Hammer Time: The Ultimate Keeper

"Steven Lang" (StevenLang)
01/05/2015 at 11:34 • Filed to: None

38 years... 360,000+ miles... and only $75?

There are people who keep their daily driver for a while. And then you have those who really keep it for the long haul.

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

Bob Sportel has been one of those ultimate keepers.

He bought this 1957 Chevy truck with 19 years of Minnesota rust on it for all of $75 back in 1976.

Originally, like a true frugal soul, he offered only $50 for this farmer's truck. But like a lot of car buyers at my dealership, he decided to haggle and found himself the new owner for what would now be a $311 truck in today's dollars.

Then he decided to make it last for quite a while.

Duct tape for the seats. Bondo nearly everywhere else. Any type of metal screw or bolt that could help keep the rest of this Eisenhower-era truck structurally intact. He made it happen. For 38 years Bob used the truck as his commuter for what was then, in 1976, his new job.

Now 38 years later he's retired from that same job, but his truck is still kicking, and there are a lot of things that helped get em' there.

Despite an inoperable odometer for all that time, Bob had his oil changed every three months, and when it came to !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , Bob's truck was as spartan and battle-tested as a Sherman tank.

No radio. No sensors. No transmission designed to take a mythical lifetime fluid or an engine that requires specialized software to troubleshoot problems.

Bob was a keeper in every sense of the word. So what about you? Could you imagine yourself keeping a car or truck for 38 years and counting? I know If I hadn't become a car dealer over a decade ago, I would have been more of a keeper than a trader. But what about you? Do you consider yourself a keeper, or a trader.

And if you were a keeper, what would you buy for keeps out of your own money? Think hard, because when it comes to longevity, lots of bells and whistles aren't always a right answer.

DISCUSSION (13)

CalzoneGolem > Steven Lang
01/05/2015 at 11:43

I'm a keeper but not so extreme as this guy. Going to see how long I can keep my Taurus running.

Steven Lang > CalzoneGolem
01/05/2015 at 12:08

I think this guy is indeed the 1% of the 1% of the 1%.

Maybe even the 1% of that number as well. I think that comes out to 1 in 100 million people. Although if he were in Brazil or Australia, where they keep vehicles for a while, he would be a 1 in 100,000 car owner.

Either way, my hats off to em'.

E92M3 > Steven Lang
01/05/2015 at 12:30

That's a lonnnggg time. I would wanted a radio eventually.

Steven Lang > E92M3
01/05/2015 at 13:40

When we were poor, my wife nanaged to get a radio for her car by taking mini boombox with her.

It was the perfect $5 upgrade for a $500 car.

Battles > Steven Lang
01/05/2015 at 13:53

There's a great Scottish phrase that describes guys like this - Tighter than two coats of paint...
And when a Scotsman (which I am) says you're unreasonably tight and reluctant to spend money (which I am) then you have gone too far.

E92M3 > Steven Lang
01/05/2015 at 14:54

Haha. My sisters first car was a 65 Falcon. She too had a boom box just so she could hear FM and play cassettes. I remember her buying D batteries every week for the thing.

Lee Wilcox > Steven Lang
01/05/2015 at 16:56

I have a 57 chevy (2 door wagon/Handyman Special) that I bought in 1971 for $500. I kept it in good shape and did a rebuild for a lot of stuff in about y2k. Daily driver till about 2007 when $4 gas parked it. Not needing to drive so many miles now so have started back to work on it and will be driving it again this year if all goes well.

Steven Lang > Lee Wilcox
01/05/2015 at 19:12

Please post some pics and videos when you do. I would love to see it.

bdinger > Steven Lang
01/05/2015 at 20:22

I'm headed that way. My 1999 F-150 is equipped exactly with what I'd ever want as the ideal equipment: limited slip axles, 4x4, 4.6, tow package, 17in wheels, sliding rear window, extended cab, and the XLT trim level with buckets and an actual console.

It has 220,600 miles on it and I just put a new set of nice A/T (cooper discoverer at3) tires on it and rancho shocks. It always gets Mobil 1 and K&N filters. When it hits 250,000 I think I'll get something else for driving to work but can't imagine replacing it as seriously - it's the last of a breed. After that were the Triton motors with cam phaser and plug issues, then the new ones that have computerized everything.

I sold a 2003 Dakota quad cab with super low miles when I bought it as it got terrible mileage and I never really felt it. Awesome truck but just not me.

I've not had a car payment since 1999 and don't ever want another one.

JimJamJollop > E92M3
01/05/2015 at 21:04

In a slight update to this, I bought my sister a bluetooth speaker (JBL Flip) that fits the cup holders of her new-to-her 11 year old euro market "hatchback of Notre Dame" Toyota Yaris Verso ...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Ya… (and you thought I was exaggerating)

Best part is, it gives her hands free speakerphone.

I doubt it plays anything but the soundtrack to Frozen for my nieces.

Kevin Rhodes > Steven Lang
01/22/2015 at 13:56

So for 38 years this guy drove around in a piece of shit beat up old truck. Swilling gas and pollutants in nearly equal measure. Sitting on duct tape. Yeah, uh, no thanks.

I've owned my '74 Triumph Spitfire for 19 years, but it is pretty, fun to drive, and I drive it ~1000 miles a year these days. I do plan to keep my '11 BMW wagon for a very long time - if you can afford to buy one new you can certainly afford to fix anything that breaks. Not that I am expecting any major dilemmas on a lightly-optioned 328i.

seth1065 > Kevin Rhodes
01/22/2015 at 22:05

Gotta agree I tend to drive a lot about 30K a year so my cars tend to come and go pretty quickly, I have had plenty of company cars and know they just right me a check rather than give my a set of keys, but I am pretty sure I would get bored pretty quick using the same car as a DD, I think the most seat time in a DD has been three years and it is the car I have now , TDI Jetta wagon, I love the idea of no payments so maybe I will hold on to this one a while but not 38 years, no thanks but hey more power to him.

Kevin Rhodes > seth1065
01/22/2015 at 22:42

The secret to not getting bored is having lots of cars. I have four. The Spitfire and BMW wagon are keepers, plus I have an old Range Rover and a Fiat Abarth that is getting replaced by a BMW M235i. Plus I drive rentals 150 days a year because I travel for a living. Hertz treats me well, so I usually get something fairly nice as an upgrade. Keeps it fresh. And not too many miles on any of my own cars.