Once in a while you get shown the light, in the strangest of places if you look at it right.
Mott the Hoople (02-13-2018)
Mott the Hoople (02-13-2018)
countryboy (02-13-2018)
I've owned dozen of vehicles over the years and exactly one pick-up truck. In the late 80's, in order to save my nice car from Upstate NY winter driving, I bought a '69 F100 for $100 of a broken down drunk carpenter. We had to tow it out of his backyard, up to its axles in mud and the bed half-filled with trash. I rebuilt the brakes, filled the remainder of the 8' box with liquor bottles and trash from the passenger compartment, rebuild the carburetor, new plugs, wires and points, it started right up, then hauled all that shit to the dump, it's maiden voyage. At the dump I discovered slabs of granite from an office building toilet stall and those became my ballast. There was no metal left on the bottom of the bed but the sides were solid. I made a new bottom from treated 2x6's.
The fenders had moss growing out of the rust holes. It had a big block 360 engine and would go like hell. It was a rat rod before that phrase became popularized.
That sounds like a good plan that I've never thought of. Of course that $2000/yr. will go up with inflation. I'll have to figure out what I've spent since buying that Focus.
I've always used the "drive it into the junkyard" plan. Probably not the cheapest for a cheapskate like me.
I've financed one car in my life and resold one (the same one).
The misses and I don’t drive high mileage. About 10,000 miles combined. It’s hard to justify spending a lot on a car. Nor am I a tradesman, farmer or DYI guru nor do I have a large family so I don’t really need a utilitarian vehicle.
So what has really worked out well for me is to purchase a used hatch back with low mileage and a high reliability rating. Pay for it with cash and trade in. You can often find good quality cars with around 25,000 miles for $10-$15k. You then drive till you reach the point where the cost to own exceeds the cars trade in value. Usually around 6 to 8 years. Then trade it in on another.
You're Never Alone With A Schizophrenic!
Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but rather we have those because we have acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.
- -- Aristotle
Believe nothing on the faith of traditions, even though they have been held in honor for many generations and in diverse places. Do not believe a thing because many people speak of it. Do not believe on the faith of the sages of the past. Do not believe what you yourself have imagined, persuading yourself that a God inspires you. Believe nothing on the sole authority of your masters and priests. After examination, believe what you yourself have tested and found to be reasonable, and conform your conduct thereto.
- -- The Buddha
It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.
- -- Aristotle
Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but rather we have those because we have acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.
- -- Aristotle
Believe nothing on the faith of traditions, even though they have been held in honor for many generations and in diverse places. Do not believe a thing because many people speak of it. Do not believe on the faith of the sages of the past. Do not believe what you yourself have imagined, persuading yourself that a God inspires you. Believe nothing on the sole authority of your masters and priests. After examination, believe what you yourself have tested and found to be reasonable, and conform your conduct thereto.
- -- The Buddha
It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.
- -- Aristotle
Bookmarks