Sadly, there comes a time in every vehicle’s life span when it’s time to say goodbye. No matter how much you loved her, or how she was always there when you needed her, like most things in this life, when your time is up, it’s up.
But how do you know when the old gal has gotta go for good, or whether she just needs a bit of rest and recuperation? Below we’ve listed 5 sure-fire signs that tell you it’s time to say goodbye and then upgrade to that amazing yellow Mustang convertible you saw last week.
1. You’ve continued to get her serviced regularly but now the services cost more than the vehicle. Your mechanic always includes a future work list so you can keep your finances in check, but the future work is so extensive the mechanic stopped writing it down because it took too long and used too much paper. Most cars reach a stage when something goes wrong all the time and so she has a permanent spot at the mechanics. That says it’s pretty obvious she’s used her nine lives and more.
2. Another sure sign is when you hop into the old gal, insert the key, hold your breath and recite 5 Hail Marys before you turn the key over. It’s like a game of Roulette: one time out of every 35 you strike a winner and she fires up. On the other 35 occasions you decide it’s probably easier, safer and faster if you walk. And just to add insult to injury, on that one occasion when you do get her started, the noise from under the bonnet is so earth-shatteringly loud you even wake the local cats.
3. The average age of vehicles registered in Australia is 8.1 years. That means if your car is over 8 years old, the odds are stacked against you every time you take her out on the roads. If you figure yourself as a bit of a gambler, then good luck to you; but if you prefer to remain on the conservative side, after 8.1 years it’s time to put her out to pasture. It’s a slippery slope after 8 years; the services start to cost more – often a lot more – the fuel efficiency is negligible and stuff just starts happening more and more often.
4. You’ve had the family station wagon since you first started your family, but that was nearly 40 years ago. She still goes, but the original color, which you think was pale blue, has faded into insignificance and you have to climb through the front passenger window to reach the driver’s seat. That was okay 10 maybe 20 years ago, but the arthritis makes it hard to hoist your leg up over the car window. And just when you thought things couldn’t get any worse, the neighborhood kids collapse in fits of laughter when they see you coming. Actually, you’re certain you saw old Bill Collins laughing out loud when you drove past his place the other day. The nerve of that man!
5. And last of all, you know it’s time to get a new car when a big-city film production team arrive on your doorstep asking if they could borrow your precious family car for a vintage film they’re making in your area. “What a nerve!” you think to yourself as you count out the hundred dollar bills they paid you to “borrow” her, “She’s not vintage. I bought her the year we got married, which was …errr ….1957, wasn’t it Mabel? Vintage be damned!” Yep, maybe it’s time to join the 21st century, don’t you think?
Taking the plunge to purchase a new vehicle is a big commitment. Ensure you seek professional advice and get a vehicle that suits your needs. Click here for more information about diesel vehicles.
