What do you drive?

[gerardj]

My mother hated cats. Hated, hated, hated, with a real passion. Then my parents had mice in their house, and my father put his foot down: we need a cat, we're getting a cat. My mother was profoundly unhappy, but she gave in and they got a cat. Mice disappeared immediately.

Less than a month later my mother and that cat were inseparable. After that cat passed on she got another one.

yeh we've got mice now.
people with cats in the middle ages were often spared the bubonic plague, for that reason.

 

[caseydog]

started out with a 1959 4-door Vauxhall.
traded for a 1970 Volvo 142S
sold in 1985 when I went overseas for long term work.
bought a 1990 Audi 100Q, scrapped @300Kmiles when the electical system blew up....that may have been a mistake . . .
thence drove an inherited 1996 MB 230; very underpowered, horrible automatic
traded on a 2013 MB C300 - which I'm still driving. naturally aspirated V6, seriously better performance, runs 34 mph @70-80mph on the interstate. very comfortable road car.

buy 'em, keep / self maintain, until the wheels fall off . . .

I had a 1999 Mercedes C230 Kompressor. It had a 2.3 Liter supercharged engine (later models had a 1.8 liter supercharged engine).

It was pretty quick. I let my ex-wife have that car in the divorce, since I was keeping the house. That's when I switch to Audi -- a 2000 A4 with a 1.8L turbo, which I had chipped. That was a fast car.

CD

 

[caseydog]

My mother hated cats. Hated, hated, hated, with a real passion. Then my parents had mice in their house, and my father put his foot down: we need a cat, we're getting a cat. My mother was profoundly unhappy, but she gave in and they got a cat. Mice disappeared immediately.

Less than a month later my mother and that cat were inseparable. After that cat passed on she got another one.

I live a couple of blocks from a 3,000 acre cattle and horse ranch (in the middle of a 220,000 population city). We had a real rat problem, until the feral cats moved in. Some moron in the neighborhood had all the feral cats removed by the city, and the rats came back.

One rat got into the garage, and built a nest in the engine compartment of my MINI CooperS that I seldom drove in the winter, right on top of the turbocharger -- those things get incredibly hot. I went to the store one day, and smoke started coming from the front of the car. The rat's nest was smoldering.

New feral cats have moved in, along with coyotes and bobcats. Between the three, rats have virtually disappeared.

CD

 

[taxlady]

My mother hated cats. Hated, hated, hated, with a real passion. Then my parents had mice in their house, and my father put his foot down: we need a cat, we're getting a cat. My mother was profoundly unhappy, but she gave in and they got a cat. Mice disappeared immediately.

Less than a month later my mother and that cat were inseparable. After that cat passed on she got another one.

The mice aren't actually gone. They have just learned to go into the kitchen or other cat occupied areas very often. I find that an acceptable compromise. As long as I am not finding mouse poop or holes in bags of food in the pantry or elsewhere, I don't care much if there are mice. I tend towards a "live and let live" attitude.

 

[caseydog]

The mice aren't actually gone. They have just learned to go into the kitchen or other cat occupied areas very often. I find that an acceptable compromise. As long as I am not finding mouse poop or holes in bags of food in the pantry or elsewhere, I don't care much if there are mice. I tend towards a "live and let live" attitude.

I have a live and let live attitude toward the rats we have here... AS LONG AS they stay out of my house and garage. Then, the gloves come off.

CD

 

[Aunt Bea]

I have a live and let live attitude toward the rats we have here... AS LONG AS they stay out of my house and garage. Then, the gloves come off.

CD

Exactly!

 

[Badjak]

My current car is a mitsubishi pajero i/o (mini pajero)
My first ever automatic.
Its a Japanese import and from 1999, which is not considered that old
Most people not living in a major town drive 4x4's, mainly because of the condition of the roads during the rainy season.

 

[Aunt Bea]

My current car is a mitsubishi pajero i/o (mini pajero)
My first ever automatic.
Its a Japanese import and from 1999, which is not considered that old
Most people not living in a major town drive 4x4's, mainly because of the condition of the roads during the rainy season.

That is a very interesting point and one that I struggle with considering how little I drive.

When do you stop maintaining and repairing an older vehicle?

I continue to repair and maintain my 2012 even though it has little value here in the US.

For me, the ongoing value is strictly in the transportation that it provides.

Life was easier when I was young and had
fewer choices.

 

[caseydog]

That is a very interesting point and one that I struggle with considering how little I drive.

When do you stop maintaining and repairing an older vehicle?

I continue to repair and maintain my 2012 even though it has little value here in the US.

For me, the ongoing value is strictly in the transportation that it provides.

Life was easier when I was young and had
fewer choices.

Maintenance should never be stopped. Same for repairs that affect safety. Lack of proper maintenance and repairs can lead to accidents, leading to injuries, and even deaths.

CD

 

[Badjak]

Since most cars here are fairly old, spares are easily available.

Thing is: a new new car would be an issue here as the diagnostic tools are only available in the capital and it gets worse in the countries to the north of us.
Low sulphur diesel is available, but still not everywhere.

Car of choice for Africa overland travellers is Toyota hilux or landcruiser, or a landrover (but not the newest ones).
(Or those big unimog & mercedes trucks etc)

 

[dragnlaw]

Had to look up unimog - Wow - got me edjumakated - never knew that's what they were called.

 

[caseydog]

Had to look up unimog - Wow - got me edjumakated - never knew that's what they were called.

I know a guy here in Frisco that has a few Unimogs. They are ridiculously rugged trucks.

CD

 

[caseydog]

Since most cars here are fairly old, spares are easily available.

Thing is: a new new car would be an issue here as the diagnostic tools are only available in the capital and it gets worse in the countries to the north of us.
Low sulphur diesel is available, but still not everywhere.

Car of choice for Africa overland travellers is Toyota hilux or landcruiser, or a landrover (but not the newest ones).
(Or those big unimog & mercedes trucks etc)

Translation to American... A Toyota Hilux is Toyota Tacoma here.

CD

 

[blissful]

When do you stop maintaining and repairing an older vehicle?

That is the problem we have here too. We have the truck and mostly he drives. I don't drive often. He does errands picks up groceries and I'm comfortable with that. But when the truck needs work, we need to drive there to pick him up or drop him off. The truck doesn't get good gas mileage. So we'll get 'me' a car, and he'll drive it mostly and the truck is for hauling bigger stuff.

 

[Wan]

I don't drive, I take public transit. Much cheaper, less stressful, plus I can look at the scenery instead of having to focus on my eyes on the road.

I used to own a vehicle though.

 

[Badjak]

Translation to American... A Toyota Hilux is Toyota Tacoma here.

CD

Now I didn't know that
Is a landcruiser still a landcruiser?

 

[Aunt Bea]

That is the problem we have here too. We have the truck and mostly he drives. I don't drive often. He does errands picks up groceries and I'm comfortable with that. But when the truck needs work, we need to drive there to pick him up or drop him off. The truck doesn't get good gas mileage. So we'll get 'me' a car, and he'll drive it mostly and the truck is for hauling bigger stuff.

I’m fortunate to live in a very walkable neighborhood that includes an old fashioned garage.

I’m still able to walk to the garage but they will send a couple of guys over to pickup or drop off the vehicle when it needs work.

My only concern with my old hooptie is reliability on longer little adventures a few times each year.

I have a reliable roadside service agreement as part of my GEICO auto insurance policy so my concerns have more to do with being a fussy old fool than a reality.

 

[blissful]

I’m fortunate to live in a very walkable neighborhood that includes an old fashioned garage.

I’m still able to walk to the garage but they will send a couple of guys over to pickup or drop off the vehicle when it needs work.

My only concern with my old hooptie is reliability on longer little adventures a few times each year.

I have a reliable roadside service agreement as part of my GEICO auto insurance policy so my concerns have more to do with being a fussy old fool than a reality.

OH you are so lucky to have a mechanic close by with such service! I like to drive to my girl friend's house up north of here. Mr bliss will drive me and pick me up but having my own possible vehicle is important so I don't feel 'stuck at home'. A car is good If I want to drive myself to the dentist or art show, or just to drive around the country side to sketch or paint. Do I need a car? Not really but having the freedom to go places if I want to, that means a lot to me.
Neither of our vehicles is newish. When we travel to visit my son in another state, we rent a vehicle for a week. It saves us a lot of worry about reliability.

 

[dragnlaw]

 

[Marlingardener]

What do I drive?
Other people crazy.