Forget Cash For Clunkers - Just Keep Your Clunker

In the old days, the average American kept their car for a long

, long time. This had to do with a lot of factors; build quality, parts availability, ease of repair and a general nonchalance about what we were driving. Contrast that with the last few boom years of the mid-2000s; folks got new cars every year and a half or so. It was easy to get a loan, you didnt think about paying it off, it was hard to get parts for a newer car, and the average Joe had a hard time changing the oil on those new fangled things, let alone doing any real repair work. So, instead of paying high repair bills, we just bought a new car.

Things are different now. Folks have less cash and are less willing (or not able) to get a loan anymore. Couple that with the futures uncertainty and you see why theres a movement to keep our cars and trucks longer than we have been. Dont worry, keeping up with the Jones is so 2005, and these days the Jones are probably still driving their 2004 Dodge Durango.

So, since were keeping that clunker, the first thing we gotta do is stop calling it a clunker. Take it to a shop, get all those annoying idiosyncrasies fixed, have the check engine light checked and turned off, rotate the tires, change the oil and other vital fluids, flush the radiator, etc. This will end up costing you a couple hundred bucks in the end, but think about it like this, a new car payment averages about $550 a month for 72 months. So four or five hundred bucks just once is a small price to pay.

Now that shes running sound, its time to bring the interior standards up to snuff. Seat covers and floor mats are the first place to start. If you drive a truck, a little shopping around will reveal custom made truck seat covers made just for your rig. Same goes for car floor mats and van steering wheel covers. No matter what you drive, there are tons of replacement parts out there made specifically for your year make and model vehicle.

Now that youve got your truck seat covers and car floor mats in place, its time to focus on the exterior. A wash and a wax is a great place to start. Taking your ride down to the local detailer can end up costing a couple hundred for the full deal, but for that, you could buy a professional detailing kit and do it yourself several times over. Remember, even an old car looks great when its shiny on the outside and clean on the inside, just like a brand new car.

by: Michael Kirby

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