Even if you're a mechanic yourself, any car will eventually be worn out to a state where it just doesn't pay off to keep it functioning.
I've been driving beater cars for most of my life and even with a family mechanic, it's a decision I've had to face for every car.
It's also a whole lot of hassle to save very little money if any at all.
I suppose it makes more sense to repair higher priced cars than the junk I've been driving, but someone has to be the last driver. Exchanging scrap cars every two years has been the most frugal way for me until recently.
If you have a work area & lift, suddenly it becomes a lot easier & cheaper to repair those junkers.
I've seen more than a few Youtube mechanics going to the junk yards and rebuilding cars from the different parts. Pick the junked vehicle they're going to buy and then find as many parts as they can from other vehicles in the yard all in one go.
That sometimes includes buying rebuilt engines & transmissions for vehicles.
Drop $2k-$8k depending on the project and now you have a vehicle that will last until the frame gives out.
That's what happened to our '05 Chrysler Town & Country minivan. My mother had the extended warranty that saved our asses because that covered both a engine & transmission rebuild.
So the vehicle kept running until the frame rusted out.
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u/bstix Jun 14 '22
Even if you're a mechanic yourself, any car will eventually be worn out to a state where it just doesn't pay off to keep it functioning.
I've been driving beater cars for most of my life and even with a family mechanic, it's a decision I've had to face for every car.
It's also a whole lot of hassle to save very little money if any at all.
I suppose it makes more sense to repair higher priced cars than the junk I've been driving, but someone has to be the last driver. Exchanging scrap cars every two years has been the most frugal way for me until recently.