That 2003 Honda Civic with the dented quarter panel I bought for $900

Five years ago I would have spent a full weekend with a slide hammer and bondo trying to make that dent perfect. Now I just slap a junkyard fender on it from the pick-n-pull in Lynnwood for $45 and call it done. When did I get so lazy, or is it just realizing a 20 year old car is never gonna be showroom quality? Anyone else just stop caring about cosmetic stuff on high mileage beaters?

2 comments

2 Comments

parker_thomas19d ago

Exactly. Once you cross a certain age with a car, fixing shit becomes more about keeping it safe and running right. It's like life in general, you learn what actually matters and what's just for show.

oscarw8318d ago

My buddy Mike just dropped $600 on a new stereo system for his 1998 Tacoma that has 280k miles and a rust hole you could throw a cat through in the floorboard. Spent three days wiring it up with amps and subs. I asked him why and he said because he drives it every day and wants his music to sound good on the way to work. Made me think, we all got different lines we draw in the sand about what's worth fixing. My line is stuff that keeps me from getting stranded, his line is bass that rattles the license plate bolts loose. Guess that's just how it shakes out when you're keeping a junker on the road past its expiration date.