Thanks! :) I didn't mean to make it an explainer of how to actually do the thing. I've been meeting a lot of people in my DC policy circles who didn't realize y

Thanks! :) I didn't mean to make it an explainer of how to actually do the thing. I've been meeting a lot of people in my DC policy circles who didn't realize you could buy a car below $5,000. To be honest, I'd have to ask my dad to answer your more specific questions. My point was this is cultural knowledge among blue-collar circles. My other posts were about things I learned about white-collar circles. To try to answer your questions: I don't think there's any useful metric. Unfortunately, you never know how long a car will last. It just lasts until it's giving you a lot of trouble. The things you can fix yourself are depends more on your willingness to spend time + money on parts, not just mechanics. I'd say my family personally stop a bit earlier than some because we're not ourselves mechanics as a side hobby. The answer is different for every person. :)