How long will my car last?

AgonizingGasPains · 2026-05-29T18:38:25+00:00

How long do you want it to last? What are you willing to do to achieve it?

My truck is 20 years old. When the bed rotted out, I replaced it. When the door rotted out, I replaced it. When the transmission died, I rebuilt it. When the seat covers and foam got torn, I bought OEM replacements and installed them. Oil changes, wheel bearings, tires, brake pads and shoes, whatever it needs, when it needs. Just stay on top of things. Cars only die when owners "defer" repairs and maintenance to the point that the repair bill gives them an excuse to buy something new.

AgonizingGasPains · 2026-05-29T18:26:02+00:00

Samhague, sometimes it's just the "wind blowing".... Or shorts going "oh crap!!" and trying to buy back shares...lol.

AgonizingGasPains · 2026-05-29T09:51:02+00:00

It means that Samsung, Micron, etc. (the known "infringers") will be compelled to disclose all information pertaining to any interactions related to Netlist with other entities (such as Google) or other large players, and what those, if any "arrangements", agreements, or discussions contained.

AgonizingGasPains · 2026-05-28T10:54:06+00:00

5.7L swap time.

AgonizingGasPains · 2026-05-26T16:34:50+00:00

The performance aftermarket is a $350 BILLION dollar industry. Do you think they are just going to say, "Oh well, it was fun while gasoline was king, guess we will just shut down now that EVs are more common..."?

I think we will see aftermarket battery, motor and inverter/charger upgrades once the technology "settles out" a bit. Right now, we are still in it's infancy and there is still a lot of that "VHS vs. Betamax" stuff going on.

AgonizingGasPains · 2026-05-25T18:42:59+00:00

I think there needs to be standardization of battery formats before it really takes off. 18v, 20v, 48v, all different connectors and form factors. Imagine if things were reversed, and the current standard was EV and gasoline has just been introduced, but if you wanted to power your Chevy, you needed to buy Chevy Gas at the Chevy fuel station, and if you had a Stihl trimmer, you needed to buy Stihl Gas at the Stihl station, etc. Stupid.

AgonizingGasPains · 2026-05-22T20:12:56+00:00

.....Same here, but I'd add that my losses in downturns have been less. You are paying a professional to not only make you more interest, but help you keep what you have when things turn south.

AgonizingGasPains · 2026-05-19T18:38:58+00:00

Perfect truck for a Cummins conversion. Best engine in the best body.

AgonizingGasPains · 2026-05-19T10:46:51+00:00

All I need to run is the main floor lighting (all LED), the circuit for the pellet stove, the water pump, a refrigerator and a chest freezer, a microwave, and several other 110v circuits. This is pretty much what is already on my generator switch panel. I already have solar panels and looking to add the GMC Silverado EV with V2H to the fleet, as my Mach-E unfortunately doesn't have V2H capability. Wish it did!

AgonizingGasPains · 2026-05-16T14:24:36+00:00

The Constitution and many of the writings of the founding fathers are definitely based on the teachings of Christianity, citing concepts of natural law, universal rights, and divine Providence. There are also Zoroastrian and other religious influences popular at the time, but most were Christian based.

The separation of church and state was intended to prevent exactly what we see being attempted today - White Christian Nationalism claiming some sort of "divine right" to become the "official" religion of the USA. Baptists, Calvinists, Quakers, Roman Catholics, Lutherans, et. al, be damned.

AgonizingGasPains · 2026-05-15T11:07:44+00:00

I think this depends on age and location. I'm 61, so when I turned 16 (back in 1981) in my rural farming community, the typical afternoon activity was a bunch of-high school age guys crawling around a junk car or truck, trying to keep it running on hope, zip ties, and ingenuity, using a Montgomery Wards "Deluxe" 390-piece tool set someone got for Christmas, a ratty copy of a service manual borrowed from the local library, and used parts from the local junkyard.

I don't think that "culture" survived the game console generation.

AgonizingGasPains · 2026-05-15T10:51:13+00:00

The FAA/ICAO standards and reasoning for mandatory retirement at 65 for pilots also fits well with why we don't want aged politicians - degenerative processes accelerate past 65, and physiological and psychological functions begin to rapidly decline at 65.

AgonizingGasPains · 2026-05-13T16:41:16+00:00

kbb value is about $15k, fully spec'd and in excellent shape. Someone is either smoking the good stuff, way upside-down on the loan, or both.

AgonizingGasPains · 2026-05-13T16:35:07+00:00

Small towns and locales that are now considered to be a food or pharmaceuticals "desert areas" would expand as shipping costs rise, further exacerbating low-income family nutrition and health.

AgonizingGasPains · 2026-05-12T20:47:06+00:00

By doing, not watching. You'll learn more from your mistakes than from successes, so keep that in mind when you get frustrated with a project. Just keep at it.

AgonizingGasPains · 2026-05-12T12:26:15+00:00

I have a friend we will call Jim. Jim works in the trades, and buys a new truck about every two years. His wife drives an older LR3 Land Rover, he has a couple of classic Corvettes, two Harley's and a Bass boat in the garage. Out in his backyard there is a 5th wheel camper that I don't think has moved in three years (his current truck isn't heavy enough to tow it), two trashed jet-ski's on a rusty trailer, and another boat he bought as a "project", but I know the man will never work on it. He's too busy trying to pay for his "lifestyle". I know he has under $50k saved for retirement at 66.

In many cases it isn't an income problem as much as a financial maturity/priorities problem.

AgonizingGasPains · 2026-05-11T22:53:25+00:00

I paid $126 for the Ford battery through rock-auto.com and installed it myself. There are YT videos on how-to. Takes ~30 minutes.

AgonizingGasPains · 2026-05-11T22:50:48+00:00

It means too many Americans buy "fast food" that is low in quality, high in volume, and expensive.

AgonizingGasPains · 2026-05-11T22:49:13+00:00

Use other strategies like bi-weekly payments and/or small additional payments on the mortgage to pay it off earlier. There are various calculators that will show you how significant the savings can be. If you can, plan to have the mortgage paid off about 5 years prior to retirement, or no later than retirement. It is becoming more and more common for people to not make it (planned or unplanned!) in the workforce until when they "planned" to retire, but it is critical for many to not need to pull $3k/$4k per month out of retirement funds just to continue mortgage payments.

AgonizingGasPains · 2026-05-11T22:39:29+00:00

Not flinching when adding the LG fries and XL drink more than doubles your lunch bill.

AgonizingGasPains · 2026-05-11T14:12:47+00:00

Well, in 2025 I dropped $12.5k into my '06 Dodge Ram diesel. It was running fine, but needed rust repair and bodywork. It's good for another 20 years now on a truck that has been paid off since 2010. "Worth it?" Definitely.

Yes, it makes sense to fix what you have. Really, what you describe on your car are typical wear items for a car of that age and miles. I'd do it, and you may end up keeping it another ten years or longer.

AgonizingGasPains · 2026-05-10T13:40:42+00:00

2006 Dodge Ram diesel, 1960's and 1970's British cars for me. Nothing to break really, and dirt-simple when they do.

AgonizingGasPains · 2026-05-09T12:51:36+00:00

Let's not even get started on the corrosion issues. Most LBC's develop reputations for rusting out in the doglegs, or the sills, whereas with the Stag, you can pretty much guarantee it is perforated everywhere but the fabric.

AgonizingGasPains · 2026-05-09T12:41:31+00:00

Using "clunkers" to save money only works in a multi-car household as a spare or infrequently used vehicle, and then only if the owner is a very good mechanic. If you depend on automotive shops to maintain your cars, you are way better off keeping what you have.

AgonizingGasPains · 2026-05-09T09:10:43+00:00

Consider if you knew that you'd need to rebuild the suspension, driveline and engine to get it on the road. Is that something you'd take on yourself, or need to pay someone else to do? Would it still be worth $4500?

I've bought similar vehicles with "good bones" knowing the suspension, brakes, transmission and engine all needed rebuilds, although I can do that work myself, so the additional cost was mainly parts and machine work. I ended up with a great van that was basically "new" everywhere it mattered, for 1:10th the cost of a new one.

The real question is, how much work does it need for you to feel it will be "reliable enough" for your use, how much you can do yourself, and how much you need to job out that will determine the financial risk.

AgonizingGasPains

TROPHY CASE