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The Velveteen Ocelot

(130,705 posts)

55. If you maintained your car as well as airplanes are *required* to be maintained,

Mon Jun 24, 2013, 08:14 PM

Jun 2013

chances are it would last at least 30 years. I learned to fly in 20- to 30- year-old airplanes that worked just fine. A friend of mine has a 40-year-old Cessna 182 that's in beautiful condition. Delta Air Lines still has a few DC-9s that were built in the '70s; they are being retired only because their navigation systems are obsolete - but they run beautifully.

One of those evil, oppressive government agencies, the FAA, requires private owners to have their airplanes inspected every year, and commercial operators have even more stringent requirements. Certain parts have to be inspected or replaced on a required schedule, and all inspections and repairs have to be documented. Any car that got that kind of attention would last a very long time.

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If airplanes are built to last 30 to 20 years, why not cars? [View all] RB TexLa Jun 2013 OP

if people cared for their cars like the care airliners get, cars would last longer nt msongs Jun 2013 #1

Exactly. I don't know of too many cars that get periodic D checks... opiate69 Jun 2013 #57

If you maintain your car as frequently as airplanes are maintained 30 years should be no problem... PoliticAverse Jun 2013 #2

Two words: planned obsolescence meow2u3 Jun 2013 #3

Not JUST the word on the street, meow! elleng Jun 2013 #9

exactly. not just cars, but everything. DesertFlower Jun 2013 #13

Planned obsolescence has been given a bad name - hedgehog Jun 2013 #24

IIRC, "planned obsolescence" does not describe useful life of a car/appliance... Eleanors38 Jun 2013 #33

cars arent planned anywhere near as obscolecent as they used to be markiv Jun 2013 #34

2 words - fucking road salt Agony Jun 2013 #4

Depends, American cars up until say the '80's or so weren't built to last Spider Jerusalem Jun 2013 #46

See post 48. n/t lumberjack_jeff Jun 2013 #49

likewise major home appliances, or... anything, really phantom power Jun 2013 #5

My car is 22 years old. bunnies Jun 2013 #6

My car is 54 years old and going strong. Throd Jun 2013 #7

What are good driving habbits? darkangel218 Jun 2013 #76

No crashing. nt lumberjack_jeff Jun 2013 #87

Appart from that? darkangel218 Jun 2013 #88

Cars are, for the most part, fairly rugged devices. lumberjack_jeff Jun 2013 #95

Okay thanks. darkangel218 Jun 2013 #100

Pretend there is an egg between your foot and the accelerator FrodosPet Jun 2013 #96

Okay ill try to do that . Where do i get a tester from? darkangel218 Jun 2013 #101

Most auto parts stores should have low cost testers FrodosPet Jun 2013 #105

Alright, thanks for the info! darkangel218 Jun 2013 #106

I just cjanged the transmission fluid. Any other fluid darkangel218 Jun 2013 #102

Modern coolant should last for years FrodosPet Jun 2013 #107

Where does that one go, into the AC? darkangel218 Jun 2013 #108

IDK your particular situation, but it seems like it shouldn't FrodosPet Jun 2013 #109

Planned obsolescence elleng Jun 2013 #8

And if we forced them to extend this out by 30 years think of the money that would be saved RB TexLa Jun 2013 #10

Right. Don't know what my Dad paid for his '93 Toyo Camry Wagon, elleng Jun 2013 #15

what are the safety features on a car that didn't exist 30 years ago? CreekDog Jun 2013 #20

. RB TexLa Jun 2013 #23

the answer, of course, is that they are, sort of.... mike_c Jun 2013 #11

There was a time when they were built well enough to last that long Nimajneb Nilknarf Jun 2013 #12

No the weren't. Those old things broke down every chance they got. 1-Old-Man Jun 2013 #21

All of what you say is true, but maintenance was simple and replacement parts were always available Nimajneb Nilknarf Jun 2013 #37

But what did it look like before the complete frame off restoration? WestStar Jun 2013 #25

As one who is interested in preservation of things, that looks to me like a "project" Nimajneb Nilknarf Jun 2013 #26

planes are maintained after each flight Motown_Johnny Jun 2013 #14

airlines don't keep planes 30 years on average CreekDog Jun 2013 #16

American Airlines still had MD-80s built in the Early 80s. DAVEDCHICAGO Jun 2013 #45

did you not see the word "average"? CreekDog Jun 2013 #47

i'm guessing when you take things like maintenance into account the cost will end up JI7 Jun 2013 #17

It's not necessarily planned obsolesce... doggie breath Jun 2013 #18

If we had cars that were designed and sold to last for 50 to 40 years we could move to where RB TexLa Jun 2013 #22

what is the purpose of your idea? CreekDog Jun 2013 #27

But I read a post saying we paid into SS so we could have it later RB TexLa Jun 2013 #36

how much less would your SS benefits be if they were based solely on your own contributions? CreekDog Jun 2013 #40

I know, I know, I will be stealing the food off your beloved children's tables RB TexLa Jun 2013 #41

i assume you paid for your own education? CreekDog Jun 2013 #43

I know, and since I don't have children your children will have to pay for everything for me. The RB TexLa Jun 2013 #50

i'm happy for society to pay for your old age CreekDog Jun 2013 #54

I know, it's been explained, we are stealing from you "hard working families" RB TexLa Jun 2013 #60

I have never uttered the phrase "hard working families" CreekDog Jun 2013 #63

A tailight doggie breath Jun 2013 #35

You wouldn't have to have every upgrade. And if governments tried to force too many they would be RB TexLa Jun 2013 #38

My airplane is 44 years old and still flying Major Nikon Jun 2013 #19

Ship lifespans have always baffled me on that front Posteritatis Jun 2013 #30

I work in Great Lakes freighting. There are a lot of older vessels on the lake Godhumor Jun 2013 #53

Saltwater destroys metal bhikkhu Jun 2013 #56

They need repeat customers. MrSlayer Jun 2013 #28

And we need to take that away from the auto industry RB TexLa Jun 2013 #29

And you are replying to this post doggie breath Jun 2013 #90

No, I actually upgraded to a a C128. MrSlayer Jun 2013 #94

Well I did have a 1929 Ford Model A Sport Coupe dipsydoodle Jun 2013 #31

I AM going to say it. MicaelS Jun 2013 #32

$$$ but, every now and them they screw up and put out a few that can. Egalitarian Thug Jun 2013 #39

Years ago I fixed cars for a living. People would as me Eleanors38 Jun 2013 #42

Well..... Populist_Prole Jun 2013 #44

My best car is 43 years old. lumberjack_jeff Jun 2013 #48

Sweet ride! opiate69 Jun 2013 #66

I love those. n/t Jamastiene Jun 2013 #86

I drive a 1972 Chevy Blazer. It's probably good for ANOTHER 40 years. n/t cherokeeprogressive Jun 2013 #51

Some parts of the world do. Parts of Europe, car avg age is 15 years old and climbing. flvegan Jun 2013 #52

If you maintained your car as well as airplanes are *required* to be maintained, The Velveteen Ocelot Jun 2013 #55

Table 1-26: Average Age of Automobiles and Trucks in Operation in the United States FarCenter Jun 2013 #58

They get'em to last a long time in Cuba LeftInTX Jun 2013 #59

And a lot of those have toyota diesel engines or whatever else they can find snooper2 Jun 2013 #89

It could be done, but I'd want periodic upgrades Ilsa Jun 2013 #61

Some were... cigsandcoffee Jun 2013 #62

American trucks will outlast anything but the mpg isn't so good coldmountain Jun 2013 #64

Absoultely agree on that point about the W126 parkia00 Jun 2013 #111

Most airplanes require constant maintenance over the course of that 20-30 years npk Jun 2013 #65

19 years for my Accord right now... ileus Jun 2013 #67

You seem to think that cars vaporize after their first owner sells them CreekDog Jun 2013 #68

You can, like airplanes and ships, you just have to be willing to put in the money and time Godhumor Jun 2013 #69

If airplanes are built to fly, why aren't cars built to fly? IdontDrinkWithU Jun 2013 #70

many drivers are frightening enough on the road...imagine texting at 30,000 feet! NRaleighLiberal Jun 2013 #71

lol at your user name Enrique Jun 2013 #73

Tell Frank hi. Eom uppityperson Jun 2013 #75

"It's a totally different kind of flying, altogether!" kentauros Jun 2013 #82

Lots of older commercial aircraft are rugged and last but expensive to maintain and operate Populist_Prole Jun 2013 #72

Would you really want to own a car for 30 years? badtoworse Jun 2013 #74

Because... gcomeau Jun 2013 #77

A well made car will last that long. HooptieWagon Jun 2013 #78

Apparently not very many of the posters here SheilaT Jun 2013 #79

Older cars were maintenance hogs Populist_Prole Jun 2013 #92

Were it not for the electromechanical parts, modern cars would last a very long time. lumberjack_jeff Jun 2013 #98

Thank you for those details. SheilaT Jun 2013 #110

That is more of a historical phenomenon Sen. Walter Sobchak Jun 2013 #80

Because you're comparing two completely different forms of transportation. kentauros Jun 2013 #81

My car is a 1989 model. Jamastiene Jun 2013 #83

Many cars are built to last that long and longer. MineralMan Jun 2013 #84

Computers too!!!! LanternWaste Jun 2013 #85

Because we don't have the maintence cycles of aircrats whistler162 Jun 2013 #91

We should let JPL design our cars. Warren DeMontague Jun 2013 #93

If we had an FGA mandating regular inspections and maintenance, they would. Orsino Jun 2013 #97

As several other people have already pointed out... Flyboy_451 Jun 2013 #99

We still have two 20 year old cars. The Volvo 740 is about to get its 300K badge, the Mazda Miata leveymg Jun 2013 #103

They do DainBramaged Jun 2013 #104