Random Thought For The Day

[macarose]

Can you maintain a car for 100,000 miles for less than $100?

Let's assume the car in question has a timing chain and four-wheel disc brakes.

Oil - Free during various times of the year. The current Valvoline offer is one good example.

Filters & Fluids - Buy a couple if you think there won't be an awesome clearance in the near term future. Combine that with small bottles of brake fluid and power steering fluid, and three air filters. I'll assume $75 in total minus a $30 discount at Advance Auto Parts. Total price around $50.

Trans Fluid. One drain and fill. Four quarts. Around $15 to $20.

Brakes - Front and rear disc. Use ThermoQuiet offer. Mine were $5 each but let's assume $20.

What else are we missing???

Tools!

Tires!

Washing and waxing!

[censored]!

Okay, how can this be reconfigured...

 

[Panzerman]

I don't think its possible. I was looking through my maintenance records on my Dodge Ram 2500 I bought new and I was thinking It seems like I am doing something maintenance wise every time I turn around. Granted that is a heavy duty pick-up, but it would be tough to maintain a car for a 100,000 for $100 and still have a car you want to keep. If you go that route, your better off to skimp on maintenance and trade every 4 years or 50,000 miles.

 

[HTSS_TR]

$100 for 100k miles is not possible even with the most reliable vehicle with minimum maintenance schedule.

 

[macarose]

But what if four tires fall off a truck?

 

[CourierDriver]

ok gentlemen, smoke'm if you got em. I will be out by the pool...........................

 

[macarose]

How can your car (let's assume you're a cheapskate) cost you only $100 in maintenance over 100,000 miles?

No attaching it to a rocket.

No cheating! It has to be driven under it's own power for 100,000 miles.

Think about it. A couple of generations ago an arrangement was made to make these types of situations entirely possible.

What was it?

 

[bullwinkle]

Maybe if someone gave you a parts car, or something. Stuff has gotten so expensive, a battery is pushing $100 by itself, not to mention tires, etc.-even if nothing breaks other than wear items.

 

[macarose]

No outrageous fortunes falling down to Earth.

There is a trick to the question. Think about it.

 

[expat]

I could maintain my truck for zero, with my own tools* if the materials, and my labour were free.
But tires alone would cost more than $100.

*I do not have the tools required to mount/dismount tires

 

[joegreen]

you would have to put on that mileage fast. That way the tires and other things wouldnt get old.

 

[macarose]

I'll offer a hint.

Sometimes there can be more than one.

 

[Kuato]

Sugar Daddy, or Mama. No out of pocket for kept person.

Seriously though if you drive mostly highway on Michelins, they will last 100k in a light vehicle. Easy on the brakes, too.

Oil change every 25k (you didn't say it had to LAST after 100k LOL) Tap out the air filter at 50k.

Well under $100.

 

[spackard]

Front-load the maintenance into the purchase price (called pre-paid maintenance). Or, rent.

A lot of these vanpool vans include all the maintenance costs.

 

[macarose]

spackard nailed two of them. Great job!

https://www.yahoo.com/autos/can-you-commute-on-1-a-day-heres-one-way-121294669522.html

Small confession. I'm the guy who wrote it. Schlepping through Myrtle Beach and looking at the main strip in a perpetual traffic jam gave me the inspiration for the thought.

Now if only we could legalize four door vehicles with four seats and 200cc engines...

 

[javacontour]

I think you would need to buy a parts car and sell the parts you don't need for more than you paid for the car. This is how they build the 24 hours of lemons cars. I think they are limited to $2015 this year. People building such cars buy and sell off parts to keep the net cash outlay less than the limit.

 

[Nick1994]

Originally Posted By: macarose
spackard nailed two of them. Great job!

https://www.yahoo.com/autos/can-you-commute-on-1-a-day-heres-one-way-121294669522.html

Small confession. I'm the guy who wrote it. Schlepping through Myrtle Beach and looking at the main strip in a perpetual traffic jam gave me the inspiration for the thought.

Now if only we could legalize four door vehicles with four seats and 200cc engines...
The problem with all of that is that there's no way 4 people can commute 5,000 miles a year. Heck, it took me 3 months to do 5k miles and I'm just one college student, and my school is in town!

 

[ronbo]

You'll need one or two oxygen sensors. Universal type re using the wiring is the cheapest about $40 each.

 

[bullwinkle]

Originally Posted By: macarose
spackard nailed two of them. Great job!

https://www.yahoo.com/autos/can-you-commute-on-1-a-day-heres-one-way-121294669522.html

Small confession. I'm the guy who wrote it. Schlepping through Myrtle Beach and looking at the main strip in a perpetual traffic jam gave me the inspiration for the thought.

Now if only we could legalize four door vehicles with four seats and 200cc engines...
Good ideas in your article, Steve-just try really hard not to be in an accident, I'm not sure how carpooling applies if something happens. Kind of like driving an Uber car, extra insurance is a good idea.

 

[Kuato]

Originally Posted By: macarose
spackard nailed two of them. Great job!

https://www.yahoo.com/autos/can-you-commute-on-1-a-day-heres-one-way-121294669522.html

Small confession. I'm the guy who wrote it. Schlepping through Myrtle Beach and looking at the main strip in a perpetual traffic jam gave me the inspiration for the thought.

Now if only we could legalize four door vehicles with four seats and 200cc engines...


Pre paid maintenance costs more than $100, so I can't agree that is a solution or valid answer to the question....you are still paying for it and if financing, paying interest as well.

 

[macarose]

What you do is exactly what my father did back in the day.

You share the cost.

I know that many folks aren't in the situation where they have three good acquaintances who are working within a couple of miles from their workplace. but even if it's one or two, it can have a wonderful enduring impact on your savings account.

I wish BITOG had a way for me to post the graph I used for the admittedly extreme example I used in the article. But long story short, commutes usually suck. The more money you can keep for experiencing them every day, the better off you'll be.