Ever kept a car until its 'died'?

mcjordi

yep kept a few cars till they popped.. or were written off..
fiesta i bought for 155 only managed 18 months with it started using a ton of oil (piston rings) that and the fact it was like swiss cheese it was time to go.. no real maintaince costs and got 70 as spares ( had some mot and tax left )

last megane clutch went again paid 150 for it 18 months ago so did well
had a load over the last 11 years or so, get rid when its cheaper to replace car than do repairs
i tend to buy older sub £1k cars and do the servicing etc myself.

EdGasket

Tobster86 wrote: »

It would be useful if people would state what make and model their amazing, everlasting cars are.

If you read the post they already have been mentioned at least twice. So for the third time: Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla and I might add Hyunda Lantra (bought a Lantra 9.5 years ago for £1K and still using it 70K miles later)

Fireflyaway

For me even if I get repair bill of £500 ( just a random figure!) that would still beat buying a new car and having to pay finance each month if I can get a couple more years out of her.

Current problem is it has started up and then died within a couple of seconds ( always starting again though) and the exhaust is making a bit of a rattling noise......

EssexExile

When I was young & poor all cars were bought for next to nothing then kept until they were worth nothing, that wasn't usually very long. Now I'm old & loaded I buy new & keep for about 10 years, that seems to work for me.

mcjordi

Fireflyaway wrote: »

For me even if I get repair bill of £500 ( just a random figure!) that would still beat buying a new car and having to pay finance each month if I can get a couple more years out of her.

Current problem is it has started up and then died within a couple of seconds ( always starting again though) and the exhaust is making a bit of a rattling noise......

get the car on a code reader/diagnostics.. could be cranksensor (not that expensive) and exhaust unless cat convertor/manifold wont be overly expensive either.. rattle could be loose heatsheild

worried_jim

Fireflyaway wrote: »

Thanks everyone - interesting. So the car in question is an Astra. I like the size of it, the reliability and as I say its pretty economical.

I don't care about status ( or I probably wouldn't have an Astra!) so for me its perfect.

My brother bought a newish car and has nothing but issues. Expensive issues, as every fault has to be looked at by some computer device and then parts ordered etc. That's why I think its more sensible to stick with what I have.

I could always use my husbands car if this one packed up. He doesn't use it during the week.

My 13 year old £600 Astra sailed through it's MOT this week. lovely to drive and very economical to run- I would definitely recommend one.

pogofish

I kept my old Saab going till it finally died - Well, I passed it on to an elderly relative who didn't drive much anyway, so it spent its last four years as her shopping car until she decided that she was too old to continue driving. Then I arranged its disposal.

Apart from some minor and quite cheap things to fix like wheel bearings, it was rust and eventually the warning noises that suggested the gearbox was wearing that did for it and even then, it was a good seven years between first hearing/feeling the whine and it getting serious enough to scrap the car but all-in, that car lasted just short of thirty years, incl a spell as a farm car. before I got it for next to nothing, cleaned-out the sheep poop and got it back on the road!

For me, the main common factor with this and any other vehicle I've kept long term is that they have all been models I could service and do minor work-on quite easily myself, which kept running costs right down.

Fireflyaway

Thanks everyone. MOT is due in 2 weeks! Fingers crossed ! I'd really love another couple of years of cheap motoring.

Bigphil1474

I've been driving 27 years and never 'sold' a car - had quite a few over the years. Best was an Astra which was 7 years old when I got it and lasted 7 years until it was too knackered to pass MOT. Last car before current one was a 55 plate Mondeo which lasted 6 weeks before engine went in 2012 - technically sold it I suppose, as I part ex'd it with a mechanic friend for a Rover streetwise. Mondeo was only worth about £1800 and repairs would have been about £1200 even at mates rates (engine/gear box etc.). Despite this car being a Rover, it's been reliable so far and only cost about £300 in repairs over 2 years including exhaust and brake changes - although the heating isn't so good in the winter, and the air con doesn't like being on when it's hot. As it technically cost me about £600, it's cheaper than the OH paid for our front room curtains.
I usually get cheap, potentially reliable cars, run them until they are uneconomical to repair, then scrap them. I did have a great little Fiesta a few years back, but it got written off when someone ran into back of it. Had 3 Renaults over the years, which all were disappointing when it came to maintenance cost, so I tend to stick to Ford/Vauxhall when I've got the choice as my local mechanic seems to prefer working on them, rather than these foreign type vehicles !?!
My best buy was probably a Fiat 127 in the 1990's - bought it off a mate for £50, ran it for a couple of years whilst at University, then 'sold it' for £75 worth of building work.

jimjames

Fireflyaway wrote: »

I have had my car 6 years and its 10 years old. Reached over 100k miles now.I love my car - it runs well, looks OK and is cheap to run etc. Best part there is no finance. However the exhaust sound s bit dodgy recently!

I don't know anyone who has kept their car until it literally dies. Everyone I know upgrades after a few years. I figure I could buy a new car but what to say that won't have issues?

Am I missing something here? I guess I won't have anything to part ex but I don't think I would get much anyway.

100k miles is nothing. Sold 10 year old car with 250k and still lots of life in it.
Just sold a 1989 Golf for £2500 and that had 180k miles at 26 years old. A few years back it had sold for £400 and could have been scrapped but maintenance meant it increased in value and kept going. Car dying may only be from accident damage rather than mechanical failure that could be fixed if needed.

Tobster86 wrote: »

It would be useful if people would state what make and model their amazing, everlasting cars are.

I'd suggest that most cars can be made everlasting and cheaper than buying new if you can do some maintenance yourself.