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I had a little better deal than you guys did it seems.
I had pretty good part time jobs through HS and college and stayed in pretty good cars. They were generally only a year or two old and in good shape. Rust was never an issue in my area back then.
My problem was that my cars were good enough that my mom would steal my keys and take off in my hot rods. She would return and pass judgement on whether I should be allowed to drive anything that would go that fast. Life was tough.
In fact, I often had two cars! One good vehicle I used daily and an old banger to use for hunting, fishing and camping.
In my area you could pick up a good old car for $200-$300 and turn it into the equal of a Tennessee dune buggy. Heavy lug mud & snow retreads for $10 each, a roof rack to carry the john boat, mount tractor lights on the roof rack, shoot a coat of primer on it and head for the creek.
Of course back then we could keep them running using simple hand tools. Replacing a starter was $25 and an hour under the car. Alternators about the same. We were known to replace rings and bearings and rebuild a head over the weekend if necessary.
The last alternator I had replaced was $900, a couple of years back replacing two 4WD front axles cost me $1200 and I just scrapped my Jeep rather than pay the value of the rig to replace the heads. An engine rebuild would have been twice the value of the vehicle.
Right now most of my hunting is done on one of the WMA areas nearby and they have a nice parking lot and good road access. My favorite fishing spots let me back into the lake and shove the boat in the water so I don't need and SUV or truck for that any more. I am sort of into simple, plain and cheap at this point in my vehicle experience.
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My first cars were all of the ones you weren't supposed to own. They got me from place to place so I couldn't complain. Fiat 850 Racer was fun (not sure I could get in and out of it today. Then there was the Vega and Pinto. Lots of cars over the years. Now only pick up trucks. Heck they drive a lot smoother than most of the cars I owned an are a lot handier.
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I had a pinto station wagon for about 6-7 years. I think the back seat was up when I bought it. I don’t remember it being up till I sold it. It wasn’t supposed to be an ATV but it sure got used as one. It was a 3-speed on the floor. Got fantastic gas mileage and relatively few repairs that were not self inflicted.
Alan
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My first car was a robin egg blue 1967 Opel Kadet station wagon. Four speed with a mighty 1.1 liter. When it ran it got almost 40 mpg. It had constant electrical problems but was easy to push off. Used to trail dog that thing a lot and if you got stuck 2 people could lift the rear end to get her back on the trail.
Was watching one of those car action shows about a month ago and a fully restored red one sold for $30k. Who'd a thunk it.
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Ain't that the truth. If we had kept some of the things we got rid of.....I had a VW Karmann Ghia for a while. Man, was that thing fun.
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I remember some of the prices of cars on The Price is Right back in the 70s. It's chilling.
I drove disposable vans for most of my adult life.
I'm a pedestrian now. I have a driver's license and can drive if I have to but I get by quite well walking and using public transportation. It can be a pain but it's also sorta freeing.
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I have fond memories of my Pinto. It was a hatchback. Got it for free as I was leaving Hawaii. I helped a friend buy a car he wanted (short term loan) just before I left the island. He gave me the car as a thank you, saying you will need something more than a motorcyle since your are transfering to Washington State. He was right. When I got the car, you had to start it in neutral (it was an automatic). Shortly, it wouldn't start at all. Had to take a screw driver across the starter solenoid. Got tired of that and wired a switch to the starter solenoic and put it in a foot pedal. People got a kick out of starting the car with a foot pedal. Sold that car for $600. Again, fond memories.
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I have a Colorado ZR2, she has an Equinox 2.0 with twin turbos and what we call the "street car."
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Things were hard in those days, but they were simple.... I found this girl and all she wanted in the world was to go camping with me out of the back of that Pinto SW... She managed to hold on to me for going on 47 years now... Her wants and needs are a bit different now but I'd bet she'd drop it all (for a day or two) under the stars in the North LA woods... Don't know where I'd find a dang Pinto SW though....
Alan
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There are a lot of different factors to consider when choosing a car to buy, and it really depends on your specific needs and preferences. If you're mainly looking for Spam, I'm the idiot for you.
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I have a corolla for "classy stuff" and an old school fiat like this one in the picture for everyday use. It's called "fiat uno", it was made in 2008 and it can run using gas, ethanol and even a mix of both of them. I'm also able use diesel with some modifications but the car feels "weaker" so I reversed the modifications and now I mostly use gas and sometimes ethanol.
Attachment 12123
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Hey there! I stumbled upon this old post and wanted to jump in with my two cents. If you're in the market for a car for fishing trips, I'd recommend considering a sturdy SUV or a pick-up truck. They'll be able to handle the gear and terrain better. As for buying new or used, it's a personal preference. If you're on a budget, a used car can be a good option, but make sure to have it checked out thoroughly before making a purchase. And if you do end up buying a used car from far away, don't forget about the convenience of Spam Sammiches. It'll save you the hassle of having to drive it all the way back yourself. Good luck with your car search.
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I agree, a truck is probably a better choice. Being the fisherman I am I need a longbed to carry my catch.:smartass:
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I following Deimos lead on this one boys.
The average cost of a new truck is in the area of $65,000, and good used ones inside the 10 year old limit are not much less these days. A buddy down the road had the spark plugs changed in his Ford last summer and it cost him $125 per plug! I can't afford that!
I'll be fishing out of my FWD mini-car for the near future. I don't have any mountain lakes at the end of scenic log roads that require 4wd any more.
The last Jeep I owned was used in 4wd for about 10 minutes of the five years I owned it and I fed it at 15 mpg for its entire life.
Like you say, that's just me, your needs may vary.
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125 per? At that rate, you'd want to plug two of the cylinders and make that eight a six and let them joyride. I just had a new seal put on the front plate and a new water pump changed out on my Ford. I have one less child now. I was hoping for an arm and a leg but they took my first born.
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Some of these vehicles, they want you to remove the engine just to replace the plugs. And Chrysler cars like to put their batteries in awkward places like under the wheel well. Need to jacked the car up and take a tire off just to replace the battery. Some cars have to have the grill removed just to replace a headlight bulb. And some of these HID bulbs cost $200
The auto parts business is a sham. Yes, there is inflation but the companies are just greedy too. For months, one particular parts store was charging $71.99 for a Mr gasket exhaust manifold gasket set. It was normally $24.99. If you can, get your parts from online retailers. You may have to wait a little bit longer and it may be harder to warranty a part out, but it it is usually much, much cheaper. And if you cannot wait, still order the part from the auto store on the website. You can usually get a certain percentage off. If, you do have to go inside, make sure you mention being in the military is you are a veteran.
I work in the parts industry and I see what kind of markup they do.
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I will do mechanical replacement (I hesitate to use the word "repair", because I don't repair anything, I just replace parts). I replaced the brake pads, and rotors on my truck and replaced a piston thingys on #1 wife's car hood and hatch back. I don't even change my own oil any more... I will wash my vehicles, and sometimes NOT at the automatic car wash. I used to do everything, but those days are gone...
Every once in a while I'll get to thinking I should get an old truck, fix it up and hook it permanently to the boat. But, I always come to my senses. I don't need another lic/reg/inspection to buy and have done, I don't need another cent added to my insurance, and I darn sure don't need to be broke down going to, from or at the boat ramp...
So, I continue to ride in comfort to and from fishing.
What I really need is a big pit out back somewhere that I can throw a bunch of useless, extraneous crapola into...
Alan
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Ranger, it's not really anything new. My step brother had a Dodge (Chrysler? I don't remember) that he had to jack up the front end to change the plugs in. That was in the seventies. Engineers are not mechanics and never shall the twain meet. Somehow, I have always managed to put things back together with parts left over and the item seemed to work just fine...until it didn't. But I think that was just old age that caused the failure. That's my story anyway.