Do you look at all vehicles?

[speedog]

This morning - 73-75 Pontiac Grand Am, certainly a rare beast now. No rust, not butchered, just nicely done.

[ianmcc]

I am always scanning the mirrors and surrounding vehicles checking out the cars around me.
Police unmarked were usually easy to spot (no DRL) but I see some running headlights in the daytime (marked and unmarked). No HIDs in cop cars either.
Been given the thumbs up at times in the V6Mistake and driving the wife's Wrangler I get the wave from other Jeep owners about 50% of the time.
And no matter how cool your car is I will never acknowledge it as I am far too cool to think you could be as cool or cooler than me.

[Mitsu3000gt]

I don't know if this is the right thread or not for my question but something has always baffled me and maybe there is a reasonable explanation I am missing.

I see some people driving cars that are so unbelievably shitty, that someone would probably give them a better one for free, or $500 could buy them one that is 2 decades newer. Anything donated to the Kidney Foundation would be a huge upgrade. What they pay on burnt oil, horrible fuel economy, and repairs surely is much higher than what it would cost them to get a much newer, safer, more reliable car. For example, I will see a 1984 Ford Tempo limping down the road, bellowing blue smoke on 4 bald tires, rusted through the frame, and bottomed out suspension - you could buy a 2005 Grand Am or something for $400. Or even worse, something like a 70's Oldsmobile as big as a boat that is so run down and rusted out I have no clue how it's even being held together. Even worse yet, they are using them to haul around their kids and families. How are these people not spending what they must on burnt oil or repairs for a car that is 20-30 years safer and more reliable and still costs almost nothing?

[jltabot]

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How are these people not spending what they must on burnt oil or repairs for a car that is 20-30 years safer and more reliable and still costs almost nothing?

People that drive those shitboxes literally "drive 'er till she dies." Forget any maintenance or repairs haha.

[Sugarphreak]

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[Mitsu3000gt]

There has to be some level of maintenance though. I'm talking cars that are so shitty that there is no possible way they are running 30-40 years later with zero-cost maintenance. For sure they do the bare minimum, but it can't be zero on some of the cars I have seen. Even the simple fact that they burn as much oil as they do means the owners are always having to buy extra oil which costs money. As soon as you do any paid maintenance, you are better off buying a better car because anywhere from Free to $500 would buy an exponentially better and safer sample.

Even in your example that $280 could have bought you a better car than some of the ones I have seen, so why would they elect to repair over getting a 20-30 year newer car that they are using to carry their families in? Maybe they are somehow doing less maintenance than I realize, but it has to be costing them money elsewhere.

[infamous]

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There has to be some level of maintenance though. I'm talking cars that are so shitty that there is no possible way they are running 30-40 years later with zero-cost maintenance. For sure they do the bare minimum, but it can't be zero on some of the cars I have seen. Even the simple fact that they burn as much oil as they do means the owners are always having to buy extra oil which costs money. As soon as you do any paid maintenance, you are better off buying a better car because anywhere from Free to $500 would buy an exponentially better and safer sample.

Even in your example that $280 could have bought you a better car than some of the ones I have seen, so why would they elect to repair over getting a 20-30 year newer car that they are using to carry their families in? Maybe they are somehow doing less maintenance than I realize, but it has to be costing them money elsewhere.

lol to an extent I would fall into that category at one point or another in my life, and it's as simple as this.....the headache of buying an unknown $500 beater means it's going to have issues as well. So sell my piece of shit to buy another piece of shit that may be less reliable than my car that's already registered and insured and I just get in and turn the key and drive it. Is it the ideal situation? No. but it kept me getting to and from work until I was able to buy something that didn't have the "james bond smokescreen (not by choice)" option.....

[Sugarphreak]

...

[never]

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There has to be some level of maintenance though. I'm talking cars that are so shitty that there is no possible way they are running 30-40 years later with zero-cost maintenance. For sure they do the bare minimum, but it can't be zero on some of the cars I have seen. Even the simple fact that they burn as much oil as they do means the owners are always having to buy extra oil which costs money. As soon as you do any paid maintenance, you are better off buying a better car because anywhere from Free to $500 would buy an exponentially better and safer sample.

Even in your example that $280 could have bought you a better car than some of the ones I have seen, so why would they elect to repair over getting a 20-30 year newer car that they are using to carry their families in? Maybe they are somehow doing less maintenance than I realize, but it has to be costing them money elsewhere.

Have you tried to search for a $500 car? You're not getting much.

[speedog]

My current work truck would be one of those beaters being referred to and while she's not pretty, she is structurally sound and uses virtually no oil which is amazing for a 508,000 km 1999 GMC truck with the original 5.3 liter V8. No oil smoke at all out of the old girl - in the last 2 years I've done the brakes and replaced a water pump. She's got a sticky thermostat so I have to fix that before it gets cold. Easy to work on (which I don't mind doing) and isn't costing me a lot of money. Ho estly I just don't see the need to get something newer - yeah, some of you beyond members would turn your nose up a such a beast but no monthly payment works for me. Oh, finally replaced the windshield - 47 chips, multiple cracks and pits galore, pretty weird looking through pristine glass.

[Mitsu3000gt]

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Have you tried to search for a $500 car? You're not getting much.

Yup. Definitely some cars exponentially better than what I have seen on the road. Furthermore, I suspect most sub-$500 cars get donated or given away.

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My current work truck would be one of those beaters being referred to and while she's not pretty, she is structurally sound and uses virtually no oil which is amazing for a 508,000 km 1999 GMC truck with the original 5.3 liter V8. No oil smoke at all out of the old girl - in the last 2 years I've done the brakes and replaced a water pump. She's got a sticky thermostat so I have to fix that before it gets cold. Easy to work on (which I don't mind doing) and isn't costing me a lot of money. Ho estly I just don't see the need to get something newer - yeah, some of you beyond members would turn your nose up a such a beast but no monthly payment works for me. Oh, finally replaced the windshield - 47 chips, multiple cracks and pits galore, pretty weird looking through pristine glass.

Based on that description your truck is much better than the category I am trying to describe The ones I am talking about should literally be illegal to drive, and anyone even without car knowledge could look at them and identify them as extremely unsafe and completely unfit for the road. I think the best explanation is that they get them for free, and either don't know or can't be bothered to look for something better.

[J-hop]

I think when you're living paycheque to paycheque it's hard to see the forest through the trees. The added monthly cost of gas and oil for a wreck seems a lot less than a 1 time payout for a better vehicle that in 5 years time will save you money.

[Tik-Tok]

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I think when you're living paycheque to paycheque it's hard to see the forest through the trees. The added monthly cost of gas and oil for a wreck seems a lot less than a 1 time payout for a better vehicle that in 5 years time will save you money.

Also, "The devil you know".

Sure $500 might buy a better safer vehicle, but $500 might also buy you a ride that will have a complete engine failure in 2 days.