Pluss with the price of car now a days $$$$$$$ people drive them untill they half to get something new because fixing it would cost more then a new car. my old car I owned for 11 years and I bought it new .

 

Had my last truck for 10 yrs, hope to get 10 outta this one too...

 

I have three Fieros, one I bought new in 1987. It still looks nice and drives nice but I've dropped $2500+ into it this year for new clutch, thowout bearing, flywheel, front wheel bearings, new bushings plus getting the tilt steering wheel fixed.. new rear brakes, rotors and having some paint work done.

The new cars are drive by wire and are computer controlled. In ten years those computers will not be around.. planned obsolecance for cars.

 

Well my truck had a computer in it...that didn't stop it from driving today! Who knows what landfill that computer is at the bottom of right now....

 

I too have a Fiero. It is getting to the point now that it is cheaper to buy a low mileage Fiero that needs nothing than to try to fix one up anymore.
The parts are just getting too hard to find or too expensive for what the cars worth.

But the same can be said even for the old Muscle cars. At time a fully restored car is a better deal then doing it your self. So many people invest $50K in a GTO and then sell it for $25K-30K.

 

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't an auto-maker have to continue making parts for production vehicles for 10 yrs.. (even if the auto has been dis-continued)?

 

They used to..... they may have lobbied their way out of that though.

 

Ford only carries parts for 7 yrs. I had a 94 Probe GT (before the HHR) and it was getting tough to get parts. Luckily for me, it had a Mazda engine, so I could go to Mazda and get some parts, just have to get the right person at Ford to help you cross-reference the part numbers. After this experience, no Fords for me, but I will look at a Mazda if I have to.

 

Don't know if it's true, but someone told me that GM stocks parts for 10 years after a model ends.... Again, not sure if that's true though. I guess I'll find out here pretty soon on my Lumina, since 2001 was the last year they were made... Although I can still buy speedometer gears for my truck from the dealer...

 

The beauty of it is that most of the parts you'll need are common across many models and will be easy to come by long after ten years have passed. For the stuff that isn't like body parts, there are more than enough of them out there to keep someone supplied should the need arise. Not to mention the after market which thrives on back yard mechanics who own cars older than 10 years.