Done with expensive cars as daily drivers!

[RamFan]

Originally Posted By: Al
Originally Posted By: DreamerGT
I use to go though the samething brotha

+1. I do need a decent vehicle for my trips. I buy a middle of the road vehicle (08 Subaru-new). I keep it clean but don't worry about polishing etc. I just keep it mechanically perfect.

Life is too short to pay any attention to cars for me.



This is what I mean. Buy a nice car just not a super nice car as a daily driver. Keep the really nice car as the cruiser car for fun drives on nice days. Keep the DD clean and sharp looking using the same procedures as you would any other prized possession but if a ding occurs it won't be as big of a hit emotionally. Still sucks, just not as much.

 

[HyundaiGuy]

Originally Posted By: rjundi
I have moved on to purchasing 4-5 year old decent used vehicles. I don't get bent out of shape with damage as they typically have a little here and there.

Even an inexpensive new car under 5 years would bother me if it had damage.


+1

My line of thinking was right along that of the OP, hence an Accent, especially considering the fact that I drive 25K plus miles a year.

Yes the Accent is still babied as much as the BMWs, MGB or Porsche once were.

 

[eljefino]

Some cars look good with dents; it gives them street cred. Old crown vics come to mind.

However yours is still too new; if it's the first one of its body style dented it really looks out of place and I'd be annoyed, too.

Parking too far out almost screams "I want attention" and attracts the certain passive-aggressive crowd, so it may be better to park next to the most outmost parked car but still within the realm of meaning to be close to the door.

 

[01rangerxl]

My truck is 100% mechanically sound with a nice interior, but a rough body with lots of dents...it's the perfect daily driver. I keep the inside clean and keep it running perfect, but I don't care about how it looks anymore. It'll be a good project later on, but right now I drive it too much for it to be a project.

 

[Cutehumor]

when I was on vacation, some dude with a corvette parked out in the middle of nowhere. I heard him complain to his wife "some dude in a huge SUV just had to park right next to me!"

 

[65cuda]

I've seen in many parking lots where people will park their cars diagnal across a couple of parking spaces just so they don't get dings in them. Of course they are out in the edge of the lots so I doubt that many would care except maybe during the holidays. I agree though it just seems like a nice car is bound to attract dings.

 

[Spazdog]

Originally Posted By: 65cuda
I've seen in many parking lots where people will park their cars diagnal across a couple of parking spaces just so they don't get dings in them. Of course they are out in the edge of the lots so I doubt that many would care except maybe during the holidays. I agree though it just seems like a nice car is bound to attract dings.


When I was younger and my first wife made off with everything forcing me to buy a Suzuki Swift GA that had been wrecked. (replaced front clip with Geo Metro parts...total investment=$500 licensed inspected and insured) I parked next to those cars.

I'm not saying I was right. I was mad at the world, broke, and stuck with her credit card bills. But I would have paid what little money I had to see the face of the owner of the Mercedes G500 parked across three spots when he or she came out and found my multi-colored Scud-zuki tucked into one space next to der Gelandewagen.

 

[65cuda]

Like I said, I doubted that many would have a problem with it, and by your own admission you were mad at the world. I would agree though that it probably would have been funny. I have also seen where they did the same thing only instead of parking against the curb they had taken 4 spaces. In the case I remember a couple of little compact cars had parked across each end and both sides were also filled. So there was no way the person was getting out without someone else moving. Now that I did enjoy.

 

[ueberooo]

does consumer reports or some other source do anything like a long term (future 10 yrs) annual estimated maintenance and servicing estimated cost?

Mys sis in her Volvo v70 is racking up over 2 grand in 105k? service (timing belt) other services (just because she got jipped by the dealer who charged timing belt prices but didn't do a timing belt change and now has to go get her timing belt changed (at a different place much more honest place i'm happy to say--that was the last straw for ever going to that dealer again for good).

My mid 90s subie (a sweet era if I might say so, regarding maintenance) averages somewhere between 250 and $500. for service and maintenance. Though this year's 2011 has been way higher than avg. had a clutch replaced and replaced the tranny with a junkyard pull for preventative maintenance, that was about 1100 and so far my highest yet. Will be getting set of new tires next year, so that's at least 300 to begin with, for 2012.

 

[Merkava_4]

I always park at the very end of a parking row - usually that involves parking
at the outer edge of a parking lot. I NEVER park in between cars.

 

[mpvue]

Originally Posted By: tpitcher
Thanks!

Saturn SL-1 & SL-2 or even the SC 1&2 (Super Coupe). Love 'em.

super coupe, hilarious. you made me LOL on that one.

 

[ethangsmith]

My old daily driver is now my "nice" car- 86 Mercury Capri. Since body parts are long gone for those cars, I can't risk having it get hit or damaged. I replaced it with a 99 Escort. Awesome fuel economy and if something breaks, I go to the salvage yard and pick up a replacement part for dirt cheap.

 

[PF52]

Originally Posted By: callbay
My problem is that with only 3/4's of a mile of gravel to my house I get tons (hundreds) of little nicks in the paint behind the wheel wells. Big mud flaps help but they are so ugly. We still usually by new what we want/can afford and just live with the depreciation. Hate to see it though.


I tend to get a lot of little rock chips on my hood from highway driving; I don't tailgate but I think its from stuff kicked up by trucks. I suppose I could use a bra (or one of those clear layers) but thus far I haven't done so. Maybe next time. Hmmm, do they still even make bras for cars? They seem to have fallen way out of fashion.

Originally Posted By: hardcore302
How about the guy who parks inbetween to parrallel parked vehicles and intentionally bumps both cars to see how much room her has. I go nuts. They do it like its ok!


That describes some of Chicago's nicer, trendy neighborhoods. Numerous three-flats have been built where single-family houses once stood, and of course all are occupied by young married couples from the suburbs with two cars each. The neighborhood is severely short on parking! So as a result they squeeze into the very tiniest of parking spots using the adjacent cars as "bumping posts". I cringe each time I see it.

 

[expat]

I have often thought that making cars with thin, steel, body panels and painting them with high gloss paint is a rather Silly thing to do.
Matt black ABS would save us a lot of angst

 

[Kestas]

The auto industry said, that if people didn't care for a nice shiny finish on cars they could save approximately $5K per car. One third of a typical assembly plant is devoted to the paint and finish of the car.

This is one reason I don't restore my 71 Cutlass to showroom condition. I'd rather drive it.

 

[Cutehumor]

Originally Posted By: Kestas
The auto industry said, that if people didn't care for a nice shiny finish on cars they could save approximately $5K per car. One third of a typical assembly plant is devoted to the paint and finish of the car.

This is one reason I don't restore my 71 Cutlass to showroom condition. I'd rather drive it.


too bad I can't custom order my car and save me 5k bucks!

 

[eljefino]

Originally Posted By: Kestas
The auto industry said, that if people didn't care for a nice shiny finish on cars they could save approximately $5K per car. One third of a typical assembly plant is devoted to the paint and finish of the car.



This explains the Trabant... cardboard and Bakelite.

 

[CROWNVIC4LIFE]

Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
I always park at the very end of a parking row - usually that involves parking
at the outer edge of a parking lot. I NEVER park in between cars.


Alot of people down here live in condos so you do not always have that choice as you have to park in assigned spots or your car will be towed away..When I can [shopping] I park in left field but when I come out there is always a car next to me.

Between stones all over the highways because of construction trucks and careless people it is impossible to keep a car ding free down here..The Mobile Ding Repair Guys are doing an awesome business here..Most of them ride around in brand new F-150'S.

 

[daves87rs]

Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
I always park at the very end of a parking row - usually that involves parking
at the outer edge of a parking lot. I NEVER park in between cars.


I wish I could do that....

 

[wander2039]

Thanks for reminding me why I drive 2 cars bought less than $500. Painted the Aspire and it was scratched with in a week. Majority of people have no sense of morals and personal property anymore.. sad.