Let's file this one under "Semi-Dumb Ideas"

My car just had her 215,000 mile birthday today. How did she celebrate? By losing a windshield wiper. Ok, she didn't really lose the windshield wiper, but it fell off (probably due to an error in my installation of the wiper) while I was driving down a pretty busy street, during a pretty heavy rainstorm today. It was a bit scary, but we hung in there for a few blocks until we could pull over and put it back on.

Here is my Semi-Dumb Idea: I've decided to drive Subie until she dies. I realize this isn't exactly smart since she could potentially give up on life while driving somewhere remote (cue the dueling banjos from Deliverance). I'm not putting anymore money into her (except for oil changes and gas). At this point, when adding up the money that I paid for the car and all of the money I've put towards maintenance, it still doesn't add up to the Blue Book value, so I don't feel like she has been a money pit. I know a lot of Subaru owners who drive theirs until 300,000 miles, but those people also have large disposable incomes to throw at their cars in order to keep them alive. I don't. I'm at a point of financial stability where I don't have any debt (except for my chunk of the national debt which is at about $31,000 per person right now), and my bank account is no longer in the triple digits. So that's exciting.

I don't have a clue how much longer she's going to last. Last week the check engine light came on, and just when I was about to call the mechanic to make an appointment, the light went off and has remained off. Maybe she was just begging for attention since I've barely driven her this summer. The clutch makes a pretty nasty squeaking noise sometimes, but other than that, she's in decent shape. I don't plan on reselling her because I seriously doubt she's worth much, especially after this happened in January:



I'll probably just donate her to a worthy cause like NPR or Big Brothers, Big Sisters. Unless it would be more of a burden than a blessing for them to receive. In that case I'll donate her to another organization such as Focus on the Family.