PLUS a garage!The best thing for a forever car? A good climate.
Vs?Dont they all burn oil?
FIL has an OLD Radarange microwave, I mean old.Originally Posted by atikovi
Forever car? You serious? You're not talking about a Porsche Ferrari or Corvette. A 200,000 mile Previa is a $1000 or $2000 beater. Easy to replace if wrecked or breaks down.
The cost of maintaining it would eclipse the cost of updating it.
Like a guy with an old microwave willing to spend $300 on parts instead of $89.99 on a Walmart beater model new one.
Get an old Fox-body,eventually you will have spare engines, trannys,rear ends,etc It just happens.My suggestion, start collecting common replacement components that will be hard to find in the future, now. You mentioned an ECU, get it now. Better yet, find a whole vehicle for parts and get it now.
I have one that I gave to my Dad. It is now 34 years old. The interior is slightly faded from the years parked uncovered, as is the paint, but the dash is uncracked, the seats untorn, etc. Probably the best **** interior I've ever seen for longevity. It ain't pretty, with porno red cloth, but she stands the test of time. Those 5.0 fox's are troopers if you can keep the rust off of them (not hard to do, really).Get an old Fox-body,eventually you will have spare engines, trannys,rear ends,etc It just happens.
Today, I'd probably say an F150 is about as close to a vehicle you can keep running forever. Due to popularity, parts will be available always.
I can't remember the last time I saw a previa around here. An 80s 442 I see one every couple days through the summer months. I could see it being worth something in the future as they didn't really make anything else like it.It's easy to make a car a "forever" car. The question is if you want to put the time and resources into it, especially if it's a vehicle that has little market significance.
You can always purchase a few spare parts that you may need in the future, or have a mechanic that has the resources when those parts fail.
Grace Braeger's 57 Chevy was also never driven in the rain and tucked away in the winter. It was also extensively restored inside and out a few years ago, the transmission has been replaced, as well as most of the exterior engine components. It's also a relatively rare vehicle, and it's value makes it worth it.
Irv Gordon's 66 Volvo also had the engine rebuilt at 690,000 and the engine was replaced in 2009. He was constantly maintaining the car, but there was decent aftermarket support from Volvo. The advertising was also a boon for Volvo, and they capitalized on it. It's also a rare vehicle and it's value makes it worth it.
Are you willing to put the time and effort into something like a Toyota Previa, which is not a rare vehicle and has very little value or appeal? Will it have that level of value and appeal in 40 or 50 years time?
You also have to question driving a very old vehicle in today's traffic if you live near/in a big city. I enjoy getting both the 442 and T out for a Sunday afternoon drive, but I'd never want to use either as a daily driver-they simply aren't as suited to be around modern traffic. Both are far more maintenance intensive than either my modern pickup or our Equinox.