On Wed, 9 May 2007 09:08:09 -0400, "Mike Hunter"
<mikehunt2 (AT) mailcity (DOT) com> wrote:

You are flat wrong. I could afford to buy a new car (and I have in
the past), but on the last two occasions I have decided to buy used
because it fit my needs. Just because I have the money doesn't mean I
want to spend it on a new car.

I would point out that the reverse situation is quite common. People
who can't afford a new car go out and buy them every day.

That is probably true generally, except for people like Pardee who can
maintain them cheaply with sweat equity. However, many people who
could afford to buy a new/newer car choose instead to maintain the car
they already own even though it may have a lot of miles on it. If it
is a high quality car (Honda or Toyota), there is a good chance it
will continue to be inexpensive to maintain and, if it does blow up,
they can always walk away from it with minimal loss. Or they can fix
it for about what they would pay in sales tax on a replacement
vehicle.

I know new cars and old cars as well. I know old cars cost money to keep
running, I own a 1941, 1964, 1971 and a 1983 with 100K to 300K on the
clocks. Whenever one of them needs work it costs a fortune and parts can be
a problem. I recently paid $500 for a worn out part that will need to
rebuilt at a machine shop before it can be installed. My old cars receive
the most meticulous preventive maintenance. They all look and run like new
but I would not chance a cross county trip an any one of them. LOL

Mike


"Michael Pardee" <michaeltnull (AT) cybertrails (DOT) com> wrote

Ever notice when somebody comes into a lot of money, unexpectedly, the first
thing they do is a buy a new car? LOL


mike


"Gordon McGrew" <RgEmMcOgVrEew (AT) mindspring (DOT) com> wrote

On Thu, 10 May 2007 13:19:33 -0400, "Mike Hunter"
<mikehunt2 (AT) mailcity (DOT) com> wrote:

Hence the saying; easy come, easy go.

People who have worked hard for a long time to accumulate their
fortune tend to be much more frugal. I am perfectly happy to have
less than 1% of my assets in automobiles.

On May 11, 12:06 am, Gordon McGrew <RgEmMcOgVr... (AT) mindspring (DOT) com>
wrote:
Spoken like a true sales droid. Mike's LOL is more like a smirk.

shoes, too, I suspect.

What does than mean? I have far less the 1/2 % of my assets in cars and own
seven of them, a 2007, 2006, 1983, 1971, 1964 and a 1941.

Frugal is just a another way of saying, for I can't afford it. As you get
older you will realize that if you do not spend what you worked so hard to
acquire, others will some day, and it may not be on things that you would
have preferred.

Be happy, buy a new car and enjoy the peace of mind of not worrying, every
time you are driving, that you may get stuck along the road at any time.
With all of the longer warranties being offered on new cars, even if your
new car should quit, somebody else will get you going again at no extra cost


mike



"Gordon McGrew" <RgEmMcOgVrEew (AT) mindspring (DOT) com> wrote

Of course I do, but only when I'm jogging

mike


"ACAR" <getoutanpush (AT) yahoo (DOT) com> wrote

On Fri, 11 May 2007 09:57:06 -0400, "Mike Hunter"
<mikehunt2 (AT) mailcity (DOT) com> wrote:

Then why don't you go out and buy a Ferrari a Rolls Royce and a
Lamborghini? You can afford it. Obviously, you would rather save the
money or spend it on something else. Why would you own all those old
high-mileage cars when you have two new ones?

So what new cars do you own? Since we know you would only buy the
finest car you could possibly afford, what would that be? The only
reason someone would buy a Ford is because he can't afford a better
car.

Horse shit. Obviously I could afford new cars, but I drive my 1994
and my 1998. The difference between my old cars and your old cars is
that I do rely on mine for everyday use and long trips. I guess that
is the benefit of owning Hondas.

My financial planning involves the check to the undertaker bouncing.
What I am working for is to not have to work. I am very close to that
and I am not yet 50.

I do spend money on the things I like: go-karts, rocketry and
entertainment of various sorts. I do like performance driving and I
could certainly find a car much cheaper than to own and operate than
GS-R, but the GS-R is big fun. It has plenty of performance for the
street and some will disagree, but I prefer front wheel drive for
street performance because it has a better safety margin. When I want
real performance, I drive a go-kart on a race track. I spend about as
much on go-karting as I spend operating and maintaining the GS-R.

OTOH, if there were an attractive alternative to my '98 Odyssey, I
would break out the check book for up to $30K - maybe more if it was
really good. I realize that this sounds funny, I require a vehicle
which is no larger in exterior footprint and no smaller in internal
cargo area. (Note: cargo area, not volume.) There are very few, if
any, new vehicles which can satisfy those requirements and none of
them excite me enough to spend the money.

My old Hondas satisfy that requirement. I wouldn't hesitate to drive
the GS-R to California if it otherwise suited the mission. Normally,
when I am driving long distances I need the cargo capacity of the Ody.

So I should spend $25K now to insure against a possible future cost
which could not possibly exceed $4K? You really are a car salesman.

That reminds me of another reason why I seldom buy a new (or used)
car...

You mean in additon to the fact you can not afford a new car?

mike


"Gordon McGrew" <RgEmMcOgVrEew (AT) mindspring (DOT) com> wrote

On Sat, 12 May 2007 15:02:13 -0400, "Mike Hunter"
<mikehunt2 (AT) mailcity (DOT) com> wrote:

Like you can't afford a Honda?