How Do You Maintain an Old Car?

duluxe2000 on 26/06/2018 - 23:46
Last edited 28/06/2018 - 17:15

I own a 2001 Toyota V6. This is my 1st car and it runs well. But things start failing over the time. And the cost of fixing/replacing components are more expensive than the car itself. I wonder what people do with an old car?

Btw, got a quote to replace rear engine mount for 390$ (part + labor) Is it reasonable ? If I diy, i know i can replace it for 30-40$ ( just the insert )

EDIT: I actually can't decide which option makes more financial sense given a period of 5-10 years (lowest cost of ownership)

  • Keep the old car and spend 500$ each year for repairs and services ( need to factor the cost of fuel for old car as well, say 10000 km a year)
  • Buy a brand new car ( assume 20K for a decent car with economic fuel consumption as I only care about the lowest cost of ownership )
  • Buy a XXX years old car and let's assume for the first YYY years I don't have to spend much on them . XXX here is probably 5 since it's a sweet spot for buying an old car (???) and I assume the next 3 years I won't have spend much if I take good care of it.

I will do some calculations so people (like me) know when to dispose an old car.

Poll Options

  • 2
    I never own/buy a car older than 10 years old
  • 15
    I am a DIY pro
  • 11
    I try the get few more years of my car before I can purchase a new one
  • 2
    Other
Automotive

Comments

  • [Deactivated] on 26/06/2018 - 23:54
    +3

    If I diy, i know i can replace it for 30-40$ ( just the insert )

    Just diy. Please do me a favour and upload your video of the repair to YouTube for my entertainment.

    • airzone on 27/06/2018 - 00:00

      I've done engine mounts. They can be fairly easy.

    • duluxe2000 on 27/06/2018 - 00:23

      Are you a mechanic? What is your opinion about this?
      I did my homework, rear engine replacement video : https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7kdmsBs6nl4
      Its not a beginer-friendly job but if you are fairly confident about basic car mantenance, this is a logical step to advance your skills

      • [Deactivated] on 27/06/2018 - 00:26

        Not a mechanic. It's more than doable but can be very fiddly. Definitely easier with a hoist and power tools though.

  • garetz on 27/06/2018 - 00:55
    +2

    Once a car costs more to maintain than its worth, then you sell it to a caryard for parts or scrap.

    • mskeggs on 27/06/2018 - 09:25

      This is true, but a worst case.
      There is a spectrum of people who drive old cars. Some are confident mechanics who will happily repair something otherwise uneconomic.
      And there is the grey area of people who need a car for a month and will take the risk on an old beater instead of renting a vehicle, or need a vehicle on the farm, or need a new engine for an otherwise nice car that has a cracked head

      If the car goes you can get better than scrap value. IF it is also still registered, fantastic!

      • Euphemistic on 28/06/2018 - 10:10

        Yes, selling it about a month before rego expires is a lot better than after. The new owner can drive it away easily. I know of a couple of people that have bought v.cheap registered cars because theirs has been in a crash and they need quick transport.

  • afoveht on 27/06/2018 - 01:55
    +5

    My current car was bought new but now approaching 15 years old. My plan was to replace it after 5 years but here I am keeping it alive while the costs are OK - it's still a fine and comfy runabout, and replacing it just for the sake of it really is IMO the height of irresponsible consumerism. Being old it's a pleasure to not care about dings and scrapes and fully utilising my allotted parking space even if it means parking extremely close to the drivers door side of the carelessly parked expensive European SUV next to me. I set an arbitrary figure of $1000 and/or one full day of my own labour as the max threshold for extraordinary repairs within a year; part of me wants it to happen soon, another part of me wants it delayed as long as possible. So far it's been quite enjoyable pulling out the tools and doing a few small things using YouTube as a guide: replacing a starter motor, fixing an electric air vent valve, cleaning blocked sunroof drains (foot well full of water after the rain!), etc.

  • Nugs on 27/06/2018 - 06:24

    "How Do You Maintain an Old Car?"

    make sure it has petrol.

    but seriously, metal mechanical objects should last a lot longer than that. plastic & trim etc is another matter though.
    just follow the service intervals by km (not time) and if you don't have bad luck and don't thrash it, all will be OK.
    I have had two cars reach 300,000km and both were obtained with 160,000km on them.

    I just bought a 2002 car, making it the equal youngest car I have.

    .

  • EightImmortals on 27/06/2018 - 06:33
    +1

    I try to get 20 years out of my cars. Always get them serviced on schedule, a good private mechanic should be cheaper than a dealer, ask around your area for who is trustworthy. Something I will do myself (front brakes for e.g.) but most things I leave to the mechanic. You have to decide what repairs are worth as opposed to replacing the car. last year I had to have the oil pump replaced…cost me 1K which is about 25% of the cars value but I should get another 5 years or so (hopefully). Having had many cars over the years getting them services and keeping them clean are the biggest things to keep them reliable.

    • jeeg on 27/06/2018 - 09:47

      what car do u drive?

      • EightImmortals on 27/06/2018 - 11:02
        +1

        2004 Magna. :)

        • nocure on 27/06/2018 - 11:15
          +1

          They're Bulletproof

        • EightImmortals on 27/06/2018 - 12:34
          +1

          @nocure: heh, we had one of those as well but traded it 3 years ago, was still going well at 300K but the paint was fading from the roof and the Mrs thought it looked terrible. Would have kept it otherwise and it had the 3L rather than the 3.5. I'm going to be stuffed when it comes to finding a replacement. :(

  • bobbified on 27/06/2018 - 08:19
    +1

    got a quote to replace rear engine mount for 390$ (part + labor) Is it reasonable ? If I diy, i know i can replace it for 30-40$ ( just the insert )

    The parts don't fit themselves once you've brought it home.

    Sometimes the labor costs might seem excessive
    (not discounting that sometimes it is just a blatant ripoff on purpose!) , but have to consider the mechanic has invested much of their time to learn how to do it properly so they should get paid if you're using their knowledge, experience and equipment.

    If you start early and learn to do things yourself, you'll save a lot over time. For now, expect the possibility of mistakes the first few times you attempt to DIY.

  • mskeggs on 27/06/2018 - 09:31
    +2

    These sort of things are the worst problem with old cars.
    If it was $1500 you might readily say 'enough', but $390 would be a bargain if that got you another 12 months.
    My general rule is I know how my old car has been treated, and it is likely a replacement has been through worse.
    So I would probably give it a last chance for $390.

  • djsweet on 27/06/2018 - 09:35
    +2

    I have a 2005 Civic as my work commuter. Recently it needed $1000 worth of repairs. Even though it isn't worth much I got them done. The reasoning is: Firstly, post repairs the car is in good condition with nothing else set to fail for a while. Secondly, if I were to sell it for scrap and buy another cheap car, there is no guarantee that the new car will be any better (might require expensive repairs in a few months) and I would be out of pocket a few thousand. In summary, while the car may not be worth much on the market, it is worth a lot more than $1000 to me.

  • jeeg on 27/06/2018 - 09:50

    We have a 2000 CRV as our main car. So far has not caused major issues but we have been through timing belt changes, brakes, etc. Would like to replace the car soon but it is not worth much on the market so we are also wondering what is the best thing to do…do we keep the car for a few more years or do we just get rid of it.

  • bighead on 27/06/2018 - 10:42
    +1

    Daily driving 23 year old ford festiva.
    Paint peeling, dents everywhere, everything you expect from a shit box, which I like. Never need to worry about people hitting the car when parked at the mall or washing the car.
    I do most maintenance myself, unless its something that I need a mechanic for or cheaper to have the mechanic do it to save my time.
    At this stage, if the mechanic quotes me $200+, I'll scrap the car.
    But it still runs ok, and cheap on petrol. Will be running this car till it blows.

    Your 2001 Toyota will probably last another 10 years under good care.
    See if you can work on the price a bit more. Cheaper than buying a new car and have new car worries.

    • duluxe2000 on 27/06/2018 - 15:00

      Where do you live ? In Sydney, mechanics will try to make some excuses to not pass the pink slip I believe

      • bighead on 28/06/2018 - 09:43

        Based in Melb. I have a really great mechanic who takes good care of my shit box as old cars are less troublesome and quicker to find faults than newer cars with lots of technology.

  • tezza on 27/06/2018 - 19:17

    If you have all the tools and know how to do the job, by all means DIY is the cheapest way to go.
    There are a few tools in that video that the average DIyer wont have, like the rattle gun and press
    Without these it will make it a even harder job.

  • Euphemistic on 28/06/2018 - 10:17
    +1

    Once a car gets old, it's barely even worth paying for a service. I've had old cars that the only time they got to see a mechnic was the annual rego inspection and oil changes were few and far between. Still ran fine. If you've spent $1500 on an old corolla, spending $300 a year on servicing seems a bit of a waste. Keep the oil and fluids topped up, change the tyres if worn (buy second hand), change oil yourself once a year (if that) and drive it until it wont pass rego. DIY repairs if it isn't too complex or expensive to keep it running while it is reliable.

    My current 11yo ute is playing up a bit. I'm nursing it a bit until I can spend some time under the bonnet. Don't really want to take it to a mechanic because it is an intermittent fuel system type fault that could get really expensive to fix. The car is worth a fair bit more than a 2001 camry though. I'll probably keep it until it won't pass rego, it's only a second car and it fun for 4wding without worrying about panel damage.

  • doctordv8 on 30/06/2018 - 20:16

    There is no such thing as an old car, just older than a newer one. There vehicles over 100 years of age still running, club car maybe but still running. If you want to keep it, maintain it. If not, for what ever reason you feel is value/important to YOU, then replace it. My '96 Vienta is as ugly - paint wise - as all sin, but drives like a dream.
    It is a personal choice you make until it is fiscally un-viable.

  • l005e on 30/06/2018 - 20:34

    Cut the rust, bog seal n paint.
    Change the oil and filter every 5-10k.
    Breaks, fluid, tyers change as needed.
    Ezy Pzy

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