Almost saw someone crash

Jay Honeck wrote:

Finally, you NEED that Toyota (or equivalent) unless you live
someplace like New York City (where the cheapest tiedown in reasonable
driving distance is $250/month) and the C-150 is discretionary.

Here's where your logic falters: You don't NEED a *new* Toyota.

A single professional commuting to work in New Jersey NEEDS a dependable car. That
means one with less than about 60 grand on the clock. If his boss can remember when
the first time he broke down was the second time he broke down, he'll be looking for
a job. It's an absolute job requirement that a single commuter will be trading in his
car about the time he gets it paid off or, better yet, leasing one and never owning
one at all.

Things change once you become a two-car household.

George Patterson
None of us is as dumb as all of us.

In article , G.R. Patterson III wrote:
A single professional commuting to work in New Jersey NEEDS a dependable car.

Many older cars are very dependable. The last car I had that *wasn't*
dependable was a 1969 Mini (which I did make dependable in the end when
I learned that you have to replace the points and condenser each oil
change, and waterproof the distributor, and put a battery that was less
than 10 years old in it, owning a car older than you are teaches you
things)

I've not had a car actually break down and leave me at the roadside
since 1994, and I've only owned used vehicles.

A modern turbodiesel should be good for 200-300K miles. My Dad's last
turbodiesel Peugeot lasted 350K miles and was dependable.

Whatever car you own, if your job depends on 100% uptime of your
vehicle, you better have an alternate lined up. Even new cars have been
known to break down.

--
Dylan Smith, Castletown, Isle of Man
Flying: http://www.dylansmith.net
Frontier Elite Universe: http://www.alioth.net
"Maintain thine airspeed, lest the ground come up and smite thee"

"G.R. Patterson III" wrote:
If his boss can remember when
the first time he broke down was the second time
he broke down...

It's an absolute job requirement that a single commuter
will be trading in his car about the time he gets it paid off ...

?
What have you been driving, George, Jaguars?

I get rid of a car at ~100,00 miles . On occasion, I dropped each of my
last three cars off at the shop for repairs while I was at work, but
none of them ever "broke down."

--
Dan
C172RG at BFM

"Dan Luke" wrote What have you been driving,
George, Jaguars?

I get rid of a car at ~100,00 miles . On occasion, I dropped each of my
last three cars off at the shop for repairs while I was at work, but
none of them ever "broke down."

--
Dan
C172RG at BFM


Really! I drive a work type cargo van that has 220k miles on it. It only
has failed to deliver me to my destination 2 times. One was an electric
fuel pump that quit suddenly, and one was an alternator failure that the
driver (me) failed to notice.
--
Jim in NC


---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.692 / Virus Database: 453 - Release Date: 5/29/2004

Morgans wrote:

Really! I drive a work type cargo van that has 220k miles on it. It only
has failed to deliver me to my destination 2 times.

The race does not always go to the swiftest, but that's the way to bet, and betting
that a van like that will keep going is stupid. If you were single and worked for
Telcordia, AT&T, Johnson&Johnson, or any of many other outfits, you would really be
gambling on keeping your job.

George Patterson
None of us is as dumb as all of us.

"G.R. Patterson III" wrote in message
...


Morgans wrote:

Really! I drive a work type cargo van that has 220k miles on it. It
only
has failed to deliver me to my destination 2 times.

The race does not always go to the swiftest, but that's the way to bet,
and betting
that a van like that will keep going is stupid. If you were single and
worked for
Telcordia, AT&T, Johnson&Johnson, or any of many other outfits, you would
really be
gambling on keeping your job.

George Patterson

Bull! It has had frequent maintenance, major and minor parts replaced, and
the engine rebuilt once. Things seldom break without warning. The GM 350
is about as tough of an engine that has ever been built. I'll stack it up
against any foreign crap for reliability, anytime.

Did you read my post? Only TWO letdowns, in 250 k! That is not to say I
have not had to take it out of service for a few days, to fix stuff. I do
nearly all the work myself, and am well familiar with it's condition.

I'm shooting for 500 k. g
--
Jim in NC P.S. I'll see you at OSH, this year in it!


---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.692 / Virus Database: 453 - Release Date: 5/28/2004

Morgans wrote:

Did you read my post? Only TWO letdowns, in 250 k!

Yeah, I read it, and I still say you're a lucky man. One shouldn't gamble on getting
that sort of performance.

George Patterson
None of us is as dumb as all of us.

In article , G.R. Patterson III wrote:
Did you read my post? Only TWO letdowns, in 250 k!

Yeah, I read it, and I still say you're a lucky man. One shouldn't gamble on getting
that sort of performance.

Judging by the cars that have been owned in our family in the last 10
years or so, 2 breakdowns in that mileage is rather high. My Dad's
turbodiesel only let him down once in 350K miles and that was most definitely
operator error rather than anything wrong with the car.

It's only a gamble if you don't maintain the things. A properly
maintained modern car will last for a long time and should be fine for
at least 300K miles. Properly maintained, things that are going majorly
wrong don't have a habit of sudden failure - nearly everything that will
let you down in a car because of mileage happens gradually and it's
usually laziness that means they don't get fixed until they actually
break.

--
Dylan Smith, Castletown, Isle of Man
Flying: http://www.dylansmith.net
Frontier Elite Universe: http://www.alioth.net
"Maintain thine airspeed, lest the ground come up and smite thee"

Dan Luke wrote:

What have you been driving, George, Jaguars?

Actually, I drive a 1989 Nissan pickup with ~160,000 miles on the clock. But I'm
married, I'm not young, and I don't commute to a professional job anymore.

I get rid of a car at ~100,00 miles .

My last position was 29 miles from home. Add it up. That, plus the odd trip to Home
Depot and Shop Rite, racks up about 100,000 miles about the time the usual five year
loan runs out.

George Patterson
None of us is as dumb as all of us.

In article , Dan Luke wrote:
It's an absolute job requirement that a single commuter
will be trading in his car about the time he gets it paid off ...

?
What have you been driving, George, Jaguars?

Jaguars have improved since Ford has had them (the British Leyland
product was appalling, they rusted out in no time). I still wouldn't
have a Jag. However, the old 4.2 litre straight six engines make
fabulous glider winch engines. Although the rest of the car was abysmal,
the engine is worth having.

--
Dylan Smith, Castletown, Isle of Man
Flying: http://www.dylansmith.net
Frontier Elite Universe: http://www.alioth.net
"Maintain thine airspeed, lest the ground come up and smite thee"