owning a car

[MUDDY88YJ]

Hi does anyone comuting to work full time even though they own a car. What is the least amount that people use there cars even though they still own them and just can't seem to get rid of them. Thanks

[Hobartlemagne]

someone posted recently that they spent only $300 last year on gas. That sounds pretty car-lite to me.

[Artkansas]

Hi does anyone comuting to work full time even though they own a car. What is the least amount that people use there cars even though they still own them and just can't seem to get rid of them. Thanks

I've owned my car for almost 3 years and it's still on its first tank of gas. I've driven it once in the past two years to prove to the landlord that it was an operable vehicle.

All in all, I'd much rather pedal. I keep it in part, just for a vehicle to be insured. I need to drive for work on occasion. If I didn't have a vehicle, insurance would become prohibitive.

[awc380]

You might want to take it out a little more often than that....do you at least keep it maintained?

[veganboyjosh]

i've not driven my car in over two years.

i need to sell the beast.


and yeah, i know all about how not driving it regularly is bad for it...

[huerro]

Hi does anyone comuting to work full time even though they own a car. What is the least amount that people use there cars even though they still own them and just can't seem to get rid of them. Thanks

I commute almost exclusively by bike (I take the bus when the weather is horrible or I have lots and lots to carry) and I'm not even really car-lite.

For me it is just much cheaper, faster, and more fun to ride.

[TheAnalogKid]

I commute by foot or by car. I have filled my truck with gas only time since the year has begun. (and I still have 3/4 of a tank).

[AllenG]

For my out of town work I'm bound to a car, too much equipment to lug way too far.
For my in town activities I use a bike ~80% of the time. Ferrying elderly parents or inclement weather (driving rain or very heavy winds) are about the only times I'll use my car locally.

[acorn54]

i drive my car to work four to five days a week, about two miles to work. it only costs two thou sand dollars a year at the most for all expenses for my car. actually i was pretty disappointed to see how much i would save if i just used a bike. with no car i would blow six hundred a year on taxi fare to work when the weather is not suitable to ride a bike. that leaves me with a savings of only fourteen hundred dollars a year.
i can see why people are not given an incentive to give up using cars.

[gerv]

i drive my car to work four to five days a week, about two miles to work. it only costs two thou sand dollars a year at the most for all expenses for my car. actually i was pretty disappointed to see how much i would save if i just used a bike. with no car i would blow six hundred a year on taxi fare to work when the weather is not suitable to ride a bike. that leaves me with a savings of only fourteen hundred dollars a year.
i can see why people are not given an incentive to give up using cars.
You must have a good deal on insurance and repairs to get away with only $2000 a year for a car. Generally the cost of owning a car is much more than what you quote. Here's a simple calculator that will give you some results.
http://www.bikesatwork.com/carfree/cost-of-car-ownership.html
Maybe if you don't have a monthly payment, don't drive all that much, get the lowest insurance, use recycled fryer fat for fuel....

[r8ingbull]

You must have a good deal on insurance and repairs to get away with only $2000 a year for a car. Generally the cost of owning a car is much more than what you quote. Here's a simple calculator that will give you some results.
http://www.bikesatwork.com/carfree/cost-of-car-ownership.html
Maybe if you don't have a monthly payment, don't drive all that much, get the lowest insurance, use recycled fryer fat for fuel....

Using that calculator I come in at $115 per month, $1380 per year. That includes spreading the purchase price through the 6 years I have owned it.

[kjohnnytarr]

You guys who can't quite bring yourself to get rid of the cars should have a neighbor use them every now and again, to keep them working. If they're driving anyway, they might as well give your idle vehicle some exercise. If you must own the car, it ought to be working at least.

[cutman]

My girlfriend and I share a car. She takes it to work if she's got an off-site meeting, but we normally commute by bike or on foot. It's not something we use daily -- we drive it on weekends and a few times a year we drive up to see our families in Massachusetts.

I'd like to sell it, but she's not ready to let go.

[gerv]

Using that calculator I come in at $115 per month, $1380 per year. That includes spreading the purchase price through the 6 years I have owned it.
How many miles a year do you put on the car? If you buy $20 gas a week, that would equal $1040 for the year. Sounds like you hardly use a car at all.

[jeff^d]

I own an older Ford Escort and fill the tank every other month or so nowadays. The car is paid off and has the lowest possible insurance, so it really isn't too significant a portion of my income. It has over 150,000 miles (all from me) and still runs well. I had new tires put on earlier this winter and the mechanic said I'd get another 100,000 out of it. We'll see...

I think owning the car makes a huge difference. I can't imagine why anyone would lease, and car payments of $200-300+/month would not be feasible for me.

[cooker]

My wife and I own a minivan - we could have a smaller car but we "inherited" this from her disabled sister who no longer drives, and it makes sense to use it for now. I commute to work mostly by bike (150 to 170 days per years) and use public transit on snow or ice days (30 to 50 days a years). I drive to work 1-2 times per year. It's a helpful disincentive that our van doesn't fit in the underground parking at work, but in fact I was commuting this way when we had our Volvo 240 too. I would be willing to try living car free but my wife isn't interested. Before I started biking to work in 1992 we maintained two cars.

[cooker]

i drive my car to work four to five days a week, about two miles to work. it only costs two thou sand dollars a year at the most for all expenses for my car. actually i was pretty disappointed to see how much i would save if i just used a bike. with no car i would blow six hundred a year on taxi fare to work when the weather is not suitable to ride a bike. that leaves me with a savings of only fourteen hundred dollars a year.
i can see why people are not given an incentive to give up using cars.

Isn't there a bus for those bad weather days? Or a rain cape?

[JusticeZero]

Not for -everyone-. My bad weather days take the form of sub-zero temperatures combined with headwinds averaging 20mph+ (gusts 30-50 or worse). I've done what I can, but that's just too harsh on me with my current gear, and with a 25mph headwind, I feel as though i'd be better off walking; my lowest gear has more chainteeth in back than on the front, and strong headwinds can drop me into it for uncomfortably long parts of the trip. Meanwhile i'm wiping ice out of my eyes and flexing my fingers to fight the numbness and pain I get from having my weight on my wrists for so long, and hoping that my headlight batteries don't die on the way home. There is no bus, none, zilch, covering the area. Yet. Part of my job involves trying to get one. But that hasn't yet happenned, and they have to wait through some grant and funding cycle stuff.

If you're just talking about a bit of snow or rain or something though.. what I described was a 'bad weather' day. My usual ride is in 5f, with a gust of wind here and there, in the dark, sometimes with a couple of inches of powder in the process of falling, and sometimes blowing around a bit. Rain is quite doable too, with some waterproof stuff, or on a warmer day just ignore it.

I'm working on putting together a recumbent this spring, which I suspect will ease my tolerance for headwinds a ways.

[Ziemas]

Hi does anyone comuting to work full time even though they own a car. What is the least amount that people use there cars even though they still own them and just can't seem to get rid of them. Thanks

I commute full time on my bike, and my wife uses public transport save for two or three times a year when she drives. (She drives when she has something rather heavy to take to work or a very early morning meeting.)

We fill up the tank of our car about once every three months or so, although more in the summer as we like to go to the countryside.

[r8ingbull]

How many miles a year do you put on the car? If you buy $20 gas a week, that would equal $1040 for the year. Sounds like you hardly use a car at all.

I use it to transport work material about 1,000 miles per year and about the same for personal use.

[maddyfish]

I have a car, it is parked down the street somewhere. I put about 300 miles on it last year.

[dynodonn]

someone posted recently that they spent only $300 last year on gas. That sounds pretty car-lite to me.



I'm lucky if I spent a third of that amount last year on my SUV and lawn equipment combined, though I made up for it several times over at the LBS, but at least I have more to show for my money than an empty tank.

[gerv]

My wife and I own a minivan - we could have a smaller car but we "inherited" this from her disabled sister who no longer drives, and it makes sense to use it for now. I commute to work mostly by bike (150 to 170 days per years) and use public transit on snow or ice days (30 to 50 days a years). I drive to work 1-2 times per year. It's a helpful disincentive that our van doesn't fit in the underground parking at work, but in fact I was commuting this way when we had our Volvo 240 too. I would be willing to try living car free but my wife isn't interested. Before I started biking to work in 1992 we maintained two cars.
The one-car family is probably just an interim while our North American society finds out how it wants to travel in an era of reduced petroleum supplies. I'm in a similar situation to you. Our bus service is a little less than ideal, but I do use it through the winter. My wife prefers to have a car around, but even she is using it a lot less than 5 years ago. We seemed to have settled into a lifestyle where our immediate world is just a few blocks from home and occasionally we use the car to move outside that range.

However, in the not-too-distant future, I think we'll see more and more people will decide that even my lifestyle is too non-sustainable. It's just got to happen.

[thelung]

I regularly walk or run to/from work even though I own a bike.

[ChipSeal]

... If you must own the car, it ought to be working at least.

I am presently car-free, but this year I will be buying a car. I am looking to spend less than $50 on it. The best case scenario is if I can buy one just before it used for scrap. :eek:

What I really need is uninsured/under insured insurance coverage in case some illegal runs me down and wipes out my bicycle. As far as I can tell such coverage only exists if you own a home or a car. I won't need the car to run, just to exist until I can get it insured the first time. ;):p

[BarracksSi]

You guys who can't quite bring yourself to get rid of the cars should have a neighbor use them every now and again, to keep them working. If they're driving anyway, they might as well give your idle vehicle some exercise. If you must own the car, it ought to be working at least.

I "exercise" my car by racing it occasionally.. :D

I can't deny it -- I think cars can be fun. I started playing with toy cars before I could talk very well (my mom's got a story of me smashing Matchbox cars into each other and exclaiming -- according to her explanation to my dad -- "broken axle!" Think about that for a sec.. :o ). I've built some model cars, I played with my uncles' slot car sets at Grandma's house, I've had a few radio-controlled cars, and, over the past few years, I finally could afford to "play" with my own actual car. If my schedule allows, I go to one of the local autocross events to knock over some cones and hang out with other car nuts.

I hardly drive it anymore during most of the year, though. An earlier post mentioned somebody spending just $300 in gas; I think that's about the same that I've spent feeding my Honda, too, or maybe even more than I've spent lately.

Having a barely-operating vehicle isn't worth the effort, IMO. Every time something breaks, it sucks down more money. I decided to get a good, reliable car instead. I take good care of my car, making sure that everything's aligned & screwed down snugly, getting the recommended services done at the recommended times, and learning how to fix & replace stuff myself.

But anyway, to the OP's question --

Yeah, I rarely drive to work anymore. I still need the car sometimes because of the nature of my job, but if I don't need it that day, I don't take it. The oil change "recommended interval" sticker on my windshield regularly goes out of date before the odometer passes the recommended mileage.

But, if I need it, I might as well enjoy it. ;)

[Roody]

[font="Georgia"][size="2"][color="Blue"]I am presently car-free, but this year I will be buying a car. I am looking to spend less than $50 on it. The best case scenario is if I can buy one just before it used for scrap. :eek:

What I really need is uninsured/under insured insurance coverage in case some illegal runs me down and wipes out my bicycle. As far as I can tell such coverage only exists if you own a home or a car. I won't need the car to run, just to exist until I can get it insured the first time. ;):p

Do you have health insurance? If so, I don't see why you would also need car insurance to cover injuries from a bike accident. Also, I would read the auto policy carefully to make sure it would cover a bike accident. And you might want to chek renter's insurance.

[syn0n]

I am presently car-free, but this year I will be buying a car. I am looking to spend less than $50 on it. The best case scenario is if I can buy one just before it used for scrap. :eek:

What I really need is uninsured/under insured insurance coverage in case some illegal runs me down and wipes out my bicycle. As far as I can tell such coverage only exists if you own a home or a car. I won't need the car to run, just to exist until I can get it insured the first time. ;):p
This is probably not a good idea and alsoI don't think you'll be able to do it anyway.

The cheapest car I've ever owned was a Buick Century that cost $500, and even then, I still had to buy new tires, brake pads, and one rotor to even make it safe to drive. The car consumed oil significantly, and leaked oil in smaller amounts.It didn't have a muffler and the catalytic convertors seemed to be shot. The car wouldn't have passed emissions testing if it was mandatory here. Worst of all was the transmission that slipped badly in first gear until it warmed up.

I think it'd be same serious luck to find a car for less without at least some of those problems.

---

I decided to check out the car calculator thing: I'd save about $325/mo if I dumped the car. I wish I could drive less, but my current financial circumstances are such where it is cheaper for me to live where I do and drive than it would be to move closer and use the car less. I still don't think I'd get rid of it though, even if I was solely bike commuting, because it's paid off and my insurance is $74/mo.

[sean000]

My wife and I used to live in Washington, DC. We both had cars when we moved there, and we both eventually sold them since they weren't getting used. We relied on buses, metro, bicycling, and walking instead. If you rarely drive your car, you might end up spending as much on maintenance and insurance as it would cost to simply rent a car when you need one. In many cities you can sign up for car-sharing programs like Flex-car and ZipCar. We used both in DC, and it was very convenient and saved us a lot of money once we got rid of our cars. We only needed a zipcar once every few weeks or so to run errands that were difficult to do any other way.

Now we live in a small city where it is useful to have a car, so we share one. I regularly commute to work by bicycle, and I'm trying to convince my wife to do the same since it's a pretty short ride for us. I think she'll be into it once the weather warms up, but I'm trying to convince her that commuting in colder temperatures (and even wet weather) really isn't that bad with the right clothing and gear.

If you do rarely drive your car you just need to remember to drive it every now and then to keep it in good working order. Figure out how much mileage you are using and contact your insurance company. They might re-classify your car as a recreational vehicle if you don't put many miles on it. That's what I did in DC, and it saved me about 30% off my insurance.

Sean

[ChipSeal]

Do you have health insurance? If so, I don't see why you would also need car insurance to cover injuries from a bike accident. Also, I would read the auto policy carefully to make sure it would cover a bike accident. And you might want to check renter's insurance.

I do have health insurance. Health insurance will not replace my only means of transportation.

I would not turn down this road if auto insurance did not cover me. Trust me, I have looked very carefully into this. You must own a home or a car to get replacement coverage for damage incurred in a uninsured motorist wreck. Most plans cover you if the collision happens while on a bicycle. I would't go through all this without making sure of that! :p

Were I to live in England, I could buy specific coverage for this. But alas, there are not enough car-free folks here in the states to make a market. But if I can secure a title to a car, I can purchase insurance on it and be covered while cycling. One more distortion caused by our car-centric society.

Rental insurance would cover me if the collision happened inside my apartment, but that is unlikely event, as I live on the third floor.

[ChipSeal]

This is probably not a good idea and also I don't think you'll be able to do it anyway.
The cheapest car I've ever owned was a Buick Century that cost $500, and even then, I still had to buy new tires, brake pads, and one rotor to even make it safe to drive. The car consumed oil significantly, and leaked oil in smaller amounts.It didn't have a muffler and the catalytic converters seemed to be shot. The car wouldn't have passed emissions testing if it was mandatory here. Worst of all was the transmission that slipped badly in first gear until it warmed up.
I think it'd be same serious luck to find a car for less without at least some of those problems.

I believe you missed my point. I do not need a car that runs. I need a car that exists.

I have no desire to operate a motor vehicle. As you have eloquently pointed out, they are expensive to run.

I intend to keep my costs down by buying a very old car (To keep the basic cost of insurance down.) that is not running. (To keep the cost of buying it down.) The best scenario for me would be to purchase a wrecked car after it has been parted out at a junk yard, so that I can eliminate storage fees as well.

[acroy]

ChipSeal, wouldn't it be hella lot less hassle to just save some $$ for a repacement bike?

to the OP: i own 2 cars (yeah 2....) both paid for, both reliable. I bike to work 5 (or 6 or 7...) days a week. I run most small errands via bike. the econobox is for wife's errands & visiting relatives & vacations. the truck gets used once a month or so to move something.

Cheers

[Smallwheels]

I've been trying to sell my 2007 Honda Fit Sport car at fair market value for three months (even below compared to some others). I'll be car free when it's gone. I will admit that I will probably buy another car if the need to haul anything regularly occurs.

I bought an 88 key synthesizer at the end of 2006 and started taking piano lessons. By now I thought I would be good enough to be in a rock band (I'm very coordinated and already was a professional guitarist from years ago). That is the main reason I bought the car. It was for hauling around the instruments. Well, I practiced so much that I got a repetitive stress injury and had to quit playing for a while. Not being able to play more than a half hour per day every other day isn't enough to make it. That is why the car isn't needed anymore.

My car gets used an average of 135 miles per month. My insurance and gas add up to about $1.00 per mile. If I count the cost of the car into the equation I'm paying $7.54 per mile. That figure would go down considerably if I drove it 15,000 miles per year.

[BarracksSi]

If you do rarely drive your car you just need to remember to drive it every now and then to keep it in good working order. Figure out how much mileage you are using and contact your insurance company. They might re-classify your car as a recreational vehicle if you don't put many miles on it. That's what I did in DC, and it saved me about 30% off my insurance.

Hmm, really... maybe I should give my insurance a call, then. My car's paid off, too. What's the "over/under" for recreational vehicle mileage?

[BarracksSi]

I believe you missed my point. I do not need a car that runs. I need a car that exists.

I have no desire to operate a motor vehicle. As you have eloquently pointed out, they are expensive to run.

I intend to keep my costs down by buying a very old car (To keep the basic cost of insurance down.) that is not running. (To keep the cost of buying it down.) The best scenario for me would be to purchase a wrecked car after it has been parted out at a junk yard, so that I can eliminate storage fees as well.

Wow, that's going to be interesting if you can pull it off and not get busted for a scam.

[Lamplight]

I own a '99 Dodge Ram that I haven't driven since just before Thanksgiving. I spent $394 on gas last year and I feel that is entirely too much. My insurance is $42 per month, but that includes liability and comprehensive. I will be moving from my apartment into a house (which I'm currently remodeling) in a few months and will probably sell it before that happens. The house is in a much better location and I really don't want the truck sitting in the driveway, so hopefully someone will buy it. :D

[wahoonc]

Wow, that's going to be interesting if you can pull it off and not get busted for a scam.

I could do it...we have at least half a dozen non running vehicles on our farm and hold titles to them. Most are slated for restoration...if we ever get around to it:rolleyes: Maybe I need to "sell" a couple of these to Chip Seal for a small storage fee:D

Aaron:)

[BarracksSi]

I could do it...we have at least half a dozen non running vehicles on our farm and hold titles to them. Most are slated for restoration...if we ever get around to it:rolleyes: Maybe I need to "sell" a couple of these to Chip Sea for a small storage fee:D

Aaron:)

I forgot about that kind of stuff.. lol

My niece received the title to a '68 Mustang (at least I think it's a '68) from another uncle for her first Christmas. It was one of the cars sitting around at their house, too. We asked him whether it was a manual or automatic, and he said, "Whatever she wants, it ain't got no tranny in it yet." :D

[supcom]

I am presently car-free, but this year I will be buying a car. I am looking to spend less than $50 on it. The best case scenario is if I can buy one just before it used for scrap. :eek:

What I really need is uninsured/under insured insurance coverage in case some illegal runs me down and wipes out my bicycle. As far as I can tell such coverage only exists if you own a home or a car. I won't need the car to run, just to exist until I can get it insured the first time. ;):p

It's not just illegals who have no insurance. Sadly, the problem is widespread, despite efforts by state governments to curb the problem. And homeowners, or renters, insurance probably does not provide UI/UIM coverage. In the US, there is no comprehensive bicycle coverage comparable to car insurance so to get UI/UIM insurance, you do need to own an automobile - even if you don't drive it.

You are smart to do this because getting hit by an uninsured motorist will almost certainly leave you with no effective way to be compensated for your losses. While you may have health insurance through your employer, that won't pay for deductibles, property damage, lost time off work, pain and suffering, etc.

Yes, this is a bad situation for people who do not own a car. But it's the current state of things. Not having UI/UIM coverage is very risky.

[Nickel]

When I calculated the cost of using a service like Flexcar, compared to getting rid of my car, I just about broke even (of course barring some huge repair cost). Most of my driving is mountain biking, where I would rack up a lot of money since the car is just sitting there for hours. Everything else is bike or the occasional bus ride.

[Roody]

Well, check your state laws carefully. here in michigan, a no-fault state, the insurance companies are required to cover damages caused by or even to uninsured motorists. My stepson had a serious accident when he borrowed an uninsured car. He was totally covered for more than a million dollars of medical care. Now the insurance company is suing the owner of the property where the car was stored for the million, after they couldn't find the actual owner of the car.

So, a word of warning. If you own a car but rarely use it, or even have one on your property, you might be liable for catastrophic damages. Make sure the car is absolutely undrivable-- maybe take out a few wires or something.

[same time]

What I really need is uninsured/under insured insurance coverage in case some illegal runs me down and wipes out my bicycle. As far as I can tell such coverage only exists if you own a home or a car. I won't need the car to run, just to exist until I can get it insured the first time. ;):p

What are you going to do if the insurance company wants to inspect the car for existing damage before they insure you? Your premium will go through the roof once they realize what you're up to.

When you figure out how much auto insurance payments would be, consider paying the same amount into a good savings or money market account. You'll at least make 5 or 6 percent interest and keep your money instead of giving it away to an insurance company. Before long, you'll have enough money to replace a broken bike, and out-of-pocket hospital stuff your health insurance doesn't cover. In fact, everyone should have some money set aside in case they can't go to work for a while.

[wahoonc]

What are you going to do if the insurance company wants to inspect the car for existing damage before they insure you? Your premium will go through the roof once they realize what you're up to.

When you figure out how much auto insurance payments would be, consider paying the same amount into a good savings or money market account. You'll at least make 5 or 6 percent interest and keep your money instead of giving it away to an insurance company. Before long, you'll have enough money to replace a broken bike, and out-of-pocket hospital stuff your health insurance doesn't cover. In fact, everyone should have some money set aside in case they can't go to work for a while.

That happens, we are in the process of moving from one auto insurance company to another, my wife's work truck has a couple of small cracks in the windshield. They requested that we have it replaced prior to their issuing the policy.

Aaron:)

[sean000]

Hmm, really... maybe I should give my insurance a call, then. My car's paid off, too. What's the "over/under" for recreational vehicle mileage?

It depends on your insurance company and your location. It's pretty low... I had to send them the mileage once or twice a year...but they never verified it. I lived in Washington, DC... where the rates are higher than average, so I probably saved more money than average as well. My insurance was with State Farm. I didn't put more than 2,000-3,000 miles on my car per year at the time... and most of that was from road trips. I really only used the car to get away from the city for the weekend. The car was alreayd quite old, and was just getting beaten up parked out on the street. It must have been hit a dozen times by people bumping it while parking, or scraping it when they drove down the narrow street. It just became a hassle that required repairs too often for a car that was barely used. I sold it and started using Zipcar instead. One of the best decisions I ever made, and since I only used Zipcars once every few weeks it ended up being cheaper than maintaining a car for me. It was even more convenient since I didn't have to worry about maintenance and repairs. I also used the money I saved to buy a really nice Rivendell Atlantis touring/commuting bike. When my wife (then girlfriend) got rid of her car shortly after that, she bought a Rivendell too!

So if you must keep a car, try to see if you can get a low-mileage insurance discount to help make it economically sound... and take good care of the vehicle to avoid costly repairs. Eventually you might decide to sell it to finance an expensive bicycle ;-)

I was actually kind of sad when we moved and bought a new car. I really enjoyed being car free for...I guess it was five or six years? Our new hometown of Bellingham, Washington is pretty bike friendly; and I'm able to run most of my errands by bicycle. There is also a decent bus system, and some parts of town are very pedestrian friendly. We just decided it would be useful to share one car. So far most of the miles are from driving out to the mountains, up to Vancouver, or down to Seattle... all for pleasure. Our day-to-day life is what I'd describe as fairly car-light.

Sean

[BarracksSi]

The car was alreayd quite old, and was just getting beaten up parked out on the street. It must have been hit a dozen times by people bumping it while parking, or scraping it when they drove down the narrow street. It just became a hassle that required repairs too often for a car that was barely used.

Man, that sucked, I'll bet. I see people parallel parking "by feel" pretty often, even in my neighborhood on the Hill. When I parked on the street (I've got a garaged spot now), I pretty much gave up on trying to keep my bumpers looking nice. Any time I go to a Honda meet, other drivers see the bumpers and and are basically shocked at their condition (understand that they keep theirs as pristine as possible, though ;) ). I just say, "Well, that's what bumpers are for, aren't they?"

If I weren't a tuba player, I probably would've sold it by now, and I'd rent out the parking spot (current rates are around $250-300 per month!).

[droptop]

I am in college, and own a miata. since i started riding regularly, i might move it 2x a week. there is no way id get rid of it though, i love cars too much. i try to autocross every few months. I was into modding my car before i started biking, but now my car performance projects are being put on the back burner while i build up a "modern" bike. as it stands right now, it needs a new top and some new shocks. i actually have half of what i need in the closet, but don't feel like spending the other $250 to buy the other set, because id rather put it into a bike, which i ride everyday.

[crazybikerchick]

I am presently car-free, but this year I will be buying a car. I am looking to spend less than $50 on it. The best case scenario is if I can buy one just before it used for scrap. :eek:

What I really need is uninsured/under insured insurance coverage in case some illegal runs me down and wipes out my bicycle. As far as I can tell such coverage only exists if you own a home or a car. I won't need the car to run, just to exist until I can get it insured the first time. ;):p

Check around, you should be able to get bicycle-specific insurance. Perhaps a local bicycle club can help direct you to a friendly insurance company.

[BarracksSi]

i try to autocross every few months. I was into modding my car before i started biking, but now my car performance projects are being put on the back burner while i build up a "modern" bike.

:D

if I hadn't spent money on bikes last year, my car would be "finished" -- that is, after doing the suspension, brakes, tires, and i/h/e mods I wanted, the only thing left was power (swap or supercharger).

Maybe this year is the car's turn. I'm satisfied with the bikes I've got.

[bragi]

I've owned my car for almost 3 years and it's still on its first tank of gas. I've driven it once in the past two years to prove to the landlord that it was an operable vehicle.

All in all, I'd much rather pedal. I keep it in part, just for a vehicle to be insured. I need to drive for work on occasion. If I didn't have a vehicle, insurance would become prohibitive.

Why do you need insurance? I mean, if you very rarely use the car, why bother even owning it? Wouldn't no insurance be cheaper than low-premium insurance?

[Poguemahone]

For me, the problem id twofold: first, elderly parents in a rural area who I like to visit, and second, the fact Richmond has the best urban whitewater in the untied states. I need something that can haul multiple kayaks. Thus, an old Subaru wagon that can haul boats to the RVA takeouts or to the other nearby rivers. Use goes up with kayak season; I'm in the water about once a week. 20 miles was all I used the car in January, though.