In article >, Roger Blake
> wrote:

> > very, very few people repair their own vehicles, and the types of
> > repairs an older vehicle will need are often beyond their skill set,
> > such as an engine rebuild, transmission overhaul, body work, etc. those
> > repairs are also not cheap and will cost more than what the vehicle is
> > worth, and in many cases, parts are not available, making repairs not
> > possible.
>
> That has not been my experience. None of the major drivetrain components
> (engine, transmission, rear axle) have ever been apart on my car. No
> body work has been required, though I don't sweat the small stuff.

40 years without any engine/transmission work? you must not drive it
much, if at all.

> > that doesn't mean others haven't. an older vehicle is more likely to
> > have an unexpected breakdown than a newer one. very simple.
>
> However, any such breakdowns are likely to be repairable with simple hand
> tools and inexpensive parts. Very simple.

not always, and unless you carry a trunk full of spare parts, you won't
have the parts to fix it.

if you happen to break down near an auto parts store (which is also not
likely), they probably won't have the correct parts in stock.

> > there are, but newer vehicles more so.
>
> Once again, a judgement call. For the many thousands of dollars I've
> saved I am quite comfortable indeed.

that's nice.

> > as opposed to many thousands of dollars on repairs for the older
> > vehicle.
>
> Hasn't happened. I have spent very little on repairs.

consider yourself incredibly lucky.

> > but not for others.
>
> That's their call. I'm not interested.

nobody said you had to be.

> > newer vehicles have airbags, anti-lock brakes, traction control,
> > attention alert, lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control,
> > collision avoidance radar and limited autonomy. when full autonomy
> > becomes common, they'll be even safer.
>
> I don't care about any of those features, and having worked in the
> computer industry since the 1970s do not have the blind faith in
> technology rampant amongst many people, particularly the young. I will
> not be buying into any of it.

autonomous vehicles will be *much* safer than any human driver could
ever hope to be, which sadly is not that difficult to do. more than 35k
people die every year in the usa alone, many more worldwide. that's
roughly 100 people per *day* and nobody gives a ****.

> > you can, but there's no good reason to do so.
>
> You keep saying that. You are wrong.

what i've said is not wrong. at some point, it becomes not worth fixing.

insurance companies refer to it as totaled.

> > at some point, the cost to repair and maintain it is more than the
> > value of the vehicle, at which point replacement is a better choice.
>
> I have not reached that point in 40 years. If it does occur I'll be satisfied
> that I have gotten the full value of the vehicle and would look for another
> old car to replace it.

unless it's a classic, a 40 year old vehicle is worth almost nothing,
which means even a relatively minor repair is not cost-effective.

if it is a classic, it won't be driven as a daily driver, especially if
it's registered as such because that class of registration normally has
significant limits.

> The problem here is that I have the experience of driving a decades-old
> vehicle and you do not, yet you persist in dicating to me what it is
> like to do so.

multiple incorrect assumptions.