Who's smarter?

[Jesus Freak]

Although I do understand that it's not for everyone, this is also another part of the point of this thread.

Yeah I think I'm less than half that in my truck, from the cost of buying 3 trucks to build one, plus all the stuff I've done to it since then.

In the 3 running vehicles I have right now, I have not even a fourth of that. And you can throw in the 2 vehicles that will be up and running in a few months and I'll be close to a fourth.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

I'm also a tightwad when it comes to buying vehicles. Not counting the 1995 E s c o r t that I bought brand new, the most that I've ever paid for a new vehicle was $1500. I did that twice. First for my 1975 F150 that had a 429 in it. The second time was for my Ex Wife. That's WAAAAY less money than most guys pay to get one of those (still a tightwad)!

 

[Jesus Freak]

The most I ever paid for a vehicle was $4000. It was a 93 ford van. That was 15yrs ago. The ONLY reason I paid that much for a vehicle is because it was EXACTLY what we were looking for and I know we'd not find anything close. Of the many vehicles I've ever bought it was one of about 3 that I could crank up and drive when I bought it. We drove it for 13 yrs before we got KITT.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

That wasn't a bad price. It would have only been about 14-15 years old.

 

[Brian VT]

I think I probably paid too much for my '87 IDI last year but I'm starting to feel much better about it every day. "Today's" equivilent is probably $70k (although ceratinly a MUCH more refined/pleasant vehicle).
My daughter is considering a new small/mid-sized Mazda SUV and it's $40k.

 

[Jesus Freak]

That wasn't a bad price. It would have only been about 14-15 years old.

We drove it to death, I put a flowmaster on it, single in, dual out and they turned out in front of the passenger rear tire. It was the "hot rod mommy mobile".I tried to sell it for a while, but nobody even hit on it. I ended up stripping it and scrapping it. Two of the captain chairs are in my tow truck. My wife commented that riding in the tow truck makes her think of the van because of the seats.

 

[jwalterus]

I've never financed a vehicle, heck, aside from a small personal loan from my bank (so I could get the history to get my mortgage), the only loan I've taken out was my mortgage.
I make enough to afford a new car, but my wife doesn't trust the new stuff with all the electronics anymore than I do, she doesn't even like how many are on her 98 suburban ($600 purchase, needed a head gasket) and 06 montana ($2000 purchase, needs rear shocks still) (both of which have ABS lights on because someone unplugged a wheel speed sensor to turn off the abs)......
I keep a small fleet of running personal vehicles, but I also have 4 kids who are getting to the point they'll be driving soon, and I also don't want to have to fix something "right now!" because one goes down or someone hits a deer (heck, I bought the van because the suburban needed a vehicle speed sensor, but I was worried it would be more, waited a year and a half to fix it......)
If I had one new vehicle, I doubt I'd have others, but then I'd be at the mercy of a single vehicle breaking down.....

 

[ISPKI]

Yeah I think I'm less than half that in my truck, from the cost of buying 3 trucks to build one, plus all the stuff I've done to it since then.

An important facet of doing all the work yourself is calculating your time as a cost. It is certainly cheaper in actual moneys to do the work yourself since you arent paying yourself for your time spent. My superduty only cost me ~2200$ after registering it and I have probably put ~400$ of actual parts and fluids into it so far, but I have also dumped probably close to 500 hours into working on it. If I were to be paid my normal salary for that amount of hours (which is not 100% realistic obviously) then I could easily have afforded a much newer vehicle which would have required far less of my time, cost less in fuel, been much nicer, safer, and more comfortable to drive and ultimately have less work needing to be done simply because, newer, less time on road, less miles.

On the flip side, I spent alot of time making the Slug the way I want it whereas the newer truck would be just a standard pickup.

I go through this same debate with firewood. I spend an enormous amount of time harvesting, splitting (by hand), stacking and cleaning up firewood. Would it make more sense for me to use that time on other projects and/or working and use the extra $$$ to just buy propane? So far I keep going back to firewood but my joints are starting to complain a bit and I dont know how long i'll keep it up.

 

[Nero]

I spent a week building it, 8 hours a day on the weekends, about 3 hours after work on the weekdays, so roughly 31hrs. At that time in my life I was making $21/hr, so if I did pay myself, it would be $651 in labor. Still less than half

 

[Brian VT]

I go through this same debate with firewood. I spend an enormous amount of time harvesting, splitting (by hand), stacking and cleaning up firewood. Would it make more sense for me to use that time on other projects and/or working and use the extra $$$ to just buy propane? So far I keep going back to firewood but my joints are starting to complain a bit and I dont know how long i'll keep it up.

When heating oil went under $2/gal. I stockpiled my firewood and burned oil. I felt my wood was worth more than $2/gal. (I never did the BTUs math).
Here at our new place I don't have the trees to cut, plus I'm getting older, so I went with a propane insert.

 

[Old Goat]

I use to get Firewood for free where I worked, working on the high Ways, there was always trees coming down some where in the winter. plus we had the Tree Crew taking stuff down.
I dragged home mostly Oak and Madron both Hard Wood. Acacia was another good Hard Wood.
Harder the wood, more BTU`s it has.
Here in Nevada I now just buy 4+ Cords a year, but Pinion Pine, a soft wood with less BTU`s.
Paid $250 for it a cord.

Propane is pricey to run, we are getting a delivery sometime this week, for $2.65 a gallon. getting just before the winter price increase.
We are pretty frugal with it, with Water heater, Oven and Heater. Just turn the heater to take off the chill once in a while, and then on to the Wood Stove.
Last time we bought it was 5/21, 194 gallons for $2.88. We have a 575 gallon tank, now shows 40%. So not too bad.

I notice the price of pellets is going up quite a bit, they are a convience to use, and cleaner.
How ever they do require electricity to run it, if ya loose it, gonna get chilly.
Shutting down coal mines and pumping crude oil, shutting down the Coal & Oil fired power plants should work out as we go totally electric. Enough Hot Air coming out of DC to run all the Wind Mill`s.

I never take into account how much time I use to do something, if I want it done I just do it.
What we make per hour, depends what some one else decides what our time is worth.
The other day i changed the Oil/Filter, Washed out the Racor and installed a new Filter, Pulled the Air Filter assy., cleaned out the bucket, washed out the Foam Filter cover, Vacuumed out the cab and cleaned up a few other things.
Just things to be done. Thats really a $5 hr job.

Old truck or new one, same amount of work. Take it to Dealer or other shop, $75 - $150 per Hr, plus the marked up price on parts.

Goat

 

[Laine D]

Back story: During my drive south last Friday night, I saw a nice looking Brick Nose crew cab single wheel with an IDI in it backed in next to a building and I almost turned around to check it out, but I wanted to keep going. Then, a few miles farther south, I met a Bull Nose truck that was heading north with either a new refrigerator or a new gun cabinet/safe standing up in the bed. We both gave each other a big wave. Those trucks sure put a smile on my face and made me do some thinking on the rest of the trip. After that, when I looked at all of the new(er) cars and trucks driving or parked, all I could think was "car payment, car payment, car payment!" I just chuckled and kept driving along. With the price of used cars and trucks and the shape of the economy these days, I fell like I'm MUCH smarted for driving my 35+ year old trucks and not having any car/truck payments. I also think that in a few more months, more people are going to wish that they drove something old like me and had no payments to make on them. I decided to start this thread just to see how many others feel similar to me.

I know I’m very late to this conversation. But I think it’s different for everyone. I hate seeing people my age balling out on a brand new truck when they have half the savings I do and make the same as me. I’d have no problem with a payment as long as it’s not my only option. I promised myself the only way I’m making payments on a vehicle is if I pay at least half the value as a down payment. Now that’s a hefty feat, so I’ll be ripping this 300k like ranger and Neapolitan ice cream idi for a while . I don’t think anybody needs to go car broke. If you want it that bad just wait. Maybe I’m too patient. All of my friends are the same way so that’s all I know .



EVEN IF YOU CAN AFFORD THE PAYMENTS COMFORTABLY, once that warranty is over and something happens…. Good luck working on it yourself. Don’t get me started on insurance/registration either.

 

[Brian VT]

My kid just became a doctor and making good $ since June. Her car is a rusting POS that we gave her a few years ago. She just put $1K into it so it could get a sticker and get 1 more year out of it (at our advice). She's saving up good $ and living in our apartment rent-free.
Then someone hit her bumper. Plastic is off, broken light lens, bumper very slightly bent.
The insurance company says total loss. Giving her $5300 for it. I think we would have had a hard time getting $1500 for it before the accident. So a good deal.
But now she's looking at $40k new cars (and a loan and big insurance and taxes).
We're trying to talk her into buying something she can pay cash for and then keep making extra payments on her school loans instead of a car payment.
Hopefully she will take our advice.

 

[Laine D]

My kid just became a doctor and making good $ since June. Her car is a rusting POS that we gave her a few years ago. She just put $1K into it so it could get a sticker and get 1 more year out of it (at our advice). She's saving up good $ and living in our apartment rent-free.
Then someone hit her bumper. Plastic is off, broken light lens, bumper very slightly bent.
The insurance company says total loss. Giving her $5300 for it. I think we would have had a hard time getting $1500 for it before the accident. So a good deal.
But now she's looking at $40k new cars (and a loan and big insurance and taxes).
We're trying to talk her into buying something she can pay cash for and then keep making extra payments on her school loans instead of a car payment.
Hopefully she will take our advice.

That’s wonderful advice.

 

[Old Goat]

I wanted an 86 F-250, 6.9, T-19, 3:55 gears when it was new back in 86.
I just waited 28 years when I could afford it. One payment. $1800

Goat