Bad thoughts

[dkl]

mD,
It wasn't that difficult of a decision, actually. At least I tried to rationalize it this way:

Let say that I can sell it for $3k and not put much more money into it, what else can I get to replace it with that's in good a shape as the ol' gal? If I add the repair bill to that, anything else decent that I can get for $6.5k or $7k without needing immediate work to bring it back to decent shape? Is there anything else in that price range that I would rather drive? My answer came back with a big resounding NO.

Maybe, I'm just too attached to my cars as I've only owned 5 cars throughout my 35 years of driving...3 of which are still currently with me! The X5 is the longest I've owned of any cars (18 years coming up)!

Sounds like I'm beginning to talk myself back into keeping the car since the Original Post

[srmmmm]

That's 9-10 month's worth of new car payments, so the repairs pay for themselves in less than a year.

[workingonit]

Originally Posted by dkl

...Maybe, I'm just too attached to my cars as I've only owned 5 cars throughout my 35 years of driving...3 of which are still currently with me! The X5 is the longest I've owned of any cars (18 years coming up)!...

I've been too attached to many of my 25-26 vehicles I've owned (either outright, or shared with my spouse) in the 55 years since my first (1956 Chevy 210 4-dr sedan) in 1965. It was given to me by my Grandmother after my Aunt suddenly died at 38; she had planned to give it to me on my next birthday (16), in two months. I grew attached to it (probably due to sentimentality), though a younger brother stole it and totalled it two years later.

I seem to keep all my vehicles too long, thru some sort of attachment: sentimental, having nebulous dreams of fixing them up again, or what?? I 'm not sure why. My record attachment was 27+ years, to the '66 Chevelle I bought to restore, but ended up racing instead, then traded at long last for my current obsession: my '01 X5.

Long-lived vehicles that I've owned and cared for:

'66 Chevelle Malibu 2-dr hardtop, Onyx black 1994-2021 27+ years, a once a week "daily driver" (weekend racer), converted to a dedicated drag racer (full cage, spool, 4.88 gears, etc.), with various engine/equipment variations, from 327c.i. (L-79 clone) street, to 427c.i.(431)/646 rwhp dragracing.

'86 Chevy S-10 Tahoe extended cab, Charcoal Gray Metallic, 1986-2004 18+ years, 2.8l v-6 (three rebuilds), daily driver

'04 Chevy Silverado WT 2500HD reg. cab, Summit White, 2004-2021> 17+ years ongoing, 6.0l v-8, daily driver to dedicated #1 trailer hauler (beefed trans, springs & shocks)

'98 GMC Sierra 1500 ext. cab, Fire Red, 2007-2021> 14+ years ongoing, 5.7l v-8, family transport, #2 trailer hauler (beefed trans, tuned engine, springs & shocks)

'08 Cobalt LS (SE) 2-dr coupe, Slate Metallic Gray 2008-2021> 14+ years ongoing, 2.2l 4cyl, wife's car

'09 HHR Panel, 2-seat utility van, Summit White, 2009-2021> 13+ years ongoing , 2.2l 4cyl, daily driver + utility usage

Other long-lived/kept vehicles were:
1)'88 Fiero 1998-2017 19+ years (engine died in 2005, given away in 2017)
2)'92 Olds Achieva SC (Quad 4) 2005-2017 12+ years (parked in 2009, needed timing chain + CV axles)
3)'69 Chevy C-10 1997-2004 7+ years (restored in 1999, traded for '65 ChevyII -never restored- + trans-braked Powerglide racing transmission, 2 spare engines, various other parts)
4)'75 Chevy C-10 2002-2007 5+ years (rebuilt engine, trans, rear end; partial trade for '98 GMC + DIXON ZTR mower)

all others (of 25 total) were kept for 5 years or less

'01 BMW X5 3.0i (acquired in May 2021) will be my last (planned) vehicle; I hope to have it as long as the Chevelle (27+ years)

[dkl]

Originally Posted by srmmmm

That's 9-10 month's worth of new car payments, so the repairs pay for themselves in less than a year.

Or, if I downgrade...That's exactly 2 years worth of payments for a new Toyota Corolla SE! At least that was the going rate before this crazy pandemic shortage thing.

Originally Posted by workingonit

I've been too attached to many of my 25-26 vehicles I've owned (either outright, or shared with my spouse) in the 55 years since my first (1956 Chevy 210 4-dr sedan) in 1965. It was given to me by my Grandmother after my Aunt suddenly died at 38; she had planned to give it to me on my next birthday (16), in two months. I grew attached to it (probably due to sentimentality), though a younger brother stole it and totalled it two years later.

I seem to keep all my vehicles too long, thru some sort of attachment: sentimental, having nebulous dreams of fixing them up again, or what?? I 'm not sure why. My record attachment was 27+ years, to the '66 Chevelle I bought to restore, but ended up racing instead, then traded at long last for my current obsession: my '01 X5.

Long-lived vehicles that I've owned and cared for:

'66 Chevelle Malibu 2-dr hardtop, Onyx black 1994-2021 27+ years, a once a week "daily driver" (weekend racer), converted to a dedicated drag racer (full cage, spool, 4.88 gears, etc.), with various engine/equipment variations, from 327c.i. (L-79 clone) street, to 427c.i.(431)/646 rwhp dragracing.

'86 Chevy S-10 Tahoe extended cab, Charcoal Gray Metallic, 1986-2004 18+ years, 2.8l v-6 (three rebuilds), daily driver

'04 Chevy Silverado WT 2500HD reg. cab, Summit White, 2004-2021> 17+ years ongoing, 6.0l v-8, daily driver to dedicated #1 trailer hauler (beefed trans, springs & shocks)

'98 GMC Sierra 1500 ext. cab, Fire Red, 2007-2021> 14+ years ongoing, 5.7l v-8, family transport, #2 trailer hauler (beefed trans, tuned engine, springs & shocks)

'08 Cobalt LS (SE) 2-dr coupe, Slate Metallic Gray 2008-2021> 14+ years ongoing, 2.2l 4cyl, wife's car

'09 HHR Panel, 2-seat utility van, Summit White, 2009-2021> 13+ years ongoing , 2.2l 4cyl, daily driver + utility usage

Other long-lived/kept vehicles were:
1)'88 Fiero 1998-2017 19+ years (engine died in 2005, given away in 2017)
2)'92 Olds Achieva SC (Quad 4) 2005-2017 12+ years (parked in 2009, needed timing chain + CV axles)
3)'69 Chevy C-10 1997-2004 7+ years (restored in 1999, traded for '65 ChevyII -never restored- + trans-braked Powerglide racing transmission, 2 spare engines, various other parts)
4)'75 Chevy C-10 2002-2007 5+ years (rebuilt engine, trans, rear end; partial trade for '98 GMC + DIXON ZTR mower)

all others (of 25 total) were kept for 5 years or less

'01 BMW X5 3.0i (acquired in May 2021) will be my last (planned) vehicle; I hope to have it as long as the Chevelle (27+ years)

Wow I would imagined that you have a warehouse of some sort to store all those cars? Truth be told, I would be in deep trouble if I had more room to store cars. But I would be ecstatic to be able to store one or two more cars