Loaning out your high MPG car

[user removed]

The only time my wife drove my car was when she wrecked hers, and that was her first accident in 35 years.

The people who I would trust driving my car never need to borrow it in the first place. They could if they asked but they never ask. My brothers older son borrowed the younger sons Integra and it tossed the timing belt. Fortunately it did not whack the valves (95 not high performance). I remember my older brother borrowing my 59 Austin Healey Sprite and he manged to burn two valves and get the transmission stuck in two gears. Pop took a week off to fix my poor car. That was 1968. He had a knack for getting transmissions stuck in two gears at once. Did it in his 53 Chevrolet and we swapped out the tranny in a foot of fresh snow.

regards
Mech

[roosterk0031]

Don't loan tools, bikes, lawnmowers, cars, etc.... always need to fix them when they come back and cost me money, not worth the risk to ruin a good relationship. I'll come help with the task, but stuffs not leaving my sight.

[redpoint5]

Originally Posted by roosterk0031

Don't loan tools, bikes, lawnmowers, cars, etc.... always need to fix them when they come back and cost me money, not worth the risk to ruin a good relationship. I'll come help with the task, but stuffs not leaving my sight.

Do your friends really treat your stuff worse than they would treat their own? I would look for new friends that can be trusted to do the right thing.

Also, relationships are generally reciprocal, meaning you tend to be treated the way you treat others. Not saying you don't treat others right, but it's worth reflecting on from time to time.

[larrybuck]

I would be very hesitant to loan much, simply that even with the best intentions, most people tend to fall into the rental car mindset.

If you have an older w minor issues that only you know about and are fine with, it only takes a moment for someone else to mess it all up. On 2 vehicles, I have a total of about $400. that I would have to spend to make it perfect, but now its fine for me!

I love the idea in theory, but most people just are not angels; and don't want a 5 minute do it this way talk.

If you want to showcase a veh. to sell them on ecomodding, I think it would be more practical if that veh. was a 3rd or 4th veh. for you, not what you actually need every day.


If you know someone well, the lawnmower/snowblower/pu works.



I wish more people split ownership of horses, ultralights, travel trailers, and the like. Why have duplicates everywhere sucking up the money?

Unless it's very new, and no issues generic, I just don't see it for your every day ride. It's like sharing your tooth brush!

[Ryland]

Originally Posted by larrybuck

Unless it's very new, and no issues generic, I just don't see it for your every day ride. It's like sharing your tooth brush!

I agree that there are things I would no loan out, my pocket knife, tooth brush or hatchet.
But I sold my first Civic VX to a friend who kept borrowing it for weekends, and I've always found that when I loan my vehicle out they come back with more gas in the tank, the inside is cleaner and there are cookies or beer in my fridge, I don't loan out my electric car, partly because it is old and finicky with oddities that others would not understand, but most every other car is easy to figure out and if they are borrowing it because it gets better mileage, why would they abuse it? it would go against the reason that they borrowed it in the first place and it would reduce the chances that they would get to use it again in the future.
Of course maybe my friends are just special that way, when I borrow something and I notice it's starting to fall apart I fix it and make sure it's fixed right, that insures it will last longer for everyone and my fixing it is cheaper then me owning whatever vehicle or tool and having to fix it as well as pay for ownership.