How long do you let it nickel and dime ya?

[eeboater]

So I paid off my 97 Grand Cherokee a couple months ago and I was exstatic!! Its been nice that I haven't had a payment for a couple months. <br /><br />The Grand is worth 5,000 if I sell it myself. Last month, I put 500 bucks into it fixing the A/C. In March, I put another 600 bucks into it getting new brakes and tires. Now, I believe the rear axle bearing need to be replaced as well as a stabilizer bar shock. There goes another 600 bucks.<br /><br />How long do I keep forking out the cash? Yeah, no payment. But cripes, I've paid more in the past 4 months than I would if I had a regular payment!!!<br /><br /><br />Sean

 

[CJY]

Re: How long do you let it nickel and dime ya?

eeboater,<br /><br />until you are out of nickels and dimes or until the money you are putting in outweighs the cost of buying another. At some point you will have replaced everything, then you will be good to go for a couple of weeks. <br /><br />John

 

[ndemge]

Re: How long do you let it nickel and dime ya?

you gotta make up your mind to sell it BEFORE you spend the $... fix it, then sell it, or have it sold before it brakes, price is the same.<br /><br />..I had an '88 dodge minivan. drove it until 215k miles it nickled and dimed for a while, then it had all new starter,fuel pump, water pump, ac, etc.etc.etc... nothing else to break really<br /><br />fix the majors now while it's still a good vehicle, and drive it till the wheels fall off

 

[Limited-Time]

Re: How long do you let it nickel and dime ya?

When the cost of up keep exceeds the monthly payment on a new one....likely never. Or till ya can’t live with it any more, me I get itchy every 10 years or so.

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: How long do you let it nickel and dime ya?

Mine don't last till the warrantys run out, they are poofed, gone.<br />That way you don't have to worry about all the little stuff.

 

[grandx]

Re: How long do you let it nickel and dime ya?

AC and breaks should be expected. Tires are routine whether new or not, can't count that. give it a few more months see if it settles down.

 

[PW2]

Re: How long do you let it nickel and dime ya?

I've had a Cherokee and a Grand Cherokee, both 4.0 L sixes<br /><br />Both of them the magic number was a quarter million miles. That was long enough

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: How long do you let it nickel and dime ya?

Originally posted by PW2:<br /> I've had a Cherokee and a Grand Cherokee, both 4.0 L sixes<br /><br />Both of them the magic number was a quarter million miles. That was long enough

Don't know PW2, got's 2, 1 is a '88 with the 4.0 and 202K on it and running strong and a '96 with 160K on it and runs like new.

 

[Holdimhook]

Re: How long do you let it nickel and dime ya?

I have an 88 with the 4.0 also and I wouldn't trade it for a speckled pup. Life without payments is a very good thing!

 

[achris]

Re: How long do you let it nickel and dime ya?

NoelMG signature<br />--------------<br />C8H10N4O2

Are we to read from this that you are addicted to coffee?

 

[achris]

Re: How long do you let it nickel and dime ya?

First rule with cars, boats, women. You'll always have your hand in your pocket!

 

[PW2]

Re: How long do you let it nickel and dime ya?

OK, SBN, I'm not saying they were done at 250k... only that I don't have time for problems and it was time. As far as I know I sold them running, and they are still running today.<br /><br />The Cherokee was an '86 and the Grand Cherokee was a '92 As you can tell, I tend to put a few miles on my vehicles. Including winter miles on the trans Canada cow path, where you take your life in your hands every time you are on that gawd awful road.<br /><br />I now own a 2000 Grand Cherokee with 75k. Barely broke in...<br /><br />I test drove a number of different rigs, including an explorer, Durango, etc. but for my taste the Jeep was far superior

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: How long do you let it nickel and dime ya?

By George PW, there is hope for ya. <br />The Jeeps are hard to beat for sure. That's why I bought a new one. Hard to get away from a great track record.

 

[SlowlySinking]

Re: How long do you let it nickel and dime ya?

In economics we call that "sunk cost". <br /><br />You never keep plowing more money into a POS cuz you can never win, get rid of it and consider what you spent (wasted) as a "sunk cost."

 

[DJ]

Re: How long do you let it nickel and dime ya?

eeboater,<br /><br />You're still well ahead, at this point.

 

[roscoe]

Re: How long do you let it nickel and dime ya?

My last 3 vehicles were 6-11 years old when I bought them.<br />Before that was a new Mazda that I drove HARD for 10 years. Only had to replace the alternator twice, the exhaust, struts, and the brakes. $11 grand in ten years, then I sold it for a grand.<br /><br />Ran my Safari van till it hit 195,000 miles and 16 years old. Purchase and repairs came to just under $7000, or slightly less than $1000 a year.<br /><br />I have a total of $2000 into my GMC Vandura, and I've had it for 7 years. Air still works but gas mileage stinks and rust is starting to get bad. Everything major on this vehicle except the radiator, alternator, and waterpump, is original. Not bad for a 19 year old vehicle. It is still a decent vehicle to haul stuff in and a backup for when the primary is in the shop.<br /><br />Primary now is a 1996 Blazer that I bought for $3400 last year, and have stuck 1600 into it to bring everything up to where it should be (tires, brakes, belt, hoses, fluids, exhaust, service campaign for the computer, shocks, and front suspension. <br />So I've got $5000 into it, will have to drive it for 5 years to get my average yearly cost down.<br /><br />Now lets look at insurance costs.<br />Except for the first few years I owned the Mazda, none of these vehicles have had collision coverage. Factor in that savings of say $500++ per year and my annual vehicle costs drop even more compared to the guy with a $20,000 loan plus $200 a month for insurance.<br /><br />I'll let them nickel and dime me till I get my moneys worth out of them.

 

[BrettNC]

Re: How long do you let it nickel and dime ya?

How many miles does this Grand Cherokee have on it eeboater?

 

[JasonJ]

Re: How long do you let it nickel and dime ya?

My 93 Grand Cherokee has about 130,000, still running strong, and has been paid for for quite awhile. My 95 Ford F150 has about 150,000 miles, and is also paid for. Not having to make the payment on new vehicles is by far more worth the nickel and dime stuff. If I had to make the payments on a new F150, and a new Grand, we would be talking well over $1000 a month. I don't know about anyone else, but my nickel and dime stuff amounts to nowwhere near that much. I had to sink $1100 for a new ECM for the Grand last year, that is it. I have had no major expense on the truck. Buying a new vehicle is the equivelant of burning your money (IMO). A vehicle that is 1-2 years old gives the best value, it is still fresh, and less expensive to purchase. But, to each is own, some like the thought of the new car smell, and the warantee. Obviously, if I was bucks up, I would roll in a new rig, but I am not bucks up, so I make due....

 

[eeboater]

Re: How long do you let it nickel and dime ya?

My Grand has about 130k miles on it. yeah, I know nothing compared to what it could actually get to. I think I'm going to get the axle bearings fixed professionally and fix the bushings myself. Seems pretty simple according to the Chilton Manual.

 

[KaGee]

Re: How long do you let it nickel and dime ya?

Man are you hard on vehicles... <br /><br />Sorry, couldn't resist! <br /><br />Had a '91 Continetal with 180,000 and did the same as you EE. Seemed like every month it was something else. Since I used my car for business, I needed something abit more reliable so I dumped it.<br /><br />Now my 2001 Escape with 75,000 is needing some upkeep. It's only half paid off. So, it could be worse on your behalf. <br /><br />Besides..... what about that new boat????