I finally hit 300,000 miles in my pickup!!!

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

Well, I officially hit 300,000 miles in my 1998 Nissan Frontier. Now the question is, do I get a new car, or keep on going? I don't think I could get rid of it now as it probably has little book value ( and I am really attached to it after 10 years), but it's still a really good vehicle with a few minor issues I need to tend to ( TC rod bushings, 1 ball joint, steering box, A/C compressor clutch, 2 bad dash bulbs). I did a little work to it after I hit the milestone, and now it runs like new again, shifts perfectly, and seems to have picked up more gas mileage. I am hoping for it to be back to 24mpg city again as the 20 it was getting was killing me. So, what to do? ( And yes, I know I agonize over this a bit too much)

If I keep driving it, I will start saving money for a down payment on a new car should it finally die.

If I replace it, I would probably go for a Honda Fit, a car I am not in love with, but that meets the practical needs of the moment. Right now I am doing community college then university while delivering pizza, and fuel efficiency and reliability are my keys to breaking free from a life of meaningless jobs.

If I buy a new car and keep it, it will come off the road and go in my back yard to save me money on insurance. I just hope code enforcement does not fine me for an unused vehicle and make me get rid of it like they did my 1973 AMC Javelin AMX.

None of the scenarios require me getting rid of my Cutlass, but I will be sacrificing my first car ( I have had it for 19 years), a 1979 AMC Spirit which takes up too much space. I have not wanted it in years and will be happy to be rid of it to give the Olds the garage space. The Olds will also come off the road to permit me to save the insurance money ($100 a month) and concentrate on school.

 

[crappycutlass]

i would keep it... who knows... you could go another 300 with out any serious issues... AND its paid for.. so.. who cares..

 

[78mali350]

i vote on keepin it in the back yard. or why don't you put it where your cutlass is now? behind the garage? if they are both not going to be driven just put them at the top of the driveway

 

[itsnotanova]

Do you ever get people offering to buy it? My Brother in law has a Hardbody pickup and he gets offers on a daily basis and it's beat to hell. If you sell it you might get more than you would expect. This isn't meant to be a racist comment, but here in Texas, Mexicans/ Central Americans go crazy for nissan pickups. Put it on Ebay and see what happens.

 

[2000.malibu.ls]

thats too stock for me lol. I would never own a "fit", idk why, well for one the name is just gay lol! just reminds me of the "wii" (another thing I hate)
I like nissans, does nissan have a sub-compact car?

 

[Uncletruck]

Congrats on the Nissan- that really is a testament to their quality and the care you have given it. You can probably keep it going much longer:

A few weeks ago I saw this beat the hell up early 90's Honda Accord pulled in to a parking spot at an Erie strip mall. It was all covered with signs and stickers and whatnot saying, "the one million plus mile car." (Along with Grateful Dead and Korn stickers) By the looks of it, it had to be true. I waited to see who the owner was, and hear how it ran. Just a guy with a mullet and goatee got in it. When he started it, I never saw such thick smoke pour from the tailpipe of a car, and it sounded absolutely hideous, it reminded me of a 70's era Detroit 8V92 diesel. But it ran and he was quite proud of his accomplishment. Just goes to show how long a car can really last- if you are not to embarassed to drive it and don't mind putting more oil than gas in it 😀

-UT-

 

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

The funny thing is, it only needs a quart of oil every 3,000 miles. I think it's because the oil pan gasket needs replacing, and that the crank seals have 80k on them, so they are starting to seep too. It has 185psi compression on all 4 cylinders, and the oil pressure is in spec too (Go Mobil One!!!). It also has no rust to speak of, and I paint the frame every year or two to keep it that way. It gets inspected inside and out on a fairly regular basis to find faults before they become real issues. The engine is kept clean to keep oil and grease from destroying the wiring and rubber parts, and also to make it easier to spot problems before they become major issues. There are a few things that scare me though. It has had the "KA timing chain death rattle" on start up for the last 175k miles, so it needs a pair of timing chains, tensioners, sprockets, and guides-at a cost of $500 for the parts. It also needs a valve adjustment, which is $160 in parts. I honestly don't want to put the money in a 300k mile engine, and don't have the time to fix it either with school and work. I'm on the look out for another KA24DE from a D22 Frontier like mine, but they NEVER show up in the U Pull It yards down here. Rust is the only thing that kills Nissan and Toyota pickups ( the old ones at least) and they simply don't rust in Florida. I have to find out if the KA from a 240sx will fit it though ( there are differences), and try to find a good one. If I do, I'll rebuild it and put it aside for the day when ( if?) it dies.

As for offers to buy it, I have had a few. A month ago, I walked out and found a note on it offering to buy it. The same week, a co worker of mine wanted to buy it from me too. Then there was the used car dealer I delivered to who was quite insistent on buying it, or trading for it. He asked me to name what I wanted because he "Had to have it!!!" I told him that I would trade it for a 1987 Grand National! Of course, the answer was no, but it did shut him up!

As for where to keep it, the Cutlass is in the driveway now, so it has to be tagged. It also won't fit in my backyard past the neighbor's fence and the corner of my house, but the truck will. Both of my side neighbors have fences, but my back neighbor does not. So, I would add the missing section and a pair of gates to keep out prying eyes. I probably will fix it's minor issues for now and save for a car later. I may wait 6 months to a year to see what comes out that "fits" me better than a Fit, but will still deliver Honda like reliability.

In a way, I really just want a new car again, but am scared that whatever I buy will never measure up to the Frontier's reliability, which I credit with helping me to get back on my feet financially since it almost never needs work. As for Nissan's small car, it's the Versa. It's bigger than the Fit and 4-5mpg worse on gas, or about $100 a month. It has French origins in the Renault Clio and Modus, so I don't trust it. I don't like any Nissans since Renault took over. About the only exception is the Tsuru, but it is South American only. It's basically a 91-94 US Sentra ( B13 Chassis) with a cheap $7500 price tag. The Tsuru replaced the VW Beetle as the #1 selling car in Mexico after the VW left production, and if anything is even more robust than the Nazi wonder car. Most people don't know it but when the B13 Sentra was designed, it was meant to be retro. It's designer I believe was Teruci Uchino, and he was a big fan of the Datsun PL510. If you put the two side by side, the dimensions and lines match pretty closely.

 

[Coveted]

OCD

 

[85_SS]

I would vote to keep it until it dies or starts costing you big money. Parking a vehicle usually doesn't do it any good - it may cause all sorts of grief when you pull it back out again.

If you can get a decent buck, and mileage is a concern (like everyone these days), then sell it and get a nice used small car. I personally would never purchase a new car, it's like throwing money out the window... huge money these days for what even little junker cars cost. A well maintained, lower mileage used vehicle makes so much more sense - let someone else lose their shirt on the resale 8)

 

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

Well, yes and no on sitting. My Cutlass has sat for years, but still drives fine whenever I need it. If I do park the truck, it will get started and driven back and forth every week or two to keep it from going stale. I may keep it tagged with cheaper insurance so that I can use it to go to the Home Depot, or town dump every now and then. It all depends on costs. If I do get a new car now, it probably won't be until spring as I have an accident that drops off my record in January, which should lower my insurance rates. I won't buy a used car simply because I can't afford down time with school. Everything is oriented towards finishing school in 3-4 years, so I will make my decisions based on that. Right now, I barely have time to do an oil change, which is why my Cutlass is sitting unpainted when it is fully prepped.