I drive a 1995 Buick Regal, NO rust, excellent condition and only 101k miles on it. There was 97,000 when I got it. A family member bought it for me for $1,500 just 2 years ago, and the outfit she bought it from did some engine work for the bad antifreeze and corroded faulty gasket, a known problem with that particular engine. Changed the antifreeze and the oil, put new plugs. Runs like a champ, I drive it almost cross country to visit family with no problems.. 33mpg, all electric, everything works except for the AC which needs compressor bearings...oh..the lighter needs a fuse lol!
All she ever needs is ordinary maintenance such as being about due for new brakes. I keep up with the fluid changes and filters regularly.
I can’t justify the cost of new vehicles, and the old ones are way over priced too! 12grand or more for a 10 year old vehicle??? I looked at a 5 year old dodge truck recently. She was pretty but not 30K pretty with almost as much mileage as I have on my car. And, it was slow...should have been a very powerful truck, but wasn’t.
My car sat for a very long time without repair after its original owner traded it in for a newer model. I’m only the second owner of that car, so even though she has years on her, she was still a reasonably new car. She drives like a new car.
People have been out of work for a long time, had to take lower paying jobs. They’re lucky to have a roof over their heads, and in many cases, need help buying the groceries. Inflation and Obama care have taken it’s toll.
This wheel of fortune is slowed down, and I dearly hope for the sake of the workers, that Trump can get that thing rolling again.
I had a 1992 Grand Am up until 2010. When I bought it, it had about 175,000 miles on it. A month after I bought it someone pulled out in front of me at a stop light and damaged the front passenger side quarter panel near the headlight assembly. It didn't destroy the headlight assembly but it did crack it. It also pealed back the metal just a bit behind the headlight and it cracked the plastic/rubber bumper. Cosmetically, the car took a hit but it was still functional.
So I held the bumper together with blue duct tape (the car was blue, and hence my FR handle "ductttape45") for the remaining years of its existence and covered the gap between the headlight and quarter panel with the same tape. I had to replace the tape as necessary over the years and it eventually ended up covering 3/4ths of the bumper.
I had engine done as necessary (head gasket, tune ups, 5 starters, 2 alternators, 1 water pump and harmonic balance), and brakes as necessary. I even changed out the rear struts myself (quite a job in an apartment parking lot!).
Eventually I had to junk it because rust was claiming the support between the rear struts/shocks and the rear end was threatening to cave in. The car had 298,000 miles, had no reverse gear (was fun getting it out of the garage each morning), and the engine leaked a little radiator fluid from the front.
But you know, I wish I had held onto that car, if nothing else for memories sake. All of my kids learned to drive in it and got their driver's licenses. I drove it everywhere and the guards at the local military base always had fun with it (at my expense of course).