I went down this road because the quality mechanics around here started dying off and retiring. The ones that are left are just as likely to damage the vehicle as they are to fix it. It's quite a commitment to learn how to maintain and repair your own car and sometimes I wonder if my time could be better spent elsewhere. After watching my friend's struggles with his Gen1 Tesla and knowing the succeeding generations were even worse I'm a lot less regretful of all those hours I spent in the garage. The environmental and health costs of using so many chemicals are another story though.
My preference is to go a different direction and break the dependence on cars altogether. I only drive mine a couple times a month when I have a specific need. Otherwise, I go by bike. I can't say for sure that I would even replace my car if it died. If I *need* a car or truck, I can go over and rent one for like $20/day at U-Haul for local use. Just with the gas, maintenance, and cost of insurance and registration, I would have to do it several times a month to just match the monthly costs of my car, totally ignoring the purchase price. For the odd bits, just call an uber or pay for delivery and you can still come out ahead.
I commuted to work for years by bike. It didn't take much more time than driving my car. It also built my exercise regime into my life instead of having to allocate separate time for it. Inclement weather? Wear a coat. Hot weather? It's not as hot as getting into a car that is 130F or more from sitting out in the sun all day. Flat tire? It is a lot easier and faster to fix a flat on a bike than on a car. Need different clothes for work? They make really nice suit bags that fit on a bike. Change when you get there. Worried about being stinky and sweaty? You are doing it wrong. Start earlier and take it easy.
Even if you are in mind of longer trips, there is a whole ecosystem of bicycle touring. It's not just all the lycra clad crowd. They have really cool ones like going and hitting vineyards and restaurants. People do bikepacking tours and pack along tents and sleeping bags. But even if you don't like roughing it, you can just stop at a hotel for the night. If you live somewhere that has trains, you can do a mixed trip where you mix bicycling and rail travel.
Yes, it takes longer, but it also opens up an entirely different world.
I’ve always liked bikes. I have a couple of very sweet rides. Still, I think the larger issue is freedom of choice. As long as nobody reasons they have the right to force their self-described superiority down others throats I don’t care what anyone’s mode of transportation is. Life’s short. Make choices. Live free. Be happy.
You mean “manufactured” shortages I hope. I lived through the “don’t be fuelish” propaganda. The crying Indian…er, I mean Italian actor. Only the most naive buy into their games. Bikes are great. But weather, distance, rider health, and passenger/luggage capacity is limited. For real autonomy throw the bike into the back of an old pickup truck.
I have an old pickup truck, a 1997 Ranger with manual and 4 banger, but it only runs if it has gasoline, and I really only use it as a truck, mostly in cooler weather, as the AC can't be fixed reasonably.
I was 26, and starting my third year of med school before I owned my first car. I never had the money, not even for a bicycle until I was most of the way through college, working and walking.
I keep my "rider health" up by riding an hour or more most days.
My parents never owned a car a day in their lives. Every appliance I grew up with lasted until after I moved out.
My mom sewed her own clothes and my dad wore the same navy blue work clothes and boots every day.
Almost never went out to eat, and never traveled on vacation.
Everything spare dime was used to put food on the table and keep myself and brothers in nice clothes.
I know what it’s like to live green. Dirty little secret, it sucks. It’s only a novelty and a mission to those who see it as quaint and virtuous. A hobby to show off.
You know what doesn’t suck? Picking yourself up by your bootstraps and working your ass off so you can enjoy living in a manner Al Gore and Klaus Schwab say from their ivory towers is wrong, and Obama can say, I didn’t build that.
Suggesting that I benefited from the secret white privilege handshake. Wink-wink. They can all KMA. I’m living well. Unashamedly so.
I’m glad you went to med school and made something of yourself too despite the way they’ve bastardized the profession.
As far as a freedom vehicle goes it might be wise to go farther back. Mechanical ’points’ distributor, contactor voltage regulator, alternator or generator and separate ignition coil. Zero computers/electronics.
Gasoline supply. Jerry cans filled with real non-ethanol gasoline.
Funny, for all the talk of EVs in my city they’re building new gas stations on every available corner.
Hey, I've got a friend in Alpine, and also a 1997 Ford Ranger with 4 banger (Pinto motor), manual transmission and no AC.
I got it from friends for $2400 in 2018, and put $2600 into right away. I don't use it much in the summer, but landscape and gardening projects are winter work in central Texas, anyway.
Most days I bicycle, but we have a 2007 Fit and a 2009 Matrix, too.
Hey Doc -- Nice to read you and yes, Alpine is great! Your Ranger is a perfect work truck, with a bed that is not so high that it requires a ladder to use. (Try hoisting a bale of hay into any of these new trucks!) I had a 1974 Ford Courier for several years and it was just the best truck ever, though almost all of them (and similar Datsuns, Mazdas, Toyotas, Chevy LUVs) from the era have disappeared. In that vein, a lot of folks lament not being able to buy a small, affordable pickup like in the old days. There's a good reason for it, if you're interested: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azI3nqrHEXM
Beyond this, your Fit and Matrix are both super cars -- from a reliability and efficiency standpoint. Still a lot of electronics, but considering the marques and their reputations, they are unlikely to require much beyond diligent regular maintenance. Also, they produced a gazillion of them, so keeping them running over the long haul should be a cinch.
We here at CL concede that bicycles have their place and for those who can make them work for their everyday lives, that's great. Many, sadly, cannot. One colleague here suggests that mass adoption of bicycles is the harbinger of de-industrialization -- he asks: how many in China want to go back to riding a bike? Probably not many. The best part about biking is, if you cheat by having an extra piece of pie or sneak a few more Girl Scout cookies, you can keep off the telltale signs. So there's always that!
Just subscribed to your Stack! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for subscribing. I'm honored. Bikes are really efficient and good for local transport, like commuting. It can be a problem to do light shopping if there is no good rack to secure your bike...
Both the Fit and Matrix have about a quarter of a million miles. I got a Vibe (Matrix) over 300k a few years ago and gave it to a nephew, who ran it out of coolant. Our mechanic friend got it running again and drove it until he got t-boned by an Audi last year.
The cylinder walls are gas-nitrided, really hard, and will last forever if you keep them in good oil.
The Honda had a lot of electrical sensor codes, and took over a year of work to get all of the codes to go off. Now we have it registered at our rural address. It runs nicely, and we use it for highway miles.
We'll see how the collapse plays out. I learned about The Limits To Growth in 10th grade Sociology class in Yokohama in 1974. The timeline is tracking pretty close to predictions, as I see it.
Awesome! You'll double that mileage on both cars, no problem. Sounds like you're the kind of guy who looks after things, which is a very important part of reducing wanton consumption and waste.
In case you haven't thought of it, you may want to consider something with more ground clearance and 4x4 in the case of extreme situations. I hate to give away our personal search parameters here at CL, but we have a 1st Gen Nissan Pathfinder in our sights, or else an Isuzu Trooper, Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero... the latter two being slightly more problematic for parts and service. The ultimate is, of course, a Land Cruiser but somehow this addled world has them valued at tens of thousands of dollars more than any of the 'less desirable' (but no less competent) off-roaders already mentioned. The search continues...
Yes - let's see how all of this plays out. Predictions are less important than preparations, I suspect.
I'm just looking at practical highway miles for cheap. We have our homestead in place in the Texas coastal plains, in a town of 6000, with an HEB and a rail line, and cattle, and fracking nearby, but not directly beneath.
It seems to me that fuel and electricity limitations will hit fairly early in a serious crisis, so ground clearance is not a high consideration.
I'm interested in being in a safe(ish) place. It is a little under 100 miles from our rented place in Austin to our homestead in Yoakum.
To take it a step further, if "they" don't like you and your politics they will simply shut your car off. Enjoy the walk.
Exactly.
They could make it accelerate uncontrollably while you are driving.
That supposedly works, too. ;-(
I went down this road because the quality mechanics around here started dying off and retiring. The ones that are left are just as likely to damage the vehicle as they are to fix it. It's quite a commitment to learn how to maintain and repair your own car and sometimes I wonder if my time could be better spent elsewhere. After watching my friend's struggles with his Gen1 Tesla and knowing the succeeding generations were even worse I'm a lot less regretful of all those hours I spent in the garage. The environmental and health costs of using so many chemicals are another story though.
My preference is to go a different direction and break the dependence on cars altogether. I only drive mine a couple times a month when I have a specific need. Otherwise, I go by bike. I can't say for sure that I would even replace my car if it died. If I *need* a car or truck, I can go over and rent one for like $20/day at U-Haul for local use. Just with the gas, maintenance, and cost of insurance and registration, I would have to do it several times a month to just match the monthly costs of my car, totally ignoring the purchase price. For the odd bits, just call an uber or pay for delivery and you can still come out ahead.
I commuted to work for years by bike. It didn't take much more time than driving my car. It also built my exercise regime into my life instead of having to allocate separate time for it. Inclement weather? Wear a coat. Hot weather? It's not as hot as getting into a car that is 130F or more from sitting out in the sun all day. Flat tire? It is a lot easier and faster to fix a flat on a bike than on a car. Need different clothes for work? They make really nice suit bags that fit on a bike. Change when you get there. Worried about being stinky and sweaty? You are doing it wrong. Start earlier and take it easy.
Even if you are in mind of longer trips, there is a whole ecosystem of bicycle touring. It's not just all the lycra clad crowd. They have really cool ones like going and hitting vineyards and restaurants. People do bikepacking tours and pack along tents and sleeping bags. But even if you don't like roughing it, you can just stop at a hotel for the night. If you live somewhere that has trains, you can do a mixed trip where you mix bicycling and rail travel.
Yes, it takes longer, but it also opens up an entirely different world.
Right On. Me too. I have a commuter-fixie that I ride almost daily, even though I got fired for vaccine refusal in October 2021, so I'm not "commuting". https://www.johndayblog.com/2021/10/go-down-gardening.html
:-)
I’ve always liked bikes. I have a couple of very sweet rides. Still, I think the larger issue is freedom of choice. As long as nobody reasons they have the right to force their self-described superiority down others throats I don’t care what anyone’s mode of transportation is. Life’s short. Make choices. Live free. Be happy.
One has autonomy on a bike, even if there are gas shortages, like the 1970s, but you have to maintain your ability.
You mean “manufactured” shortages I hope. I lived through the “don’t be fuelish” propaganda. The crying Indian…er, I mean Italian actor. Only the most naive buy into their games. Bikes are great. But weather, distance, rider health, and passenger/luggage capacity is limited. For real autonomy throw the bike into the back of an old pickup truck.
I have an old pickup truck, a 1997 Ranger with manual and 4 banger, but it only runs if it has gasoline, and I really only use it as a truck, mostly in cooler weather, as the AC can't be fixed reasonably.
I was 26, and starting my third year of med school before I owned my first car. I never had the money, not even for a bicycle until I was most of the way through college, working and walking.
I keep my "rider health" up by riding an hour or more most days.
Dangerous drivers are a lot worse than distance.
:-)
My parents never owned a car a day in their lives. Every appliance I grew up with lasted until after I moved out.
My mom sewed her own clothes and my dad wore the same navy blue work clothes and boots every day.
Almost never went out to eat, and never traveled on vacation.
Everything spare dime was used to put food on the table and keep myself and brothers in nice clothes.
I know what it’s like to live green. Dirty little secret, it sucks. It’s only a novelty and a mission to those who see it as quaint and virtuous. A hobby to show off.
You know what doesn’t suck? Picking yourself up by your bootstraps and working your ass off so you can enjoy living in a manner Al Gore and Klaus Schwab say from their ivory towers is wrong, and Obama can say, I didn’t build that.
Suggesting that I benefited from the secret white privilege handshake. Wink-wink. They can all KMA. I’m living well. Unashamedly so.
I’m glad you went to med school and made something of yourself too despite the way they’ve bastardized the profession.
As far as a freedom vehicle goes it might be wise to go farther back. Mechanical ’points’ distributor, contactor voltage regulator, alternator or generator and separate ignition coil. Zero computers/electronics.
Gasoline supply. Jerry cans filled with real non-ethanol gasoline.
Funny, for all the talk of EVs in my city they’re building new gas stations on every available corner.
Funny old world izzinit?
Hey, I've got a friend in Alpine, and also a 1997 Ford Ranger with 4 banger (Pinto motor), manual transmission and no AC.
I got it from friends for $2400 in 2018, and put $2600 into right away. I don't use it much in the summer, but landscape and gardening projects are winter work in central Texas, anyway.
Most days I bicycle, but we have a 2007 Fit and a 2009 Matrix, too.
Prep green & friendly
drjohnsblog.substack.com
Hey Doc -- Nice to read you and yes, Alpine is great! Your Ranger is a perfect work truck, with a bed that is not so high that it requires a ladder to use. (Try hoisting a bale of hay into any of these new trucks!) I had a 1974 Ford Courier for several years and it was just the best truck ever, though almost all of them (and similar Datsuns, Mazdas, Toyotas, Chevy LUVs) from the era have disappeared. In that vein, a lot of folks lament not being able to buy a small, affordable pickup like in the old days. There's a good reason for it, if you're interested: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azI3nqrHEXM
Beyond this, your Fit and Matrix are both super cars -- from a reliability and efficiency standpoint. Still a lot of electronics, but considering the marques and their reputations, they are unlikely to require much beyond diligent regular maintenance. Also, they produced a gazillion of them, so keeping them running over the long haul should be a cinch.
We here at CL concede that bicycles have their place and for those who can make them work for their everyday lives, that's great. Many, sadly, cannot. One colleague here suggests that mass adoption of bicycles is the harbinger of de-industrialization -- he asks: how many in China want to go back to riding a bike? Probably not many. The best part about biking is, if you cheat by having an extra piece of pie or sneak a few more Girl Scout cookies, you can keep off the telltale signs. So there's always that!
Just subscribed to your Stack! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for subscribing. I'm honored. Bikes are really efficient and good for local transport, like commuting. It can be a problem to do light shopping if there is no good rack to secure your bike...
Both the Fit and Matrix have about a quarter of a million miles. I got a Vibe (Matrix) over 300k a few years ago and gave it to a nephew, who ran it out of coolant. Our mechanic friend got it running again and drove it until he got t-boned by an Audi last year.
The cylinder walls are gas-nitrided, really hard, and will last forever if you keep them in good oil.
The Honda had a lot of electrical sensor codes, and took over a year of work to get all of the codes to go off. Now we have it registered at our rural address. It runs nicely, and we use it for highway miles.
We'll see how the collapse plays out. I learned about The Limits To Growth in 10th grade Sociology class in Yokohama in 1974. The timeline is tracking pretty close to predictions, as I see it.
Awesome! You'll double that mileage on both cars, no problem. Sounds like you're the kind of guy who looks after things, which is a very important part of reducing wanton consumption and waste.
In case you haven't thought of it, you may want to consider something with more ground clearance and 4x4 in the case of extreme situations. I hate to give away our personal search parameters here at CL, but we have a 1st Gen Nissan Pathfinder in our sights, or else an Isuzu Trooper, Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero... the latter two being slightly more problematic for parts and service. The ultimate is, of course, a Land Cruiser but somehow this addled world has them valued at tens of thousands of dollars more than any of the 'less desirable' (but no less competent) off-roaders already mentioned. The search continues...
Yes - let's see how all of this plays out. Predictions are less important than preparations, I suspect.
I'm just looking at practical highway miles for cheap. We have our homestead in place in the Texas coastal plains, in a town of 6000, with an HEB and a rail line, and cattle, and fracking nearby, but not directly beneath.
It seems to me that fuel and electricity limitations will hit fairly early in a serious crisis, so ground clearance is not a high consideration.
I'm interested in being in a safe(ish) place. It is a little under 100 miles from our rented place in Austin to our homestead in Yoakum.