Average age of Car/Truck fleet reaches all time high of 11.4 years
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AggieMike88
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The original "I don't know it all" of aviation.
Too young to remember what he specifically did. I do remember digging us out of the late 70's problems, but not what was done to make it happen.
denverpilot
Tied Down
Just kinda snuck the mid-life crisis car in there at the end of the list, didn't ya?
It is a very nice car, but it is what Tommy drives.
catmandu
Pattern Altitude
That is quite interesting. Now I understand why I got to walk out with a handful of 'fluff' today for my new to me Expedition. Mostly trim pieces, but stuff that one notices a lot, and lowers your opinion of the vehicle. Happy to get it for the price of gas, left me money to spend on a proper replacement for the de-laminating blue oval on the front!
Skylane81E
Final Approach
It is a fairly minor glitch, an intake gasket let go. However the stuff that they attached to the lower intake manifold
It is a nice car, but Angie wants something better on gas, better for hauling our pack of dogs, something that hasn't been wrecked and something newer.
I want to turbo it
Matthew
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Interesting - why RF and LR over the other doors? Accident damage, sure, but those doors more than the rest?
.....
And Ben, I will put one hundred dollar bill on the dash of my LUV, if you can grab it within 5 seconds after I let the trans brake off you can keep it.
I know the drill ..
..I have driven a alcohol bracket rail a couple of times going 6.97@ 201 mph......
A feeling that is next to impossible to duplicate..
gkainz
Final Approach
How's that compare to a 300', 2 second elapsed time at 165 mph?
Cat shot off a carrier. In spite of the hype, I could lean forward and reset a circuit breaker during the shot.
Cat shot off a carrier. In spite of the hype, I could lean forward and reset a circuit breaker during the shot.
AggieMike88
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The original "I don't know it all" of aviation.
Just the way the data works out for this time period... If I was to shorten or lengthen the time window, we would se a shift of a few items in the ranks... but Engine, Transmission, Wheel, and Rear Axle Assy have remained in the top 5 forever.
The list reflects what the part type brought to the revenue picture. So for this time period, I either had more sales of these doors, or I achieved a higher average sale price for those doors, or a mix of this.
What's interesting to analyze about the report that provided that list and teach other yard owners is that 80% of our annual revenue is generated by less than 30 part types out of the 200 that our systems track. The managing to a successful business challenge is to not spend 80% of our time chasing that bottom 20% of the revenue.
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Bob Noel
One reason I've bought new is to get newer features as they become available (e.g., ABS, airbags, hybrid).
The other reason I buy new is because I'm just not that good at automotive repair. I can tinker, but...
And finally, there is that new car smell.
Jay Honeck
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The purple grape ?????
Long gone. The Grape (a '95 Nissan pickup truck) literally broke in half on the hoist, at its last oil change. I sold it to an employee for $100 bucks.
It's probably still running around Iowa -- everything but that cheap Nissan steel frame was perfect.
Jay Honeck
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One reason I've bought new is to get newer features as they become available (e.g., ABS, airbags, hybrid).
The other reason I buy new is because I'm just not that good at automotive repair. I can tinker, but...
And finally, there is that new car smell.
Everyone should buy a new car once, for the experience.
After that, the realization of how bad your investment is/was takes precedence, and those 4 to 6 year old creampuffs become the norm.
N747JB
Final Approach
I am in the new car business, but we sell an equal number of used cars, so I love used as well as new! Something I see happening with used cars is the cost of repair as they get older and the availablity of parts for 8+ year old models. Not every part is available from the factory on older cars and depending on the type of car the aftermarket isn't an option. Of course that leaves used/salvage parts, which are great, but on electrical parts, module etc can be hard to match.
The other thing for DIY guys is as the cars add technology, it becomes harder and harder for folks to do their own repairs beyond oil changes and brakes. Gary F
Final Approach
Parts can be a problem. I had an Opel when I was a college student. They were no longer being sold in the U.S. and I had to rebuild the engine. Many parts including a rebuild kit were available but I could not locate any oil pump gears through standard parts outlets. It took a trip to the salvage yard with some tools. I had to disassemble 2 or 3 engines before I could find serviceable oil pump gears. It was good experience and actually a lot of fun.I am in the new car business, but we sell an equal number of used cars, so I love used as well as new! Something I see happening with used cars is the cost of repair as they get older and the availablity of parts for 8+ year old models. Not every part is available from the factory on older cars and depending on the type of car the aftermarket isn't an option. Of course that leaves used/salvage parts, which are great, but on electrical parts, module etc can be hard to match.
N747JB
Final Approach
The good old days!
It's not the "hard parts" as I would call them, engine transmission, AC compressor etc it's the airbag module or one of the engine modules that are hard to find and EXPENSIVE Alexb2000
En-Route
The good old days!
I love these car threads.
Many pilots seem to believe everyone who buys a new car is just an idiot with money. There are countless Internet legends of the guy that drove his 91 civic for 500K miles, never broke down or did any repair over $100. Yet, there are shops everywhere full of peoples cars who just got spanked with a major repair that doesn't increase the value of the vehicle one dime. At least when they put it on their credit card at 21%, they can still say they don't have a car payment.
For the non-mechanical: buy a new car with a high residual, keep it under warranty, sell it while it's still long term financeable. Keep doing that as long as used residuals are high and money is free (0% financing). Enjoy life a little more.
Gary F
Final Approach
Car parts prices and upkeep no longer scares me after owning an airplane for a few years.The good old days!
N747JB
Final Approach
Oh, I understand!! They are what help me afford airplanes!
Jay Honeck
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Actually, leasing a car is the best choice for the mechanically disinclined. No muss, no fuss.
We leased Hondas in the '90s. They had a guaranteed buy out value at the end that was always peanuts compared to their actual resale value. So...we would buy them and sell them, pocketing a several thousand dollar profit.
Now, I live on an island and walk everywhere.
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AggieMike88
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The original "I don't know it all" of aviation.
The good old days!
Not as bad as you think, John. Most engine computers I am asked for range from $75-200. Which is way lower than the retail OEM list price.
Availability for 8-12 year old computer modules is also good. It's very rare that I cannot find something for popular cars and trucks within a hour of making some phone calls and clicking through some databases.
denverpilot
Tied Down
The bad assumption there is that the other folks aren't enjoying life. Or that you can tell if your car will have a high residual in your particular model year.
Bet those Ford Diesel truck buyers who bought the 6.0L thought they would.
When they started having problems, the residual fell. Chalk it up to "never buy the first model" but Ford kept cranking them out, and they didn't get better.
The absolute best deals out there are when the vehicle is too old to qualify for financing but also have virtually no miles on them. I love those deals.
Example: This truck right here could be a screaming deal if you don't need 4WD... It's not low mileage but it's low for its age. (Just an example. I'd look for better...)
$5000? You can't replace the metal in the thing for what they're asking for it.
Sure, you'd have to go over it carefully and fix some stuff, but if it runs... And you needed to haul crap...
http://mobile.dealercarsearch.com/VehicleDetail.aspx?InventoryId=3372324&DealerId=758
Maybe it needs an engine. Maybe it needs brakes. Maybe suspension. Who knows. If you needed it for farm duty, would you care?
It's all about what you need the machine for. If it's your only vehicle and you can't miss a day of work...
Or in the case of this truck if you don't have sething smaller to drive on days you don't need it... No use to you. If you got some cash and can put it in a shop for a few days and/or work on it yourself, you might have a truck for 1/10th the price of a new one.
I bet you could talk them down to $3500 cash. They don't have any money in that thing...
denverpilot
Tied Down
P.S. Note it has front locking hubs and is listed as 2WD. Could be bad. Could be their mistake that benefits you.
Alexb2000
En-Route
The bad assumption there is that the other folks aren't enjoying life. Or that you can tell if your car will have a high residual in your particular model year.
Bet those Ford Diesel truck buyers who bought the 6.0L thought they would.
When they started having problems, the residual fell. Chalk it up to "never buy the first model" but Ford kept cranking them out, and they didn't get better.
The absolute best deals out there are when the vehicle is too old to qualify for financing but also have virtually no miles on them. I love those deals.
Example: This truck right here could be a screaming deal if you don't need 4WD... It's not low mileage but it's low for its age. (Just an example. I'd look for better...)
$5000? You can't replace the metal in the thing for what they're asking for it.
Sure, you'd have to go over it carefully and fix some stuff, but if it runs... And you needed to haul crap...
http://mobile.dealercarsearch.com/VehicleDetail.aspx?InventoryId=3372324&DealerId=758
Maybe it needs an engine. Maybe it needs brakes. Maybe suspension. Who knows. If you needed it for farm duty, would you care?
It's all about what you need the machine for. If it's your only vehicle and you can't miss a day of work...
Or in the case of this truck if you don't have sething smaller to drive on days you don't need it... No use to you. If you got some cash and can put it in a shop for a few days and/or work on it yourself, you might have a truck for 1/10th the price of a new one.
I bet you could talk them down to $3500 cash. They don't have any money in that thing...
Sure you can tell if a car has a high residual, it's calculated in every lease agreement. That's why they are advertising a new Camry lease for $199 a month with TTL down, high residual.
With regard to your example, I have owned a lot of diesel pickups, many of the Fords just like the one you posted. It does look low mileage and in nice shape for its age. First year of the Powerstroke, which might be a concern for you based on your comments. They had plenty of problems, all of which were worked out over time (For example look up 7.3 block cavitation). Just like the 6.0 that you strongly dislike, although I've never read that you've owned one.
If I needed a 2wd farm truck, I might take a look. Someone needing a secondary farm truck wasn't what I was taking about in my comments, not that it ever prevents someone from extrapolating. Having put 100's of thousands of miles on those old Ford's I wouldn't want to drive one everyday anymore BWTHDIK. Let us know if you get it for $3500.
Skylane81E
Final Approach
If all you want is cheap transportation buy beaters, you can buy and register a car for about what you would pay for a monthly car payment. So even if it only lasts a few months you are cash ahead. I'd spend a little more though, a couple grand, pay cash, liability only...
Example, Angie's infinity was purchased for $2000 and made it two years before needing any real repair work. When it started acting up had I not been inclined or skilled enough to fix it it still ran enough to get close to a grand for it, but even at the $400 the salvage yard would give for it $1600/24 months of use nets $67/mo....
The magnum I bought new over 9 years is still more than $220/mo
Example, Angie's infinity was purchased for $2000 and made it two years before needing any real repair work. When it started acting up had I not been inclined or skilled enough to fix it it still ran enough to get close to a grand for it, but even at the $400 the salvage yard would give for it $1600/24 months of use nets $67/mo....
The magnum I bought new over 9 years is still more than $220/mo
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Skylane81E
Final Approach
Oh and it would take 37 years for the new car to get down to the same cost per month as the used...
RJM62
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Geek on the Hill
I don't necessarily think that.
There was a six-year period during which I bought (actually, leased in the company's name) new cars every two years. My business was booming, I had waaay more money than time, and I wanted not to have any car-related downtime. I needed my car to keep making all that money, and I didn't want any interruption in the flow. So I leased new cars in the company's name from a dealer who provided free towing and free loaners during the warranty period. Then I traded them in after two years.
But unless you want zero downtime and zero repairs, and I don't think new cars are a particularly good investment unless you pay cash. Unless you're getting a near-zero interest rate, it just doesn't make much sense to me to take out a loan to buy a depreciating asset.
Also, the insurance can be significant. Where I live now, it would be pretty cheap for full coverage; but when I lived in The City, it wasn't unusual for the insurance bill on a leased car to be more than the car payments. In 2001, when I was living in Queens, I was paying ~$3,400.00 a year for insurance on a car whose lease payments totaled ~3,100.00 a year.
But like I said, I had more money than time, and I needed the car to make the money; so never having to worry about downtime because of car problems was well worth the coin I was spending. In my situation now, not so much. I'm semi-retired, work from home, have plenty of time on my hands and fairly good mechanical skills, and almost never have to travel anywhere for the purpose of making money. So used cars are a good bet for me now.
-Rich
Holy CRAP...
...I pay 171.60 every six months for a 20 grand Tundra, full coverage insurance here in Wyoming..
Gary F
Final Approach
Skills or not, cars today are very hard to repair. Special tools and a lift are often required even for basic tasks. I've rebuilt the engines for a 1972 Opel and 1975 Chevy in an old shed but never could find the oil filter on my 2002 Passat.
RJM62
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Geek on the Hill
Holy CRAP...
I pay 171.60 every six months for a 20 grand Tundra, full coverage insurance here in Wyoming..
I pay less than $17.00 a month to insure the used Saturn I just bought. Liability only, but very high limits.
Multi-car discount, plus having multiple policies (car and homeowners) with USAA. Life is good.
-Rich
RJM62
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Geek on the Hill
That's true. But there's still plenty of money to be saved. For example, I have resolved all the OBD2 codes on the Saturn myself except for one, at no cost. The remaining one is PO341, which is a problem with the camshaft position sensor, which is amusing because Saturns don't have camshaft position sensors.
About two minutes of research revealed that the problem is bad plugs and/or wires. The wires look like they've been there since day one, so I ordered a new set of Densos for about $14.00, plus four new plugs for about $9.00.
I also tried my hand at some minor body work this week, fixing a crack in the front bumper. Crappy phone pics attached. (I also have an $800.00 Nikon. You think I'd use it...)
-Rich
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Gary F
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When my oldest son hit a parked car with our Jeep Cherokee I decided not to pay to have it fixed but thought it would be good for him to learn firsthand the consequences of his carelessness. I had the vehicle towed to a local body shop to have the frame straightened and we did the rest. The job took several month. New radiator, steering pump and bracket, header, grill, bumper, lights and fender. We even learned how to use a paint gun. It ran fine and looked OK as long as you didn't get too close (a little orange peeling). The body shop wanted $6,000 but we did the job for about $1,200. A couple of years later my middle son hit a deer and we repeated the process.