in second-hand values is that modern cars have become so difficult or even impossible for the owner to service or repair.

It's not helped by the manufacturers over-charging for OEM replacement parts, proportionally to the car's initial selling price rather than the component's intrinsic value: a scam no-one seems to have the courage to clamp down on.

I first learnt this some years ago when a dealer told me VW / Audi have two huge warehouses, one labelled VW, the other Audi. There are many parts common to both, but the company gives them individual VW or Audi part-numbers, puts them in the appropriate store and makes the wholesale price far more for those labelled Audi. Who told me this? A VW main dealer!

HumanEarth · F

yep, thats like with Dercell batteries. They make the cheap looking Generic batteries to at lower price. But they are made the same as their name brand.