Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire No car payments....new whip.

So in my younger days I always wanted the new fancy truck or car, but as I get older, it just doesn't matter anymore. Plus, I can spend more on old rifles!

My new whip:

[img]https://goo.gl/photos/HpJvnowdR2XU4k5Q7[/img[/img]

1990 F250 4x4. 7.3 diesel with 155,0000 kms (96,000 miles). Paid about $3400 in US funds. My daily drive to work is an 2001 Benz E430 with about the same mileage. Into both for about $10,000.

Hav'n a hoot driving this old girl......turns all the old timer's heads as I loudly go by.

Cheers,

R

That's a nice looking truck. I'm a big fan of having no vehicle payments as well.

Yes, when young, cars were our identity. Kids would spend their meager paychecks hopping up their Roadrunners, Corvettes, Barracudas, Chevelles, etc. Now that I'm over 60 and could afford nice cars, I couldn't care less. I usually buy out my kid's trade-ins so they don't get burned, and then drive them into the ground for the next 10 years.

I'm the same. I could care less about a new pickup. I'm driving a 97 Ford F150. I use the money on hunting trips. I use my old 30/06 for them.

My younger brother buys "paycheck" cars, he works construction and does a lot of highway miles. When he needs a replacement car he looks until he finds a reliable car that is no more than a 2 week paycheck. He normally gets 2 or 3 years out of them until one of the kids hits a deer.

All 4 of my vehicles are owned by me, youngest one is a 2004. I cant imagine buying a new one now, new pickups going for 4 times the cost of our first house.

Those were good Fords.

That old 7.3 was probably Ford's best diesel...

DF

I have a 99 F250 & a 98 Tahoe. Both have over 300,000 miles and purr like a kitty.

What I don't have....is a car payment.

I had a new truck about every 5 years, but when you having to drive across country with your important shiet, it pays.

Now we have a 2012 truck and a 2014 car and no car payments. We've put 6,000 miles on the car in about 2 1/2 years and I'm doing about 7,000 a year on the truck.

I should be good for another 10 years.

Both of our vehicles are paid off and have less than 50,000 miles on them. Both are 2011 models. One is a Toyota, the other is an Acura. Both clean up to look like new.

I'm currently waiting for an old Toyota or Honda van to turn up for sale. I'm going to yank the back seats out of it, throw in a mattress and use it to escape to the local camp grounds on occasion.

My dream vehicles have become meager offerings. Right now it's an early 2000's Honda Odyssey for under $3500 with less than 200,000K that doesn't look like it's been hit by a train.

I have been over 10 years without a car payment and at 308k miles my 04 truck is till a good runner. Wife's 01 Mustang GT conv. Looks and runs like new but after 16 years and 160k she is worried it will leave her stranded.

In my search I located a sweet 2013 Mustang GT convertible with only 12200 miles, owner is at 26k a little over blue book BUT it's perfect and was an originally sticker of over 45k. That's more that the cost of our first new home but should last her a decade or two...

I have s 89 jeep and a 2004 Dodge 3/4 truck. All paid for. Wifey has a new caddie, but she likes a new one. She pays for her own cshit.

Been fortunate enough to pay for all vehicles in the last 25 years ( even the new ones..) before I drove them off the lot. Comes from a conservative " if you can't pay cash for it, you can't afford it" upbringing..By keeping a clean and careful driving record and paying for liability only insurance, I literally saved enough to pay cash over the years for two new vehicles....
Vehicle payments and their accompanying full coverage insurance are just another form of legalized scam...

And oh yes, Ive driven some older used vehicles for a loooong time, and driven some new ones till I eeked out every last bit of value in them, amortizing them to a standstill!

Those 7.3 were great motors. I had a 97 that I put 300+K on before selling it. At that point it needed a new trans and brakes all round, which would have cost more than it was worth.

No vehicle payments is a very good thing. We have two sitting in the garage currently. 2006 Chev Trailblazer with ~96 K on the odometer and a 2000 Chev S10 ext cab pickup with ~76 K miles. Both are 4x4 and in pretty good shape. Both have been paid for for nearly 10 years. Between the two, we now put on about 3 K miles per year total - my bride is retired and I work from home and as we get older, staying home is a very desireable option . . .

Good looking older F250, BTW - enjoy!!!

Car payments are far from sinful, especially when you can get 0% interest.

And, in some cases leasing can be an attractive option.

If you don't drive a zillion miles it makes sense.

Sales tax, often nearly 10%, is tacked on the front end of a purchase, then the total is financed. With leasing, the tax is on each payment, paid forward, not up front.

And, in 3 yrs. no tire/battery purchase, some ddealers even offer free service for 2 yrs. or so; you always have a nice vehicle ready for any trip.

DF

leasing has never made sense in my mind. Pay for the vehicle and drive it until it won't go any longer which usually means many years without a car payment, where as leasing is a car payment forever.

Can see leasing as a write off, but I'd much rather be debt free and one can depreciate it if business related.