Why I Drive a $6000 Car
From the age of 22, I’ve always managed to find a unique car to use as a daily driver. Starting with a ‘73 Olds convertible (thanks Pops), then a slew of vintage Volvos, then a stock ‘37 Dodge (yes, driven daily), and then a phase around 2010 when I oversaw a rotating cast of Mercedes 300TD diesel wagons. Jaguars and Citroens followed.
But practicality beckoned in 2020 when I bought a 2014 Silverado to tow our new fishing boat. I was actually shocked at what I had been missing all those years. Heated seats, Bluetooth, V8 power - all present in a pickup truck that was surprisingly comfortable and pleasant to drive.
But who was I kidding? As enjoyable as the truck was (and still is), that old car bug came right back after a couple of years. I started casually looking. Seeing as how this would be a 2nd car for me, I wasn’t into the idea of spending a lot of money, and I kinda liked the idea of having something modernish instead of the old cranky cars I had been coddling for years. I decided to look for something from the 80’s or 90’s that was reliable, cheap, and in mint condition.
Unsurprisingly, it took me a full two years to find it. I get Bring a Trailer’s daily email, and within the sea of Porsches and Ferraris there’s usually a boring 80’s or 90’s car that goes totally unnoticed. But to have BaT accept a car like that, there’s gotta be something about it that’s different. Usually that means low mileage, and when I came across a 1990 Oldsmobile 88 sedan I found just that.
I had a funny feeling that I was going to be the high bidder on this car. After all, who really is looking for a 1990 GM sedan? Nobody. This car was running at No Reserve and I popped in a bid at the very end when it was sitting at $6,050. I put in $6,150. No-one outbid me. I had found my car.
Now, for full transparency, this car cost me more than $6K. It was located all the way across the country so I had to pay $1800 for enclosed transport to Portland, plus BaT’s fee of $307. So, more like $8K. But I’ll tell you what - this is a great car, even at $8K.
With 17K original miles, this Oldsmobile is absolutely in the wrapper. Looks perfect, drives perfect, smells perfect - it’s like the car that the 90’s forgot, because we did. This was an era when GM had truly lost their way, and today, nobody looks twice at a 1990 Oldsmobile. Or do they? Over the six months I’ve had it, there seems to be a strange magnetism to this car that attracts random Gen Z Portlanders. Here I am, quietly enjoying my old man car, and the hipsters are all about it. “Dude, I like your car.”
Bring a Trailer has a editorial feature that they call “Success Stories”; posts about people that have bought a car on that site who write in to let them know how they’re getting along with it. They recently published mine, and some of the comments gave me insight into why young people seem to notice this car:
Simple, reliable, not trying to be something it’s not.
Won’t break the bank and will still be on the road in another 30 years. You’re lucky if some newer cars make it out of warranty.
Other than stroking your ego, what do you really need in a car? Keeping a car like this in daily use is much more financially and environmentally economical than buying new.
The Gen Z demographic doesn’t want to deal with the quirks of a 1937 Dodge, but they probably don’t like the prospect of a $500 monthly payment on a new Mazda or Subaru, either. Cars from the 90’s bridge that gap. Yes, you’ve got AC. Power windows, too. But if all you’re doing is getting from Point A to Point B, a time-warp car from the 90’s can be a real sleeper move. They’re out there, and if you’re patient you might just find a hidden gem that’s flown under everyone else’s radar.
Seems as if we began our car journey rather similarly, sort of. My first was a Pontiac Executive but late 60s which also came to me from dear old dad. He never actually gave it to me but i drove it everywhere. Having the big V8 meant laying rubber and it being so spacious meant all my high school pals could pile in. Sometimes that feature led to danger!
First car i bought was a VW bug that had been hit hard in the front but drove fine and repairs were easy. I remember i paid $600 for it.
Then came a series of Volvos a 122 a 122s and an 1800. For a few years i drove a particularly nice Porsche 993 and a couple more air cooled Porsches but i soon grew tired of the maintenance costs bringing me back to VWs currently a VW R
Man I remember that sky blue Olds! Do you still use The Club? 😜