Living Car Free - Drop the car?

I'm car-lite right now. Really Car-lite.

I am able to bike everywhere I need to go. My car is sitting for weeks on end and I'm not driving. I haven't bought gas for it since April.. although the fuel light is on.

I figured out it costs me about $150 a year to own it including license and insurance. The only cost not factored into that is gas, which I buy $20 at a time and the $20 lasts me months on end.

My wife has a car which I will have access to, which is in MUCH better shape and gets about the same MPG despite having a larger engine.

The car is a 98 Ford Taurus with 186k miles on it. I'd list it in Fair condition. The tires are okay but the rear shocks are weak and the transmission is getting a little jerky. The engine leaks oil (which is a problem for how much it sits). I'd be selling it for $1000 if I were to put it up for sale.

My few concerns are this winter. Although I live near Cincinnati, Ohio the cold weather is not what concerns me, it is how poorly people drive around here when it snows (THEY FREAK OUT!) I am not concerned about my ability to bike in bad weather but their ability to drive. Some of these stretches are on poorly lit country roads with little curb in the summertime.

Now, I know most of your slants will be toward dumping the car but I figure I can use it in case of emergency, but I'm really not sure.

I just want honest feedback. I do have access to wife's car, but that is not exclusive as our work schedules are a little different. But I feel like driving this car is a chore that I have to do about once a month now.

I'm not sure how you can keep a car insured for $150 a year, but if that's the case, you might as well keep the car. You apparently don't use it much, but it's paid for and inexpensive to own, so it's an affordable winter backup. (I'm assuming that public transportation is not an option you're willing to consider.)

I would have to say dump it, sorry for being predictable :) I have owned a lot of cars like the one you described and they can sometimes be more of a money pit than even a NEW car. Tranny goes out? 1k at least. New tire for emergency driving in the snowy winters? At least $400. If it were in better mechanical condition or you enjoyed working on it yourself and your insurance is really as cheap as you said, i would keep it. However, if you can get $1,000 out of it now before it falls apart sitting in your driveway where it is not being used, I say get what you can out of it. If you really want a back-up car just in case, make sure it is very reliable and does not need any major services anytime soon. For the 1k from selling the car I bet you could think up all sorts of safety equipment to buy like lights/reflectors/ military style helmet designed to withstand atomic blasts/ winter tires for bike/ that would make you feel much more confident at night. Hell for 1k you could even buy a used golf cart or something that would go 15 mph for 50-70 miles and put studded tires on it! If you dont like driving it, its taking up space, and is about to cost you a bunddle, ditch it and consider what you can do with the $! Good luck!

Maybe I should mention I am to the point with this car that I am not putting anymore money into it. If the tranny goes so does the car. I MIGHT replace a tire if it blows.. but only with a really cheap brand.

This is my former road car. I have a travelling show I did (game show, standup comedy) where I'd travel 60k miles a year and I basically lived out of this thing for two years.. so it's kinda my baby.. .but I'm thinking about putting my baby up for adoption.

Thats an important point but what I was try to get at is, if the tranny does go (or some other important bit) then the car wont be worth anything. If you sell it now while it still is in running order you will make much more and could potentially do something with the extra cash to provide you with an alternate means of transport besides a bike ONLY lifestyle.

Maybe I should just have the wife drive it to work everyday until it finally dies. Good idea? Instead of all the miles being put on her better car I can save those and this car will croak sooner.