Inexpensive Used Car Parts, the Secret to Keeping an Older Car Running
The recession may have been bad for new car sales but it has certainly helped the used car industry as buyers who might have purchased a shiny new model turned to what we euphemistically call "pre-owned" vehicles. At the same time, people began to consider whether it may be wiser to keep the car they now have. And why not? Automobiles are better built than they once were and can, with proper care, last a quarter-million miles or more. Frankly, I've sometimes thought it would be more fun to keep an old car running than to buy or lease a vehicle that loses its value the moment it leaves the showroom. Or as a friend once said to me when I was ruminating about making some unnecessary change, "learn to love what you already have." Great advice.
Of course, to keep a vehicle in proper condition invariably means buying parts and that can be a conundrum to many people, who aren't sure where to turn or even whether parts are available for a much older automobile or, for that matter, whether they can afford the cost. But here's the secret: You don't have to buy new. There are countless used car parts sitting in the nation's premier salvage yards that are perfectly good and can be purchased for a fraction of the cost of a new one. Ah, but how to find them? Whether you're an individual owner, a body shop, a garage, or an insurance estimator you can hardly phone every yard in the country. Thanks to the magic of the Internet, however, it is now possible to let the Web do the work.
I've no desire to keep you from buying a new vehicle when it makes sense to do so, but there are plenty of good reasons to "learn to love what you already have" as my friend suggested. They range from an emotional attachment to saving money to the advantages of having a second car. Whatever the rationale, don't let the price or availability of parts concern you. And what the heck, once a car reaches a certain age it becomes a collector vehicle and you can begin to have fun by joining a club and participating in events. As with people, growing old does have its advantages.
[Photo: Philip Powell]
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