I have a 2001 F150 Lariat edition that I don't mind but I'm absolutely not in love with. It really dances the quality line in pretty much every aspect, it seems. It's not very often that there isn't something on it I'm fixing.
I read somewhere that you shouldn't spend more than 20% per month of what you earn on car payments. Does that sound like a good rule to live by?
Carmax will ship it to a carmax that is close to you for far less than it will cost you to go get it. That's kind of their "thing".
I have a 2001 F150 Lariat edition that I don't mind but I'm absolutely not in love with. It really dances the quality line in pretty much every aspect, it seems. It's not very often that there isn't something on it I'm fixing.
First on race day or F'd on race day.Is your Ford a:
Fix Or Repair Daily or Found On Road Dead model?
I read somewhere that you shouldn't spend more than 20% per month of what you earn on car payments. Does that sound like a good rule to live by?
Have you looked into the mx cost for that 740? We flip cars and the 540 we did was not a cheap fix.... Though we did make good money on it in the end.I have never had a car payment, and I think that's a better rule to live by. We just bought my wife a new BMW - it's a 1997 740iL with 144,000 miles on it and cost $4,000. My daily driver is a 450 HP Mitsubishi 3000GT with 173,000 miles on it, cost $5,500 when I bought it 4 years ago at 137k.
Seriously, save money for a down payment on a house. Depending on what's wrong with the car you're driving (and if it's expected to get handed down to another sibling), buy a set of wrenches from Harbor Freight and make friends with www.rockauto.com
If you really want a truck, look for an old one - 90s is my decade of choice. I would buy a 3/4-ton truck because they tend to be more durable in my experience, plus I like how they drive better. But the mileage will be bad. They sound boring, but a Lincoln Town Car is one of the best deals out there and extremely reliable. I had one in college and loved it.
I think I was almost 30 before I bought a car I needed a loan for... and almost 40 now and don't plan to do it again lol....
Money is pretty cheap these days if you have good credit, but run amortization schedules and look at the annual and total interest costs and really think about if it's worth that "extra" cost to have the car/truck/toy now vs. saving up for it.
I'm not good at waiting for things, but sometimes the cost is too much.
Good luck!
Never cared much for most American truck designs.
I vastly prefer Toyotas, though they tend to hold their value into ridiculously old age.
Headed up to my buddies to snatch up an '87 4X4 yota with a bad four speed in it. Gonna install the new (used) tranny with a new clutch kit and flip it. The off road set out here goes nuts for an old Toyota 4X4 with a straight axle, I suspect I'll make a good buck on it.
Have you looked into the mx cost for that 740? We flip cars and the 540 we did was not a cheap fix.... Though we did make good money on it in the end.
Interesting. I've owned a 2001 F150 XLT Supercrew 4x4 since new, it has ben the most dependable and durable vehicle I've ever owned. It still looks and drives great. I've spent a sum total of maybe $1400 in unscheduled repairs over the last 13 years.
I'd love to buy a new one, but it is impossible to justify when the old one is still very nice.
I read somewhere that you shouldn't spend more than 20% per month of what you earn on car payments. Does that sound like a good rule to live by?
I have no idea what sort of life my truck had before I had it, which probably has a lot to do with the problems I've encountered.
I read somewhere that you shouldn't spend more than 20% per month of what you earn on car payments. Does that sound like a good rule to live by?
Can't see the use of a full sized truck if you don't own lots of property, at least not as a personal vehicle.
Truck is better is for the hang glider rack you will need soon.From all the reviews I've read, the Fit is a fine vehicle. But, it won't tow the 4000# boat to the lake.
Truck is better is for the hang glider rack you will need soon.
For less than the price of the used truck I bought a brand new Honda Fit. Thing will fit just about anything I need to haul, gets awesome gas mileage, isn't a total pig to drive and will likely work forever, Hondas do that.
First car I bought myself was a Nissan pickup truck, came in handy for the old houses I've owned. The Fit does the job just fine now. Can't see a use for a truck if you don't own property. Can't see the use of a full sized truck if you don't own lots of property, at least not as a personal vehicle.
But like the man said, this is advice. Me, I didn't get a fun car until I was 40 and could pay cash for it.
From all the reviews I've read, the Fit is a fine vehicle. But, it won't tow the 4000# boat to the lake.
Same with me. I bought a (used) Porsche on payments right after I got out of graduate school and learned my lesson on how much I hated payments.I have had car payments twice in my life.
You may be able to pull it, slowly, but the Fit brakes sure as hell won't be able to stop it.The Fit could certain tow it, just not very far or fast, and certainly not uphill. But odds are if you have a two-ton boat you likely have some property on which to stash it, in which case you will likely find a truck to be quite useful even in the absence of said boat.
I could carry a hang glider in the Fit easily.
Also avoid buying new unless there is an exceptional reason for it. Let some other fool take the initial depreciation.
You may be able to pull it, slowly, but the Fit brakes sure as hell won't be able to stop it.
Also avoid buying new unless there is an exceptional reason for it. Let some other fool take the initial depreciation.
Obviously lots of people do, or there wouldn't be any year-old cars for me to buy.I disagree with that.
Ditto I am not willing to pay 50 cents per mile to have a lower mileage car. Re your example, there is nothing to say that your replacement part experience would not have been the same had you bought your Honda a year old for $5K less. In fact your experience would probably have been the same but you would be $5K richer.