at what point is a "beater car" not economical?

[mizzou]

I bought an old saturn for $0.00 back in 97 (family gift) and it needed some TLC to get road worthy.

I spent $500 to get new brakes (total new brake system) with a mechanic

I spent maybe $400-500 overall in new misc. parts and peices (including tools which will be reusable and are used frequently on my other vehicles)

I spent maybe $1,500 in vehicle insurance over the last 3-4 years I've owned the vehicle.

I've driven it 21,889 miles since date of first ownership, and at $3.00 per gallon, that's $2,188.90 in fuel cost (reasonable estimate)

Since my truck with it's 5.3lV8 gets about 1/2 the mileage of this little 4-banger, I've saved $2,188.90 in just gasoline only.

Considering I just dropped an additional $530.00 in getting the car to pass safety inspections (new tires and exhaust assembly), I've ended up losing money rather than saving $ on gas vs. only driving my truck.

I did CONSUME less gas (729 gallons saved), but I CONSUMED more $$$


Here's the kicker, if I can drive this car for the next 2 years and not have to put in any $$ at all in repairs (good luck with that), then I'll maybe make my investment back. Part of the reason I only drove it for 21,889 miles since ownership is becayuse for at least 1 year combined it sat idle due to serious repairs that I did on my own in the driveway. I easily have spent maybe 100 hours wrenching on this thing getting it fixed.


Currently the car runs great, and feels great on the road. But honestly, I'm one more engine part away from ditching this thing...er, donating it. That is unless gas spikes up to $5.00 this summer then it will be a godsend....and also if my new job I'm applying for I do happen to get, then it's more highway mileage to boot.


Bottom line, even if you do lose a bit on the investment, how many of you would be willing to lose slightly on the bottom line to keep a beater?

Interested to hear what other people's experiences have been and how they manage their "fleet"

 

[the DRIZZLE]

The math is a lot of different when you are talking about a beater as a second car vs your primary car.

 

[MotF Bane]

You didn't say the total mileage of the beater, but it sounds not worth it.

 

[zCypher]

A reliable car has its worth, it's less likely to get you stuck when you need to be somewhere, there are less annoying "surprises". I went from a 20 year old car to a 4 year old car and it's a world of difference. As an every day car, it's best to keep with a relatively young and well maintained ride. Unless of course you don't mind the upkeep.

 

[Zivic]

a car is really never an "investment". if your sole purpose for having it around is to save a few bucks on gas, then measure it objectively based on your fuel consumption.

I have a 'beater' car that might be worth 1500-2000 bucks. I pay 26/month for insurance on it. I just threw 80 bucks in to plugs/wires/oil change/valve cover gasket just today. I might put 200/yr into it for repairs. I might drive it 6000 miles a yr. I have multiple other cars to drive, and this one will sit sometimes for 3 wks at a time........ what I am getting at is this car is very worth it to have around. I can drive it in bad weather and not have to worry about it or when I park it. I can loan to family/friends when their car is down. I can drive it to and from my shop when I am filthy dirty....


to me, it a beater is worth so much more than a few bucks it might save me in gas

 

[kornphlake]

Regardless of which vehicle you drive you're going to need to replace the brakes and tires, fan belts will wear, etc. The cost of parts isn't really a fair way to evaluate what you've saved. Parts for saturns are cheap, if you pick and pull they're even cheaper, parts for a truck are expensive and not always available at a pick and pull. What would a set of tires for your truck have cost if you'd put 20k more miles on them? If you think about all the ways having an economical beater has saved you money I think you'll find that it is very worth while to keep around. Consider depreciation as well. Every mile you put on your truck is a dollar less you'll be able to sell it for (actually I don't know anything about your truck, tacomas seem to be immune to depreciation, but I don't think they're available with a 5.3l v8.) A beat up old saturn is worth $1000 no matter how many miles it has on it, might as well put those miles on something that won't depreciate.

If you don't drive your truck often, you can get limited use insurance and probably save a few hundred dollars a year, that isn't an option if you only have one vehicle.

 

[Throckmorton]

Since you've already spent the money to fix it, you might as well keep it and drive it. If it requires a huge expensive repair later, then you can ditch it.

 

[thedarkwolf]

Both my cars would probably be considered beaters by most people thats how I do it. Neither of my cars are worth crap but they each serve their purpose. My minivan is used like a truck and my miata is my daily/autox car. I only put around 2k miles a year on my bad gas mileage getting van but when I need it I'm very glad to have it and my costs spread out over the 10 years I've owned it are pretty small. When you are driving two older cars it just comes in handy to have one around as a back up. My miata spent the last 2 months parked because I was lazy and didn't feel like fixing the clutch slave cylinder.

Driving a beater while making payments to have a new car parked in your garage is when it doesn't make much since to me.

 

[deadken]

Don't forget to add the value that your truck has kept because you drove the beater.

Sometimes the door dings, accidents where you both agree that it isn't that bad and not to go through the insurance, the additional mileage that would have made your newer car worth less, etc... add up to make your 'other car' worth a good deal more then if you had driven it for those 4 years.

 

[exdeath]

You are going to need tires, gas, insurance, brakes, etc, on any car whether it's a 500,000 mile beater or a brand new car on it's first 30,000.

 

[deadken]

You are going to need tires, gas, insurance, brakes, etc, on any car whether it's a 500,000 mile beater or a brand new car on it's first 30,000.

Well, I think that the point is you wouldn't have to pay for insurance on the second car if you didn't have one.

 

[Farang]

I think the question in this case is more 'at what point is a second car not economical?

 

[mizzou]

Good points.

I'm going to be doing a statistical analysis on everything via a spreadsheet to give me a better overlook of where this is going.

I didn't think about...had I put the 20k on the truck, how much more maintenance I would be paying on that.

My main ride is a 02'silverado 1500 z71 LT. A really damn fine ride that IMO is extremely hard to replace (especially since I have no loans on it)

I do believe I have had maintenance issues from it sitting idle as I do not have a garage. Nothing major, but I know that it's bad for rotors to leave them unused and I also don't think anything with bearings/pulleys etc. benefits from no use.

To remedy that, I've been driving my truck at least once a week for a good period of time either to run errands or go pick up some lumber for a project. We also take it on long driving trips as it is extremely comfortable or we need it for the 4x4

 

[wirednuts]

my 17.5mpg 1999 ranger was well worth the gas money this winter, but i wouldnt mind a beater for the summer.

i have the same problem though. my ranger is a great ride, and ive added a lot to it to make driving easier (carcomputer, etc). buying a beater would save me money (i think i spend like $6k a year in just gas alone... holy shit), but i would be riding much more uncomfortable.

but saving $50 a week in gas is a big deal. and if gas does spike to $5 then i simply couldnt afford to drive my truck. wouldnt be able to sell it either! also, i dont know if anyone notices but its getting much harder to find 30+mpg cars on the cheap. even old 80's 4 bangers that are beat to shit are selling for $2k+ in my area.

 

[mizzou]

. even old 80's 4 bangers that are beat to shit are selling for $2k+ in my area.

this is another good reason to hold onto a 4 cyl beater

i think any 30+ mpg car will hold a strong value given the state of the economy, my $500 car may be worth $2-3k

ir emember back in 2007-08 dealers couldn't keep those things on the lot, people kept snapping them up. Old geo metro was a hot item

 

[mmntech]

My first car ('89 Mazda 626) was the quintessential beater. I dumped it when the amount of body work it needed was more than it's value.

It all depends on how well maintained the engine is and how many miles it has. A good engine should keep running efficiently as long as it's well kept. From my experience, the body usually is the first to go. Mostly caused by corrosion from road salt.

 

[kornphlake]

My first car ('89 Mazda 626) was the quintessential beater. I dumped it when the amount of body work it needed was more than it's value.

It all depends on how well maintained the engine is and how many miles it has. A good engine should keep running efficiently as long as it's well kept. From my experience, the body usually is the first to go. Mostly caused by corrosion from road salt.

That's the beauty of saturn's polymer body panels, they don't ding and can't rust. Even a 20 year old satun looks pretty decent, the undercarriage may be completely rusted out, but the body will be in good shape.

 

[Bignate603]

I didn't see anything in your calculations on the reduced wear and tear on your truck. If you've put 21k miles on your beater rather than you're truck you've noticeably increased the life of the truck. Extending the life of your truck so it doesn't need to be replaced as soon is a big advantage.

 

[alkalinetaupehat]

I didn't see anything in your calculations on the reduced wear and tear on your truck. If you've put 21k miles on your beater rather than you're truck you've noticeably increased the life of the truck. Extending the life of your truck so it doesn't need to be replaced as soon is a big advantage.

He mentioned that he was going to include the mileage in post #13.

 

[Bignate603]

He mentioned that he was going to include the mileage in post #13.

I didn't see that the first time I glanced through the thread. I must have missed it. :hmm: