In praise of the beater.

"factoryhack" (factoryhack) 03/17/2019 at 21:10 • Filed to: None

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I know you’re out there. You can afford a decent  car, in fact you might own several, yet, you own a beater and still drive it frequently.

When “Cash For Clunkers” came out, I was amazed by the families who had solid $150K household incomes and drove crap cans. Well, at least they kept crap cans in the family along with some nicer rides.

There is a decent percentage of people who are conservative to the core and don’t give a rip about what other people think about what they drive. Are you one of them?

I still frequently drive an a ancient 16 year old first generation Jeep Liberty. We have nicer cars, but, the Liberty gets called upon for most of our basic mundane trips. It always starts, has great visibility, insurance is cheap, and I can park it anywhere without worry.

Tell us about your beater. What is it, why do you still drive it, and maybe even love it?

Tristan > factoryhack 03/17/2019 at 21:57

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My newest car is 10 years old, but all of my cars are kept up nicely . I’ve got some maintenance I need to catch up on, sure, but I wouldn’t call them beaters.

That said, most people assume they’re beaters just because they’re old. I loathe that mentality.

However, if my wife weren’t so vehemently opposed to the idea, I’d 11/10 daily a woody box Panther wagon.

GLiddy > factoryhack 03/17/2019 at 22:13

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I bought a car for my kids last year, a 13 year old 5-speed Corolla. Getting them to learn the stick is still an ongoing struggle, but until then I drive the hell out of it. I love driving a stick compared to the lumbering Honda Pilot SUV that replaced the Lexus RX I used to drive. 10 or so years ago, the wife wanting to keep up with the neighbors, complained about wanting to drive ‘nice’ cars, so I relented and bought the Lexus. It was a fine car, but not without its problems. It always drew attention, mostly from panhandlers and the like. I got cursed out by a bum in Miami while driving that car, and heard fake sob stories from women in parking lots who wanted me to give them gas money. When that car was wrecked I purposely went down in prestige to the Honda, hoping to draw less attention, and it did the job, but the mileage and handling was crap.  A few weeks after getting the Honda, I bought the Corolla.  It is missing hubcaps and has a bit of front end damage, and scuffs and scratches.  I feel absolutely at ease parking it anyway, driving it in any part of town, and generally just using it for all tasks that don’t need the bigger Pilot.  I’ll have to let it go in a year or so when the kids finally take it off to school, but I’m going to try to replace it with something else with a stick that isn’t so precious either.  I’m too old to put on airs now, although I can afford to pay cash for almost anything...(ok, no 6-figure cars but shit, I don’t want the headache anway).

atfsgeoff > factoryhack 03/17/2019 at 22:21

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I’ve never owned a vehicle newer than 10 years old at the time of acquisition. I still regularly drive a pre-OBDII truck.

Most people would consider my DD a beater:

Along with my truck:

T hey each cost about about as much to insure/maintain per year as a single monthly payment on a new $40,000 vehicle.

BigBlock440 > factoryhack 03/17/2019 at 22:27

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My newest car is a 2005, or I guess my youngest. My most recent is a 2003. And I wouldn’t hesitate to strike out cross country in any most of the 5 of them. The people that argue that you need to get a loan to buy a decent used car, I’ll nev er understand that mentality.

factoryhack > GLiddy 03/17/2019 at 22:29

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You make a great point . There is a strong case to be made for keeping a low profile and looking humble by choice, even if you could buy whatever you want ( within reason.)

factoryhack > atfsgeoff 03/17/2019 at 22:32

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That's a pretty cool daily driver.

aprtur > factoryhack 03/18/2019 at 00:13

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I daily drive a low mileage 1994 Sentra, and love it for it’s simplicity, both in terms of tech and mechanical construction. It’s honest transportation that’s cheap to run and fun enough to drive. It also allows me to keep my 2009 RX-8 and 2017 Juke Nismo RS in top shape for me to fully enjoy in my time off without breaking the bank. It’s hard to believe I own three cars for the price some pay for one...the “one for every occasion” mantra makes  life a lot less stressful.

pip bip - choose Corrour > factoryhack 03/18/2019 at 04:42

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my one and only car.

2004 Lancer ES 2.0L now with 707k km 

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > factoryhack 03/18/2019 at 07:28

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I own no beaters:

I just love and enjoy older vehicles. I likely treat them with more care and respect than most people with new cars. I love them because they’re cheap to buy/maintain, cheap/easy to modify, fun to drive, efficient.

We could go buy a brand new vehicle today if we wanted, problem is no one makes anything we like. We don’t want to pay for compromises.  

Pickup_man > factoryhack 03/18/2019 at 09:34

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My “beater” is actually my newest and lowest mileage vehicle an ‘06 Cobalt with 120k, which has already had a top end rebuild due to low oil causing a timing chain tensioner failure. The next is my wifes ‘05 Escape at 140k, and then my ‘99 F-150 at 213k. We both make pretty good money and live in an area with a low cost of living so we probably c ould afford something newer, but we’re trying to prioritize student loans and saving for an acreage. So, as long as everything is running good and not a maintenance nightmare we probably wont be getting anything any time soon. 

factoryhack > pip bip - choose Corrour 03/18/2019 at 09:47

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707 km. Wow. That's impressive.

factoryhack > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 03/18/2019 at 09:51

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That’s awesome. Old Mopar minivans are remarkably practical and do seem to last forever if maintained.

factoryhack > Tristan 03/18/2019 at 09:55

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I’m also a fan of the Panther body Crown Vics.  Can’t get my wife to go along with it either .

CaptDale - is secretly British > factoryhack 03/18/2019 at 12:38

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I picked up my first beater car in years. TBH I absolutely love it. 258k miles and was pretty well taken care of. But it’s rough and just oh so good. Does everything I need it to and more.

factoryhack > CaptDale - is secretly British 03/18/2019 at 12:49

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Love it. A l ways a win with the long roof.

CaptDale - is secretly British > factoryhack 03/18/2019 at 13:18

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Thanks. I have been wanting a wagon for a while and I really am surprised how much I love this car. I am also suprised by the size. I doesn’t feel big for all the space and parked even next to a CRV it looks absolutely miniscule.

Benjamin the Canadian > CaptDale - is secretly British 03/21/2019 at 18:01

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Oooh! I came here by chance, and I must say, I love it! My father bought my mother an A6 Avant shortly after I was born, and we called it the “Benmobile”. It was a 1999 A6 Avant Quattro 2.8, Aluminum Silver Metallic with Royal Blue leather. Basically loaded (e verything but the solar sunroof) , we kept the car for around 8 years. Fantastic car, I think we put a bit over 200,000 KM on it before selling it. (It had been bought with very low mileage, I think under 10,000 KM.) They are rare sights these days, at least here. Excellent choice! May the catalytic converter gods have mercy on you, though. 

CaptDale - is secretly British > Benjamin the Canadian 03/21/2019 at 18:25

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That sounds like a very wonderful color combination . I wish this one had a darker interior color cause the gray/tan color is beat and looks pretty bad tbh.

Yeah the cats are not the healthiest on this one, but should be able to pass smog