Up front, I will tell you I waste far more money on the communication meadia barrage. Just so they can tell me where to buy my maintenance items or a new car!

Down the list, in what I spend equals to a little over 1100 dollars a year on automoblie insurance for my four cars. That is just for liability of course. Collision coverage, with a Blue Book return rate, is nuts. IMHO.

You would think that is not a bad rate spread across four cars. There are only two drivers in the house. I wish I could be good with that!

Then, every once in a while, they ask for mileage on each. This last time I wrote it all down, then I asked as note at the bottom, if I could get a reduced rate.

This since, my other "speciality policies" cover all the other vehicles that are "also" sitting still when we go somewhere together with my wife, which by the way, is most of the time.
I never heard a word back! Na-na, zip!

With all my vehicles combined, I spend far less than half that on maintenance and repair, while doing my own work. My budget covers them well enough for me to sleep at night.
My cars are in decent shape. Probably just as good off as the insurance companies profit margin!

I am so glad, that it is not required that all cars must have to all their maintenance or repairs done under a certified mechanic group insurance plan in order to be on the road.

Jeeez, I gotta shut my mouth and break my fingers!

Phil

Averaged about $73/Month on everything but gas and insurance...my car is an 89 240 wagon. It's been my DD for over 9 years...odo quit in 2005 with 155K showing...probably in the 220K range now...great car!

Definitely an interesting discussion here. Seems the general consensus is ~$100/month for a 240 which seems high to me, albeit realistic.

Sure makes me see the benefits that I enjoy.. the benefits of A) being more than happy to drive what is essentially a total junker in the eyes of anyone that is lucky enough to lay their eyes upon it. B) Driving cars of similar make/model/year, so that when cars wear out, I can use the good parts for the next victim. And C) having the space and willingness to keep those worn out cars in the form of a small, personal pick-and-pull. Currently sitting on 4 donor 240 wagon donors, which support my car, and three other friends and neighbors.

I also watch Craigslist like a hawk for good used tires (Great that older Subaru Legacy AWD tires are a good fit, since them folks blow one out, they replace all 4 and sell off the other 3 for cheap)

I do about 15k miles/year. I bet my monthly repair/maintenance averages less than $20/month, not counting my time. And not counting the cost of the donor cars...

This is, of course, not completely sustainable, as it seems anymore, I can't even find a clapped out wagon that's at the end of its life for less than $1k. Been looking for two years.

Ended up getting an older Subaru Legacy AWD with half the miles of them old $1k 240s, and for half the price. We'll see how that goes.

--
-Matt I ♥ my ♂

My rule of thumb on buying and maintaining used cars is that I was more than willing to spend an average of $1,000 a year over a ten year life. My average mileage was about 9K a year. That included such wear and tear items as oil (twice a year), lube, tires, batteries and the occasional major hit, e.g., a blown head gasket. I would do none of the routine MX, but would usually track down and fix things like no-starts, electrical glitches, etc. I should add that the major items were few and far between.

As long as the car still looked reasonably nice, and I kept to that average, I felt that I had a good value bargain - I couldn't buy new with anywhere close $85 month payment.

Using that formula, the two 240s that I've owned lasted me for twenty four years, and I never exceeded budget.

Interesting thread. I do all my own work and keep detailed records. Over the past 8 years, I've averaged $270/yr per vehicle (includes tires and batteries, and catch-up maintenance on 3 of the vehicles that came into my fleet - currently have 4 940's and 1 '83 240).

Phil Smith
New Bern, NC

Son o'Gutz is a '92 245 purchased almost exactly 10 years ago with 118K and now 248K on the clock. Like you, I do nearly every service myself. This spring I had to turn the trans replacement over to a trusted shop out of expediency.

I also tend to change oil and small bits more often than absolutely necessary, and since I drive "with vigor" my Potenzas get replaced around 40K.

All rolled up, with performance goodies (wheels, suspension, cam) I've spent $96 per month during its time with me, not including gas or insurance.

1993 245 300k+ odometer miles, city driving, average over 16 months, about 50/50 shadetree/professional

repair/maintenance:
$75/mo
$0.32/mi

insurance + gas + fees + taxes:
$91/mo
$0.39/mi

total:
$166/mo
$0.71/mi

Best,
joe b.
portland, or

I haven't put many miles/km's on the 83-240 recently, but a look at my spreadsheet says in the past 10 years at has covered 50k mi with maintenance costs of $6600.

This includes a major expense at the Volvo dealer (TAB's, oil leak, ball jt. and other minor stuff at $100/hr) so it would pass the out-of-province inspection when I moved to Alberta. Also includes snow tires and rims.

Overall, $55/mon and 13 cents/mile.

The 940 is in my daughter's hands and is 4000km away on the E coast of the USA, but my last records show, over 4-1/2 yrs and 43000mi: $87/mon and 10cents/mi.

When you add in the costs of insurance, registration, and fuel, it makes car ownership look a little scary.
--
Bob: son's XC70, dtr's '94-940, my 81GL, 83-DL, 89-745(V8) and 98-S90. Also 77-MGB and some old motorcycles.

I have spreadsheets with what I've done to the cars and when.... but none of the costs. I think I've left the costs out on purpose. :-)

I do set a pretty high maintenance bar on two of the cars that I'll use when I travel.... and they've both seen some "elective" procedures.

All that being said, the fleet in my sig typically gets no maintenance in the cold winter months, or the stupid hot and humid July and August.... and in the spring and fall, at most I can spend is $300/month on Volvo parts.

I will say that I'm glad my labor is free!

-Ryan
--

Athens, Ohio
1987 245 DL 324k, Dog-hauler
1990 245 DL 142k M47, E-codes, GT Sways/Braces, Dracos, A-cam
1990 744GLE 189K 16-valve
1991 745 GL 304k

When I still had the turd-wagon, 1979 245 with a BW55 in a particular shade of brown, I kept such notes. It was in good shape when I got it with the exception of the driveshaft needing all new U-joints, support bearing , tailshaft bushing and seal (all done professionally).

If you included tires, oil changes and all the other self-performed maint, I spent $1600 for about 40 months and 50K miles...from 1997-2001. What that does not include is the fact that car badly needed a rear main seal by this point (losing a 1 qt every 600 miles) and I never tried to get the AC working. If you add the purchase price of $600, that means $2200 or about $55/month.

I tended to recondition parts and use good condition used parts on that car as it was time in my life were I had a lot more time than money.

It is hard to get a specific # on the other cars because I either did not rack up the miles or malicious tree limbs ended their lives prematurely. My current 1990 240 DL is only going to get about 3500-5000 miles per year. So far, it has needed a lot of work but not much money. I also now live in the rust belt so certain things will cost a lot more to maintain...in particular it seems the brakes have suffered the most.

Mike