TornadoRed said:
......My Golf was paid off last summer, and it would be great to get another 13 years of service from it -- without payments.
I made my last payment in Septembre 2007. I figured that as long as the car does not cost me more in repairs per month then a new car payment it will be worth owning. What worried me is down time, like last Decembre and a rack'n pinion leaking a litre of PS fluide every 20 miles.
That killed me. The upside was replacing it with an
Audi TT Quick Ratio Rack, brand new - not a rebuilt with tie rods attached [long rack] for under USD$400.00 when all the local dealerships wanted USD$850 for a short rebuilt VAG rack [no tierod ends]. Evidently VAG doesn't offer any new racks for some time now. All their over the counter stock is china refabs.
I'm getting off track. The upside to owning a car paid off is an ability to cross ones fingers while using these resources off the tdiclub as a safety net.
Dunno, if this makes cents ...ummm sense.
BrianCT