why do they force us to drive old cars in America??

[wdkingery]

Look @ this. Why is my car a 1985 again?

Isn't that cute? An aveo 1.3 diesel. Probably gets good fuel mileage.
Now where's my ford! Gay

[BigVWman]

Man that is just super hoofdprijs!!! Whatever that means

[wdkingery]

Lol right? It kinda means great base price. Super "headprice"

[ORCoaster]

They don't force us, they let us choose to do it.  And we choose mileage over safety or speed.  We could choose to have a newer heavier car with a bigger horsepowered engine in it but we don't think that is necessary.  Especially when we know how to convert them over to turbos or tweak them for more power for their weight. 

Most consumers are not capable of such things.  We are an elite group! So drive that old beater into the ground and then go buy a 92. 

[8v-of-fury]

Most consumers are not capable of such things.  We are an elite group! So drive that old beater into the ground and then go buy a 92. 

We are the diesel version of the 1% clique lol. 371T3 (elite) group! lol

I seriously feel bad for the people that can't even manage their own oil change.. I still feel nominally bad for people that have the pay for their suspension, brake, and drive-train work as well Oh how great it is to be competent lol

[rabbitman]

So drive that old beater into the ground and then go buy a 92. 

That's what I'm planning on doing , I'll still cry though when the faithful ol' rabbit is gone..........

[8v-of-fury]

If you take care of the body, there is no reason these cars will ever die. We all have the knowledge and parts available to switch every mechanical piece when needed.

So with that said, take care of that body.. the other parts are stupid cheap. ESPECIALLY for you Americans

[rabbitman]

Rust is the killer, I can change anything on these but I've never tackled floors and stuff.

[Syncroincity]

It's because we don't want to lay out $30 grand for a new car that's only marginally better than what we have now,
& almost guaranteed to break down, often spectacularly... and it's depreciating faster than a Ugandan money market.
There's nothing on the market now (in the US) comparable to my Vanagon Syncro, especially now that I have the turbodiesel in it.

Rust is the killer, I can change anything on these but I've never tackled floors and stuff.

Welding isn't rocket science either, you just need a decent MIG wire-feed (spend a little more here for a good name-brand machine).
Watch some Youtube videos. Put in some time practicing on scrap metal, getting progessively thinner.
When you get the machine dialed in for thin sheetmetal without blowing through it, you can tackle your floorboards.

I had a cheap Harbor Freight welder, and it was miserable, couldn't turn it down enough to keep from blowing thru sheet metal.
I then got a used 120V small Lincoln wire-feed, it made me into a real welder, after some practice.
You don't need the gas bottle either, just use flux-core wire, and keep the tip close to the work.

My first efforts were pretty hideous... see the U-bolt weld to the muffler:



By the end of the afternoon I was laying down beads like this:

[ORCoaster]

AY Yes the elite we are.  I don't care to want to or think I should have to lay out 30 K for a mode of transportation.  At least one that moves on land.  So, I buy old beater VW's that someone thinks are scrap material and turn them into gems.  And at what cost?  Let me count the knuckle bandages.  

Most of us wrenchers can do what we put our minds to, and if your car is a rust bucket start bailing.  Or get a welder.  I second that there is nothing cooler than welding.  Well maybe the 30K helicopter.  But the sense of making metal join to metal.  Oh my.  And power, bright lights, protective equipment, if your smart about it.  And keeping it going.  

So be different, be 1% of the 1% drive a VW, an OLD ONE.

[DieselBalz]

I do it cause I hate being under the thumb of some f'ing bank.  I love my 02 F150 as it has been a faithful companion, but I hated being a slave to that payment. Now it serves as a weekend warrior. I will probably never buy a new car again.

Secondly, I look around at all these new plastic cars and they all look the same to me. All these electronics in them that monitor the road and distance between my eyes or whatever, they are all destined to fail, and when they do I cant fix it.

I drive it cause I want to, not cause I have to.

[CRSMP5]

ive never had a car payment.. ever... and ive been driving 22 years now... pluse i love 25+ year old cars.. getta screw the state out of plate money each year... aka historicals are 1 time fee 26$ for life here.. i keep 1 set of normal plates to say ive paid my taxes.. rest get historicals.. can only drive 1 at a time..

the most expensive car to date for me... my kubvan with its 2200 inital price.. 500 in transport.. and 4k in build.. but will only need oil changes and filters for the next 100k... maybe a set of tires and brakes too.. way less then a car payment each mo..

next most expensive would be my 83 td coupe i picked up back in 00... for 1500... same seller selling me a rotted out 97tdi jetta for 1500 too.. as soon as i hand him the funds.. this car why he sold me the coupe all maintence done on it too..

90 b3 wagon was 500... sadly after i installed all the td stuff and then went to mod the tank pick up i relized it was out of gas... sold it as it did not run.. LOL.. win for me..

rest of my fleet... 300 max (my rust free 84 coupe was only 300..back in 96)... really done well with 150$ winter cars.. they last years.. and once rotted to nothing.. find another.. LOL.. use the life of the rotted one to build another..

[fdnyguy]

Most consumers are not capable of such things.  We are an elite group! So drive that old beater into the ground and then go buy a 92. 

We are the diesel version of the 1% clique lol. 371T3 (elite) group! lol

I seriously feel bad for the people that can't even manage their own oil change.. I still feel nominally bad for people that have the pay for their suspension, brake, and drive-train work as well Oh how great it is to be competent lol

Great, kick me when I'm down,,,,,

[8v-of-fury]

no way Jimmy your different, on here giving it an effort at least Most just screw it up and go "HALLPP. I've run the car completely out of oil.. i didnt notice that knock for the last 2500kms! IS IT SAVABLE!? "

Lol, so you are A-okay.

[fdnyguy]

no way Jimmy your different, on here giving it an effort at least Most just screw it up and go "HALLPP. I've run the car completely out of oil.. i didnt notice that knock for the last 2500kms! IS IT SAVABLE!? "

Lol, so you are A-okay.

Whew, feel better. Will buy you a beer when I travel the TCH from east to west. Already took it from Winnipeg to Toronto, and found out that Lake Superior is a big F*****g lake......

Stay safe, stay well. Merry Christmas to everyone. Jimmy.