Bob's Notes And Photos From The LA Auto Show

[spdickey]

Originally Posted by lessismore

Thanks, Bob, for your great pictures and well-thought out comments. Was there a Cabrio there? Wondering how smoothly and easily the top opens and closes.

Very easy, push the switch on the center console to first slide it to the back of the car. Then another push folds it down about halfway. You can do it at any speed. Removing the rails on each side is easy, push the lever and lift off. They store in a compartment in the tailgate.

[lhoboy]

Originally Posted by BobDiaz

After 10 years the cost of repairs starts to increase to a point where if one continues using the car, the remaining years will see endless expensive repairs. That point will vary from car to car, so it's hard to say exactly when it's best to dump an older car, 10 years, 12 years, 15 years ...

Bob,
Outstanding LA Show report and photos. Thank you very much.

Regarding time of ownership, you are "dead-on". My wife's Acura Legend is hitting 19 years, and annual repairs are still averaging less than a monthly loan installment for a similar new vehicle.

[spdickey]

Originally Posted by lhoboy

My wife's Acura Legend is hitting 19 years, and annual repairs are still averaging less than a monthly loan installment for a similar new vehicle.

Many consumer reports have said that the cheapest transportation is keeping the car you have until the wheels fall off.

You will never make it up in gas money buying a new car.

But that means I'm not due for a new car until my 1999 car turns 20, has 250,000+ miles on it and the seat leather has warn through all the duct tape. No fun at all!

[BobDiaz]

It's varies widely when a can should be replaced. My Ford Maverick starting falling apart left and right after 12 years. However, my wife's Ford Pinto held together for 19 years and it would have been longer, but we started having trouble getting parts for it.

Here in Southern California we just don't get snow in the LA area, but I've been to cities where there's snow in the winter and the roads were salted. It sure eats up the cars. Because I don't live where there's snow in winter, I don't know if roads are still salted or not. If the roads still are, I'm sure that the salt tears up the cars.

When you think about it, there are so many variables that impact the life of a car...

Bob Diaz

[jwight]

Bob,

Thanks for photos and info - great! The photo of the rear door compartment is interesting; thought I saw one that had some kind of insert for keeping things in place? If not, it's an aftermarket opportunity waiting for somebody.

[mfoster]

jwight, the rear door compartment you saw was most likely the cabrio where the rails above the door are placed.

[lhoboy]

Originally Posted by BobDiaz

Here in Southern California we just don't get snow in the LA area, but I've been to cities where there's snow in the winter and the roads were salted. It sure eats up the cars. Because I don't live where there's snow in winter, I don't know if roads are still salted or not. If the roads still are, I'm sure that the salt tears up the cars.

When you think about it, there are so many variables that impact the life of a car...

Bob Diaz

Even with rust damage there are alternatives to consider other than trashing the car. We had the Acura in MN and IL early in its life, and had serious serious rear fender rusting at year 14 (now 19). We decided to pay the full blue book value ($5000) of the car to replace the fenders at that time, and a year later $600 to replace the driver side leather upholstery. Mechanically it was (and still is) in perfect condition. Though our sanity was questioned by the body shop, replacing the car with something of similar caliber would have cost over $40k.

As you say, lots of factors can and should be considered when determining the useful life of a car as long as they are not substantial polluters (pre-1975).

[jwight]

Originally Posted by mfoster

jwight, the rear door compartment you saw was most likely the cabrio where the rails above the door are placed.

Probably right; I'd still like some kind of insert back there to make storing things more practical (and less rattling around.) Maybe some sort of foam insert or something similar?

[Fredvon4]

jwright

I am thinking along the lines of getting the foam inserts out of relatively cheap tool or instrument cases from a place like harbor freight

I got a small scale one 11"wx14"lx7"h for 9.99 to put all my telescope lenses in...it came pre cut for round things...else when unused the foam is top and bottom solid....

Don't know yet who has them with shapes pre cut like we would prefer for automotive stuff but I bet they are out there in some form that can be adapted....

Of course we could just hit a hobby shop for the right sized foam insert and a hot wire tool to carve our own insert spaces...

[Old smart]

Just buy a small sheet of upholstery foam of the right thickness from an upholsterer.