At what point does a car become a beater?

My E36 has served me pretty faithfully for the last 5 years but lately things have started going sour. There is a clunk I cant seem to diagnose the struts are getting weak, the ball joint boots are torn, the interior is starting to go and rattles keep coming up. This is stuff expected on a 20 year old BMW with 200k+ miles. Then this weekend I found a crack in my windshield that keeps growing (damn you LA weather.) Ive become tired to playing whack-a-mole with problems on this car so I have let these things go longer than I would have a couple of years ago. I think my car has become a beater. So at what point does a car become a beater?

When you stop taking care of it. In your case it sounds like a couple years ago.

When you decide it is.

I'm sure there are people out there driving three year old beaters right now.

I don't consider my 20 year old F150 a beater. It's got some rust and it's been used as a truck but it's NOT a beater in my eyes.

The day you start not wanting to put any more money in to it.

When the maintenance and repair cost and time curves arc up to meet the descending car value curve.

Like every F355.

Okay. Second criteria:

As a result of the above curves meeting, maintenance and repairs suffer or are abandoned.

When your repair/maintenance parts go from the 'best' to the 'cheapest'.

Congratulations you have arrived at beaterville.

When you decide that minor problems aren't worth fixing.

When you toss your bag on top of it and don't give a E36 M3 if you scratch it.

Most of these seem to describe most trail rigs... except for the not spending money on it.

I think the CR-V we just bought might be considered the only non-beater I've ever owned, considering what's been said so far.

When you are no longer willing to buy comprehensive insurance on it.

In my case, that would be everything I've owned in the last 20 years.

It's also when someone puts a dent in it at a parking lot and you don't mind.

My 06 GMC 2500HD has reached this status. I chuck stuff in the bed with wanton abandonment, its scratched, rusty, has a few exhaust issues and its been rear ended twice (both times it was small car into hitch so no real damage). Its not worth much, but its a perfect round the house, haul the camping trailer a few times a year and pull project cars around.

I think Mike is on to something - although, plenty of us spend money on stuff that isn't worth much in financial return. Perhaps more of an emotional decision when you've had enough or are no longer willing to deal with it. My e36 got there - after giving it much love, the tinworm took hold, then the clutch packed it in. After spending a couple hundred hours on it, it crossed a line and needed to go away.

I don't think I've ever owned a car I would consider to be a beater. I have had some cars in very bad shape both cosmetically and mechanically. But I've always seen the diamond hiding in there. I've always tried to bring them back, some for way more than what they were worth. I always keep them clean no matter how rusty and I've always tried to fix what was broken even if it means a quick hack job to keep it on the road until I could afford the correct repair.

I just can't imagine not caring about the car I drive. Not for what other people think of it, for my own personal piece of mind and sanity.

When I leave it with my wife for more than a few days...

When it is worth more to you than you could sell it for, but not worth enough to you to maintain it beyond oil changes.

Klayfish wrote: When I leave it with my wife for more than a few days...

What if your wife reads that? I hope she has a sense of humor

To the OP.

You are there.

Gearheadotaku wrote: When your repair/maintenance parts go from the 'best' to the 'cheapest'.

this for sure, shopping at AutoZone for replacement parts rather than using factory or equivalent quality is a very quick way to turn a car into an unreliable beater. Its also a reason to avoid American cars more than 15 years old or so because by then you don't have much other choice.

When it becomes too rusty to be economically feasible to restore.

Klayfish wrote: When I leave it with my wife for more than a few days...

Hahahaha!

I dunno, I've fixed up beater cars to be nice cars, too. New, undamaged panels, paint, some catch up on deferred maintenance, and you have a nice car. These are also a good opportunity to flip for cash.

BTW, my 89 Accord is getting a new engine, has had its transmission replaced with one I had sitting around, has been getting the suspension rebuilt as I take things apart, etc..

Then we have the case of my wife's primary vehicle, a 2008 Saturn Astra. It's a good thing that takes abuse well, and none of the the bushes have perished. That car has had a check engine light for one reason or another for the past 8-12 months. We don't care where it gets parked anymore, and we use it to haul things all the time. Overall, having a newer beater seems to be nice, because anything that does break while it's under beater status is covered by warranty.

Our next car is a Fiat 500 Abarth. That car will get the same treatment as the Astra, as the Astra gets a heart transplant, and gets relieved from DD beater status to nice car status.

For what it's worth, I'm still only into the Accord for close to $1000 class at the Challenge, engine rebuild included. I might run it this year and do a $2015 build on it next year. Stock-ish car for the $1000 class, more of a race car with a turbo and such for the $2015 build.

Still, turning the crap cars into nice cars is a great way to go for some.