Disclaimer: I also work for Microsoft. In my defense I do work on open
standards for a living and my co-workers regularly accuse me of working
for Netscape (which is self evidently absurd given Netscape's pathetic
stock price, I may have my price but damnit its not THAT low!)
I own a 1986 Ford Mustang LX V6 3.8L. Now, don't get me wrong, she screams
with speed (or is that just the conversation destroying road noise?) but
the damn thing is falling apart before my very eyes. In the years I have
owned it I have had to replace everything from the Radiator (twice) to the
friggen engine block!!! (Damn thing cracked) It overheats if the
temperature ever gets above, say, freezing and the bloody thing is
literally rusting itself to death (which is impressive given that most of
the body is fiberglass). The moldings and pannels are literally
disintergrating and the paint, which has gone from Mustang Red to
something akin to Orange, is peeling off.
So why, you may ask, do I keep this self destructing piece of Americana?
Well two reasons, one is sentimental, it is my first car, I have owned it
for 9 years. The second is money. I can't stand the idea of purchasing a
depreciating asset. Who wants to dump $18k or more on a car only to have
it be worth less than half within a couple of years?
So, currently, it costs me $500/year (or so) in repair bills to keep my
Mustang going. That is about 1.5 months of car payments on anything
decent. Cheaper to keep giving CPR to the FORD.
Another Happy Ford Owner =(
Yaron