All this, and yet in many people's minds 100K is a magic number. That is, you can find a lot of good deals, people willing to sell at a low price once the odometer rolls over 100K, or any other magic number.
Cars, Trucks Lasting Longer, Report Says
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Parents had a 1989? oldsmobile station wagon. It lasted to 120,000 miles after replacing every part on it.
Now they have a 1998 Pontiac Montana minivan. It has 130,000 miles and drives better than it did when it was brand new. The engine sounds like it should go on forever.
That could be because I don't let them go past 5,000 miles on their oil change and other maintenance...
Now they have a 1998 Pontiac Montana minivan. It has 130,000 miles and drives better than it did when it was brand new. The engine sounds like it should go on forever.
That could be because I don't let them go past 5,000 miles on their oil change and other maintenance...
Bone yards have no real incentive to keep anything past the 15-yr mark. Plus, the auto dealers, the chain stores, etc, tend to get rid of stock at that point. The vehicle has also declined to it's lowest resale point.
Worst of all, the electrics make it prohibitive to repair. In no way would I bother with a vehicle that old anymore. And, when health allowed, I'd only mess with -- preferably -- pre-1971 cars for the ease of keeping them running or tracing electrical problems.
Unless one has a very popular vehicle, one with utility still in it (say, a 1988 Chev pickup), the inventory collects dust, and the body shop business has disappeared.
The local mini-mill south of Dallas eats dozens, if not hundreds of flattened cars weekly. I used to have a little fun getting the attention of the flatbed drivers carry a half-dozen squishies when in my 30-year old Chrysler. We'd both have a laugh.
And you can't travel a major north-south highway nearing the border without seeing caravans of Mexicans driving & towing old cars to the Rio Grande. Day or night
Worst of all, the electrics make it prohibitive to repair. In no way would I bother with a vehicle that old anymore. And, when health allowed, I'd only mess with -- preferably -- pre-1971 cars for the ease of keeping them running or tracing electrical problems.
Unless one has a very popular vehicle, one with utility still in it (say, a 1988 Chev pickup), the inventory collects dust, and the body shop business has disappeared.
The local mini-mill south of Dallas eats dozens, if not hundreds of flattened cars weekly. I used to have a little fun getting the attention of the flatbed drivers carry a half-dozen squishies when in my 30-year old Chrysler. We'd both have a laugh.
And you can't travel a major north-south highway nearing the border without seeing caravans of Mexicans driving & towing old cars to the Rio Grande. Day or night
">I'll guess that SUVs are dragging the average down.
Is that a roll-over reference?"
I would guess a "Jewish Lightning" strike after filling a fourty gallon tank at over $3/gal!
Is that a roll-over reference?"
I would guess a "Jewish Lightning" strike after filling a fourty gallon tank at over $3/gal!
I'm not seeing that with my 1988 Mustang GT. (Although I love troubleshooting and repairing electrical problems much more than mechanical ones).
From what I heard Mexico, India, Thailand, and many other developing countries buy lots of unpopular old cars that still runs well from us. As the price drop to 500-1k, it doesn't make sense for people here to fix the tranny for 3k. But in the 3rd world, you probably can fix it for 100 (cheap labor) and sell it for 800.
I have a hard time finding a 12 year old Toyota or Honda on the road here, even though I know they last much longer than that on average. I think they were sold oversea either via trade-in auction or charity donation.
In the 3rd world, you also don't have that annoying emissions inspection to worry about.
Friend of mine has a 1985 Subaru. He lives in an area where there are no emissions inspections. I'm pretty sure that it wouldn't pass if it were tested.
Friend of mine has a 1985 Subaru. He lives in an area where there are no emissions inspections. I'm pretty sure that it wouldn't pass if it were tested.
I rarely see an American car when I'm in Thailand. (Usually a sports car or specialty vehicle, like a full sized van). I don't think old cars are going there routinely. (Cars are right-hand-drive there, too, which would not make American cars very popular.)
I am sure they do find their way to central America, though. That makes sense... not too expensive to ship, lower costs. It's a good balance of resources.
I am sure they do find their way to central America, though. That makes sense... not too expensive to ship, lower costs. It's a good balance of resources.
My friend told me most of them came from Japan used after 10 years (the time you need to start those expensive inspections).
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