sometimes you get lucky with an "anti-lemon" vehicle

[Blackdog Lin]

We went out of town last weekend, and on the way home DH WOKE ME UP so I could be aware of the family Ol' Dependable turning over 200,000 miles. I was suitably impressed - then went back to sleep. :)

We've had her since '98, a '94 Chevy Astrovan with about 70,000 miles on her when we bought her, and boy! she's been a peach of a vehicle. She's the main family vehicle, she's dinged, and splotched, majorly repaired (the teenager years. sigh.), totally uncool, and I confess I have totally trashed the interior (my bad. can't blame it on anyone else), but she has always come through strong and dependable and low-cost. I just looked up my records on Quicken and in 2012 we've spent $65.65 on repairs for her. This is a typical year (notwithstanding the teenager years. sigh again.)

I'm going to the bank next week to open up a new separate savings account, a "new car" account. And I will diligently (even if minimally) save every month for this purpose. DH says it's time, and I guess he's right. But I kind of worry that she'll find out about it, and it will hurt her feelings or make her mad and she'll turn on me. If she doesn't find out, I think maybe we could consider trying for 300,000 miles.

Anyone else with stories of driving uncool but totally dependable vehicles way beyond what anyone would expect? I know Float On just lost her high-mileage pickup truck (but pickups are kinda cool no matter what their condition, no?)

[JaneV2.0]

You'll want to read Stephen King's Christine and tread carefully.

[sweetana3]

I have posted before about my Honda Civic that has 192000 miles on its lovely little rusted and dented body. Hubby just put on four 90000 mile warranted tires cause I plan on keeping it as long as possible. Our mechanic, a great Honda dealer, says there is nothing wrong with it.

[Tussiemussies]

Hi Blackdog, I've had my Honda CRX for 21 years, it is in excellent shape and has 130,000 miles on it. I worked in NYC for a few years so I took the train. But after that became a housewife and drove normally sometimes far but a lot of town driving.

Actually my car is considered cool by the young generation, they will put a strong engine in it and zoom around. I have had 3 people leave notes on it to buy it and once two young guys followed me around until I stopped the car and they wanted to see if I would sell it, I also had another verbal offer too.

I just love my car and just will never give it up. It has always gotten at the least 50mpg. I'm hoping that I will get many more years with it since the mileage is so low! Btw, it has roll-up windows, no AC and an ashtray and cigarette lighter. And only a cassette player. A blast from the past!

Glad for you that you have a great car that has been a gem too! You never know it could reach that 300,000 mark!!!

[CathyA]

When DH got a new car, we gave the old 1998 Ford Explorer to DS. We just got rid of it (donated it to PBS). It had something like 270,000 miles on it. It was a stick shift. It occasionally needed something new, but overall, it was pretty incredible how well it held up.........just wish the gas mileage had been better.
I think every once in a while, someone gets a real winner of a car and like the Energizer Bunny......it just keeps going and going.
But......it is really sad to finally get rid of them. They're like a member of the family!

[Float On]

Yes, Lin I'm still sad over "the 'ol silver bullet" it was just about to roll 320,000 and I now have a few things to say about "teenagers" too.

[Blackdog Lin]

Tussie - that is too cool that you have a "cool" car that has held in there so long, with purchase offers to prove it. And with great mileage to boot! Of course you would never want to get rid of it. A '94 Chevy AstroVan is so uncool that friends and coworkers make hilarious and disparaging remarks about my ride. Well, not close friends. Close friends understand the value in a paid-for and dependable vehicle, no matter how uncool and ugly it is.

Float On - can understand your sadness. We were lucky, in the teenager years, that the van was never totaled, and we were able to afford to have it repaired - several times - with the assistance of insurance. (ask me sometime about the morning I came out to go to work and found a house - yep, parts of a house - atop the van. Oh, those wacky memories.)

Makes a person want to never get a NEW vehicle these days - I think it's true, that they don't make 'em like they used to. :)

[Tussiemussies]

Blackdog, my car before I was married was in such bad shape that a co-worker wanted to know if I would sell it to him to use at the races where they beat up the cars. When we moved into our home after getting married we knew the next door neighbors and they seemed aghast that -- that car was mine. So don't feel bad you are not the only one who people don't understand how much your car means to you financially and otherwise...:)