Vehicular Wisdom needed

[jeepinmatt]

- Have you completely lost interest in going four wheeling? Do you see yourself getting back into the hobby when you have kids?

Not lost interest in 4 wheeling, but too burned out to deal with all the hassle surrounding dragging the jeep places and spending money to keep it in good shape. I'd like to get back into it, but don't see that in the foreseeable future.

 

[jeepinmatt]

I wouldn't sell that TJ, but that is just me. I still have my 86 S-10 Blazer that was my first car and I haven't driven in years. I know I'll regret selling it if I ever did.

My plan from here on out is to make sure my wife has a good vehicle and I'll drive the beaters. Last year we bought a Tahoe as a nice vehicle for me to drive. When Hendrick bought it back from us because it was a POS we started looking for newer diesel trucks for me. Then we thought about how her car has 215k miles on it and how she really should have the reliable vehcle, not me. I bought a 98 3/4 ton Chevy and have no monthly payment for now, so whenever it is time for her to need a vehicle, she can get a nice newer one. If my truck goes down, I have two other registered cars I can drive. If my wife's car goes down, she really doesn't want to be driving a lifted 98 2500 Chevy, a 71 C10, or a 5-spd 89 Formula.

You have worse luck with cars than anyone I know, I don't envy you. I'm in the same boat with wanting to get the wife something nice. She's been driving the ZJ since she got her license, and hasn't complained at all, so I figure its time.

 

[jeepinmatt]

Do you NEED the Duramax? Will a crew cab gasser work? If so, sell the ZJ, Passat, and Duramax and buy a newer crew cab truck. Keep the TJ and use that as your 3rd vehicle.

Need is relative, but cost of ownership is higher in my opinion for a gasser, and my truck is paid for, so not much advantage to getting a newer crewcab gasser. Plus I tow anywhere from 6k-10k pounds a couple times a month, and I like having the ridiculous power of the diesel even when I'm not towing. So yes, I NEED it, haha.

 

[jeepinmatt]

Since you seem to be asking somebody to provide the sensible alternative, here it is:

A 50mi commute is huge. You'd save a lot of gas money by doing that in a car.
You still need a truck.

Thats what I thought too, but 50 miles 20 times a month is 1000 miles a month. Sure there's other driving, but 1000/40=25 gallons in the passat, 1000/17=59 gallons in the truck, and at $4/gal, thats $116 month. If I sell the car for $8000, thats 69 months before I break even, not counting the savings on tax/tag/insurance.

 

[jeepinmatt]

Sell the tj keep the zj. What ever you do don't buy a mini van, I'm not sure I could be friends with you anymore Am I the only person that thinks part of a mans masculinity is lost when they start driving a mini van?

If I've offended anyone please speak up

Hehe, I like your thinking. You can still be my friend, just not on facebook.

 

[jeepinmatt]

Or buy a $200-500 head unit and replace factory stereo with it. Problem solved for MUCH less money.

Also, nothing 10 years old is going to have "all the bells and whistles". If you want bluetooth phone pairing, nav, Pandora, etc, etc, then you need to look at stuff that's <5yrs old.....................You and I are not talking about the same thing. "All the bells and whistles" -- to me -- means that there are buttons on the steering wheel that change the radio station, the volume, and answer the phone. There are displays in the instrument cluster that tell you what station the radio is on, or display CallerID. There are voice activation options that play music on your phone through the car speakers over Bluetooth.

If you buy an Alpine from Wal-Mart, it's still not going to do any of those things.

I guess I should have defined that better. When you're coming from a 95 ZJ Laredo, things like power door locks that work are "bells and whistles". She does want heated seats and steering wheel audio controls (available on all years of 4th gen 4runners), but would also like a backup camera. I've seen 08's and 09's that have navigation and integrated phone, so we are focusing on those years, but that's not a necessity. The newer Kenwood/Alpine/etc head units do have all that functionality thanks to some slick smart phone interfaces, but we're too uncool for that. That's why we live in the woods and don't have cable.

 

[Falko]

I've not had to deal with making decisions based on a wife or kids so my advice on how to configure your vehicles wouldn't be valid, but I can offer some advice on selling the TJ. I kept my first Jeep for waaaay to long, let it lose value while still putting money into it and using it as a driveway cover. I hated selling it, but 5 years later I could not be happier that I did. For me, its been much more enjoyable to make Jeep decisions without the weight of nostalgia ( I've bought 4 and sold 2 of 'em since). I understand what others have said about sellers remorse, it just wasn't the case for me.

Also, It's crazy how similar our fleets are...

 

[Ron]

1- Id sell the TJ. Sounds like you have emotionally made that decision anyway just ahvent pulled the trigger. Get it gone and dont regret it.
2- The ZJ is her DD let it go as well.
3- Sounds like you like the duramax the most and drive it the most. You need a truck. Every guy does. Kep it for now.
4- The VW...I'd sell it.

Id take the money from selling the 3 and put it to more vehicle for her, less payment for yall.

But I am extremely debt averse. You may not mind it as much.

If the truck is dependable and she has a newer dependable vehicle you really dont need a spare....but man I miss my 3rd car. I'll be honest. So maybe keep the ZJ and have it serve rare spare duty...(assuming you can get more for the VW than for the ZJ)

By my guess you could nealry pay for her new ride by selling the VW and the TJ and have a newish wifemobile and your truck wich by your own admission you drive most frequently anyway.

 

[shawn]

Thats what I thought too, but 50 miles 20 times a month is 1000 miles a month. Sure there's other driving, but 1000/40=25 gallons in the passat, 1000/17=59 gallons in the truck, and at $4/gal, thats $116 month. If I sell the car for $8000, thats 69 months before I break even, not counting the savings on tax/tag/insurance.

That seems.... extraordinarily optimistic. My old commute was 16 miles one-way. That's 640 miles/month by your math. I burned 75 gallons of diesel a month, just commuting. The "sure, there's other driving" leaves off a shit-load of running errands on the way to/from, going out to lunch, driving to meetings, etc, etc.

You're also ignoring the difference in maintenance costs between the POSsat and the truck, and the fact that with the mileage on it, the truck could drop a $5k repair bill on you any day. You should be able to beat another 100k out of the VW before it comes completely apart.

It's fine that you're making the decision based on emotional preferences, but you need to be cognizant of it. Don't invent math just to provide a rational basis for your decisions.

 

[CLRracer]

It seems to me that the crux of the whole situation is the emotional value attached to the TJ and the "need" for a truck. First, if you "need" a truck then keep the Duramax. No since selling it and buying something else if it's paid for and works. Plus you already DD it so you are used to the expenses associated with that. Next is the TJ. I still have my first truck so I understand the attachment to a vehicle. But like someone has already said, if the thought of selling it is even on your radar then you are not as attached as you think. Do your soul searching about the TJ. If you can part with it, then I would go with selling it and the VW and buying the wife a new ride and keeping the ZJ as a beater/backup/whatever. If you can't part with the TJ, then I would sell the VW and put that towards the new ride and sell the ZJ and put that towards making the TJ reliable.

Duane

 

[RatLabGuy]

It's fine that you're making the decision based on emotional preferences, but you need to be cognizant of it. Don't invent math just to provide a rational basis for your decisions.

I wonder how many threads we have had where this needed to be repeated...

 

[jeepinmatt]

That seems.... extraordinarily optimistic. My old commute was 16 miles one-way. That's 640 miles/month by your math. I burned 75 gallons of diesel a month, just commuting. The "sure, there's other driving" leaves off a shit-load of running errands on the way to/from, going out to lunch, driving to meetings, etc, etc.

Agreed, but I usually drive the truck for that stuff anyway, which is why I didn't include it. I was figuring 4 weeks in a month, but its probably more like 25 days, 73.5 gallons per month, which makes it $145/month more in fuel, 55 months to breakeven.

You're also ignoring the difference in maintenance costs between the POSsat and the truck, and the fact that with the mileage on it, the truck could drop a $5k repair bill on you any day. You should be able to beat another 100k out of the VW before it comes completely apart.

I work on everything myself, so I can't think of anything that would suddenly cost $5k. I would assume even a complete rebuild of the engine would be less than that, but I've never figured it up. Interestingly enough, the POSsat is sitting in my shop right now because the transmission needs work

It's fine that you're making the decision based on emotional preferences, but you need to be cognizant of it. Don't invent math just to provide a rational basis for your decisions.

While I agree that emotional preferences come into play, "invent math"? Really? I would accept manipulate math to justify a preference, but I'm not doing Common Core here.

 

[jeepinmatt]

Id take the money from selling the 3 and put it to more vehicle for her, less payment for yall.

But I am extremely debt averse. You may not mind it as much.

I'm also pretty debt averse, but we just dropped a chunk of change and paid off our land, so there isn't much extra to go around right now from that pool. Also, by paying off the land, we're going from a $700/month payment to a $300ish/month payment for the 4runner, so we'll be putting more in savings and will certainly end up paying off the 4Runner early too. We'll be saving the $700 from now until we find the one we want, so there may be a decent down payment if I don't get too trigger happy.

 

[jeepinmatt]

I wonder how many threads we have had where this needed to be repeated...

I'm new here, get lost man.

 

[broncosbybart]

I think your sale prices are high but IMHO I'd sell the TJ. I sold my 70 chevelle last year. Had it since I was 15 and vowed to keep it. I miss the idea of it, but I don't miss it. Unlike the TJ, it has gained in value, but like the TJ, I never used it.

I've had my 99 PSD w/ half the miles on it for sale for 11k and few bites. No takers.

Keep the truck and ZJ. Buy her something used but nice and call it a day.

 

[drkelly]

My two cents:

- Sell the TJ
- Sell the GC
- Keep the VW
- Keep the truck since you need it for side work on the w/e's
- Buy the wife what she wants (a happy wife is a happy life)

I will say that I don't understand all the hate towards minivans. I've been DD'ing mine for almost three years, and I love it.

 

[GONOVRIT]

My two cents:

- Buy the wife what she wants (a happy wife is a happy life)

I will say that I don't understand all the hate towards minivans. I've been DD'ing mine for almost three years, and I love it.

NOoooo!!!! Damn it man! I wrote off you not wheeling and being fun anymore to the wife,kid and house build. But alas I see the light at the end of the tunnel is you in a testosterone robbing mini van! Sell that thief of manliness and by a hot rod or show that cummins the love it yearns for. Shit man, how are you going to explain this to your son when he realizes what mini vans stand for? Tell me you don't have a stick family in the back window, please!

An awesome, well explained, long read here;
http://www.andtheylivedhappilyeverafter.com/dont-drive-a-mini-van.html

 

[GONOVRIT]

And to all you people that are saying a 4runner isn't big enough, what the hell are y'all carrying around?

 

[catfishblues]

And to all you people that are saying a 4runner isn't big enough, what the hell are y'all carrying around?

Rear-facing car seats and tall passengers, perhaps.

Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk

 

[farmboy]

Keep Dmax
Keep Tj (because you know you still love her)

sell all the other shit

buy HoRunner

the end

 

[shawn]

$300ish/month payment for the 4runner

Once you start DDing the VW, you effectively cut that number in half.

Rear-facing car seats and tall passengers, perhaps

Car seats and ANY passengers. Shit, I know people that are not tall (by anybody's definition), owned perfectly normal-sized cars, and had to sell them all and buy new ones because they had ONE kid and couldn't fit a car seat in them.

Cyd's Explorer is a good reference. The car seats fit in it, no problem, and all but the hardest-leaning homies under 6'-4" can fit in the front. But where the fawk do the dogs go? Oh, in the very back. But then where does all the shit go? It doesn't go. You can't take anything with you because there's no place left for any of it.

And mind you, we're about the lightest-packing folks you're likely to meet. I see plenty of vehicles in the Target parking lot that are carting around Pack-N-Plays and jogging strollers 24/7.

And since your kids are going to be in car seats until they're 14, you've got to account for that in your maths. It's great that your Highlander or wtfever has a 3rd row, but you can't fawking get to it because... wait for it... the car seats are in the way. And you don't want to put the car seat in the 3rd row, because now your ass has to crawl back there to strap JR in. Honestly, car seats are probably why Cyd's been DDing the Jeep for the past month. She just sticks the kids in over the side.

 

[Paul]

Once you start DDing the VW, you effectively cut that number in half.



Car seats and ANY passengers. Shit, I know people that are not tall (by anybody's definition), owned perfectly normal-sized cars, and had to sell them all and buy new ones because they had ONE kid and couldn't fit a car seat in them.

Cyd's Explorer is a good reference. The car seats fit in it, no problem, and all but the hardest-leaning homies under 6'-4" can fit in the front. But where the fawk do the dogs go? Oh, in the very back. But then where does all the shit go? It doesn't go. You can't take anything with you because there's no place left for any of it.

And mind you, we're about the lightest-packing folks you're likely to meet. I see plenty of vehicles in the Target parking lot that are carting around Pack-N-Plays and jogging strollers 24/7.

And since your kids are going to be in car seats until they're 14, you've got to account for that in your maths. It's great that your Highlander or wtfever has a 3rd row, but you can't fawking get to it because... wait for it... the car seats are in the way. And you don't want to put the car seat in the 3rd row, because now your ass has to crawl back there to strap JR in. Honestly, car seats are probably why Cyd's been DDing the Jeep for the past month. She just sticks the kids in over the side.

HeHeheeeee!
Tell him dawg.

 

[GONOVRIT]

Rear-facing car seats and tall passengers, perhaps.

Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk

Meh, my little brother is a large 6'6". He doesn't fit in ANY seat well unless its a front seat slid all the way back with a gangsta lean.

 

[GONOVRIT]

Ya'll lost me with car seats. I can however tell you how many drunk people can fit in a lot of different vehicles

 

[Paul]

[QUOTE="GONOVRIT, post: 1268037, member: 481. I can however tell you how many drunk people can fit in a lot of different vehicles[/QUOTE]
Spill it!