My uncle had a Toyota Corolla between 1985 and 1998 and it barely cost him anything to run and maintain. He never bought anything but Toyota after that, and he bought a brand new one just a couple of years before he died in 2022 and he was driving a couple of days before he died in his 80s. He had huge respect and admiration for the cars and the company ethos.
I have only sold one of my personal vehicles that was still running, that would be my ‘99 Corolla. A tree fell on it and crushed the top, the guy I sold it to bent it back and put a new window in it in my driveway. I have no doubt that car is still running, that was only a year ago and that was a solid car.
This is the most interesting and unexpected video from your channel yet. Keep it up! Your channel is such a hidden gem. I'm personally too cheap and not curious enough to run Carfax on cars I no longer own. Though I recently spotted the 2002 Lexus ES300 I sold 2 years ago on the street. I can tell it's the one I owned because it had distinct roof racks and a tow hitch that mind had which are rare on those Lexuses to begin with. Not to mention being the same color.
I've seen a couple of my old vehicle's back up for sale on facebook marketplace. Usually in about similar disrepair as when I sold them. I also looked at the listing of my grand mothers house when it when up for sale again by the owners that bought it from my family after my grandma died. It was pretty disappointing to say the least, It was a sentimental buzzkill. The old green 70's carpet in the dining room was replaced with ugly beige. The 50's kitchen cabinets were painted gray, and the original 40's copper tank electric water heater was replaced with a cheap modern one.
I'm just getting my first car, my mom passed me down a nissan versa note 2014 SV with 127k miles on it. it's beat to hell, but I think it's reasonably fun to drive for a beater-type car.
I've been driving since I passed my test in June 1993. In that time I have only owned four cars, two of which are still on my driveway. The first two suffered from accidents and crashes and ended up in the car insurance salvage yard, and there is no evidence they made it back on the road again. I've spent far less buying and maintaining those four cars, than your average person spends on one new car; probably a quarter of what most people spend infact.
I wish I knew more info about the Dodge Dakota or Chevrolet Silverado pickups that my dad sold with a bad transmission and an engine that needed to be rebuilt (respectively). I wonder if they were scrapped or repaired.
Really interesting car history you shared with us. My sister's first car burst into flames under the bonnet, and it melted the paint and did a lot of damage to the car. She later saw it months later driving towards her, so it had obviously been repaired by the insurance company and sold on or something. It was a Vauxhall Nova which in the USA is the car company General Motors, although I doubt they made that model over there; in other parts of Europe it was called the Opel Corsa.
