prophet@umcp-cs.UUCP (Dennis Gibbs) (09/28/84)
<> >The time to trade (in my book) is when the cost of repairs >are equal to or more than the cost of new, used, car payments. > >Ed Spigle The problem with this method is that by the time a car requires $200 or more a month to keep it on the road, the inconvenience of having to repair the car every month would be far too great for me to tolerate. Also, by the time a car is this unreliable, I would be afraid to take the car on a long trip away from home for fear of a breakdown.... Of course, if you are willing to put up with these two problems, you'll come out ahead money-wise if you wait that long to trade. Dennis -- Call-Me: Dennis Gibbs, Univ. of Md. Comp. Sci. Center. UUCP: {seismo,allegra,brl-bmd}!umcp-cs!prophet CSNet: prophet@umcp-cs BITNET: GIBBS@UMDB ARPA: prophet@Maryland
mangoe@umcp-cs.UUCP (Charley Wingate) (09/30/84)
[Ed Spigle] >> The time to trade (in mybook) is when the cost of repairs >> is equal to or nore than the cost of new, used, car payments. [Dennis Gibbs] > The problem with this method is that by the time a car requires $200 or > more a month to keep it on the road, the incovenience of having to repair > the car every month would be far too great for me to tolerate. Well, when figuring the cost per month, include the time lost due to down car (including towing, calling up rescue parties, etc.). Your time is valuable, after all. I suspect that for most people the time lost and the frustration due to breakdowns far exceeds the actual repair costs. Charley Wingate
hrs@houxb.UUCP (H.SILBIGER) (10/02/84)
In calculating the cost of keeping a used car on the road, in view of the rule that says not to buy a new car until the cost of repairs exceeds the carrying costs of a new car, one should also include: For the new car: cost of lost interest on the down payment, additional insurance costs. For the old car: cost of lost time due to breakdowns and repair. However, if you are planning to keep the new car "forever", i.e. until it is close to scrap value, depreciation is not a factor. Herman Silbiger
davidl@tekig.UUCP (David Levadie) (10/08/84)
The time to trade is, clearly, immediately before everything breaks. I have known only one person in my life who was consistently successful at this. As for myself, I am one of those people from whom OTHER people buy vehicles that have just had everything in them $$$rebuilt$$$.