[AT] OT - oil stop leak

[James Peck]

I am not an auto salvage industry insider, but it is my observation that a significant percentage of the people who purchase used cars do not have the resources to keep them running. Many cars that do not run end up in salvage. Often, the people who can best afford to keep a vehicle running and benefit from lower costs can also afford a new vehicle. 

A possible scenario. Mike sells the car as-is to someone who can just scrape up the money. They drive it until it gets run while low on oil. The engine then fails prematurely. It stops running alongside the highway and the police order a tow.. A towing company tows it away and the then owner can't afford to pay the towing and storage fees. Then it ends up in the salvage yard. At some point the salvage yard decides they do not have room for a car that has had some major good parts sold from so it goes to the crusher.

[Henry Miller] A used car that age needs 1000 a year to stay on the road. Some years it will be near zero, and other years a few thousand, but you should budget 1000 and save up. There is no reason any car today can't make 300000 miles, unless the body rusts out first. Most people use the nickel and dime excuse to get a different car, which is nearly always more expensive than fixing the old. 

My advice, look at the body, if there isn't a lot of rust you are money ahead in the long run fixing it as needed. 
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