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re-register car, or let it lapse?

Messages
5
Location
australia
just having a circular dialogue with myself.

registration is due in 2 weeks.
car is at a friend's as he is also my mechanic,
and i'm deciding between car being used/ useful, or just sitting there.
i want it to have low km's.
then i feel that could be selfish.
but it's MY car.
i've kept registering it each year but haven't been driving it for 2 years, as i've always had it in mind that i would be well again, and that it'd be just as much trouble having to get a roadworthy certificate and serviced again for it having been sitting for many months.
my car is a personal thing, so no one else is ever allowed to drive it.
it is virtually new; it had 25000km on it when i bought it.
i drove it for 5 years, and not very far at all.
it still had a new car smell.
i have to let go of wanting the new car smell - poisonous fumes anyway - but i still want my car to be near new...
i might just tell my friend to drive it minimally.
i have to find out whether or not it's in his way, as well.
i can't just pick up the phone and converse, as i have lost my voice.
i had to move away suddenly and haven't been able to get back home.
i wonder if i should have it sent over to me. i would love to be well enough to drive again and drive back home. but it hasn't happened in over 2 years.
i just need to tell him to drive it once a week only. maybe he's doing that, but i have to find out.
i would even be glad if he used it for the occasional job (it's a light truck). but only for a short time.

dilemma
 

beaker

ME/cfs 1986
Messages
773
Location
USA
just having a circular dialogue with myself.

registration is due in 2 weeks.
car is at a friend's as he is also my mechanic,
and i'm deciding between car being used/ useful, or just sitting there.
i want it to have low km's.
then i feel that could be selfish.
but it's MY car.
i've kept registering it each year but haven't been driving it for 2 years, as i've always had it in mind that i would be well again, and that it'd be just as much trouble having to get a roadworthy certificate and serviced again for it having been sitting for many months.
my car is a personal thing, so no one else is ever allowed to drive it.
it is virtually new; it had 25000km on it when i bought it.
i drove it for 5 years, and not very far at all.
it still had a new car smell.
i have to let go of wanting the new car smell - poisonous fumes anyway - but i still want my car to be near new...
i might just tell my friend to drive it minimally.
i have to find out whether or not it's in his way, as well.
i can't just pick up the phone and converse, as i have lost my voice.
i had to move away suddenly and haven't been able to get back home.
i wonder if i should have it sent over to me. i would love to be well enough to drive again and drive back home. but it hasn't happened in over 2 years.
i just need to tell him to drive it once a week only. maybe he's doing that, but i have to find out.
i would even be glad if he used it for the occasional job (it's a light truck). but only for a short time.

dilemma
I had a similar dilemma . I had to move back east, my little truck was in the west. I kept it at a friend's business .
Kept holding on ... and about 2 years later it was stolen ! And for some reason I found that somewhat amusing. A big Cosmic message. The cops found it. My nice stereo gone, cassettes, all my softball equipment, and some camping stuff. They poured some oil on the floor ( I am told) and bashed it up a bit. It wasn't very old and I kept it in great shape. I had the choice of getting it fixed w/ the insurance $$ and keeping or selling or selling as is. A friend needed a reliable ride and didn't care about the cosmetic damage or the stereo. So I went that route and it was win win for us both.

I put the cash from the sale along w/ the insurance payment in an account. If I can ever drive again I have that savings for a car.

There's no right answer. Outwardly it seemed a silly to my friends and family for me to want to keep it. But it was more than a truck, it represented my well life. My freedom,independence and adventures. Letting it go, was letting go of all that. For a long time I had equated "letting go" w/ "giving up" . They are NOT the same thing.
Letting go just means this is how it is now, I hope it changes, but I am dealing with today.

Best wishes.
 
Messages
5
Location
australia
! thank you, friend! for understanding and stuff. terrible theft story for you.
and it really is all about letting go. I realise it is pointless being so hooked on the intention to drive again... but I loved it..! love my wheels... clearly I need to address the clingyness issue...

m.e just s u c k s !
 

Snookum96

Senior Member
Messages
290
Location
Ontario, Canada
I totally understand how you feel.

I have the same issue. I have to renew mine soon. I have it up for sale but am secretly (or not so secretly) happy that it hasn't sold yet because I keep changing my mind.

I feel like not having a car is admitting the permanence of the situation. It's hard to accept that this just isn't going away any time soon.

I like that the car is there, although I haven't driven in months. Makes me feel independent to know I have the option I think.
 

geraldt52

Senior Member
Messages
602
I can't help you with your decision whether to keep or not to keep.

If you decide to keep it though, I would definitely recommend that you have someone drive it at least once a month. Cars that have sat for long periods of time are known to be problematic for all sorts of things when you try to start driving them again. It can be expensive to get one roadworthy again...oil/grease seals, brakes, tires, at the very least. Just a small amount of driving it regularly can keep these things from becoming a problem. Someone should drive it long enough and far enough to get everything up to operating temperature...15-20 miles, depending on the weather...don't just start it up for a few minutes, or drive it just a mile...that'd be even worse for it.

If your only choice is to let it sit undriven, I would definitely sell it, because no matter how low the mileage on the odometer it will only be a problem when you try to drive it again.
 

SB_1108

Senior Member
Messages
315
I got sick in 2009 and noticed my inability to drive slowly (running red lights and feeling drunk behind the wheel). My car was very sentimental to me… My Dad restored cars for fun in his free time and had found this particular new car in a junk yard totaled. He bought it for a small fee and fixed it up for me. I had it since high school… so about ten years. I took immaculate care of it, it still looked new. I couldn’t drive it anymore though… years went by and my Husband would drive it to keep it running but there wasn’t anyway I could drive it.

It just came to the point that the insurance was due, the taxes were due, it needed an oil change and I still didn’t have an income (was waiting for disability). I had to let it go, so I sold it. I cried because it symbolized a loss of independence/freedom. But I told myself that I had to let it go eventually, it was time and that I would get something newer and better. I still haven’t gotten anything and I miss the car a lot but financially it didn’t make sense.

I’d say that if you can financially afford to keep your car and you have someone that will drive it for you occasionally, you should! Emotionally its extremely difficult to loose that level of independence.
 

geraldt52

Senior Member
Messages
602
To my post above, acker, I should add that if the car truly hasn't been driven in 2 years, and most importantly has the same fuel in it, you should have someone drain the fuel tank (and properly dispose of the fuel) before trying to drive it. It will save you money in the end. Gasoline goes bad over time, and bad gas can gum up the entire fuel system, and worse. If the fuel is 1 year old or less I'd say you're probably OK without draining the fuel tank. If the fuel is 2 years old, and you replace the old fuel before starting it, there probably won't be a problem.

Also, when a car is driven very little, like once a month, you should top off the tank every time it is driven to keep the fuel tank completely full. Any air space in the tank can lead to condensation, which does very bad things inside a fuel system.
 

taniaaust1

Senior Member
Messages
13,054
Location
Sth Australia
i've kept registering it each year but haven't been driving it for 2 years,

Based on my own experience with this, I strongly suggest you sell it. It's very natural that we want to hold onto our cars as its like admitting we wont get better soon by selling the car we aren't able to use so we fight with ourselves to keep it.

I wasted 2 and half years of registration on my car I couldn't drive any more. I kept telling myself at least if anything ever went very bad and I had to make an emergency trip down the road I'd be able to do so in the car even though I knew I was dangerous to drive. My elderly friend he also encouraged me not to give up the car though I couldn't drive it so every 3 mths I temporary renewed my car rego which is expensive.

By the time I finally came to terms with selling it, the car had been damaged from sitting there so long unused. The person brought it but within 2 weeks of them doing so, something major went in the car due to the time spent so long unused. This left me feeling very bad, feeling guilty for selling them a car which packed up on them in less then 2 weeks of the buy.

I really regret I didn't sell that car over a year earlier (I've always been attached to my cars).

If you are going to get another to regularly drive it, then of cause you should also have it insured, which of cause too just adds to the expense of having a car which you aren't even using yourself. It's also aging and devaluing (unless its a classic) as time goes on...

You can always buy yourself another car if you get to the point where you can drive again.. and don't forget if you get to that point, you also will also have the energy to go out car hunting for a nice car too and wont be viewing the whole idea in the way you would thinking about having to do that right now.
 
Last edited:

Rvanson

Senior Member
Messages
312
Location
USA
To my post above, acker, I should add that if the car truly hasn't been driven in 2 years, and most importantly has the same fuel in it, you should have someone drain the fuel tank (and properly dispose of the fuel) before trying to drive it. It will save you money in the end. Gasoline goes bad over time, and bad gas can gum up the entire fuel system, and worse. If the fuel is 1 year old or less I'd say you're probably OK without draining the fuel tank. If the fuel is 2 years old, and you replace the old fuel before starting it, there probably won't be a problem.

Also, when a car is driven very little, like once a month, you should top off the tank every time it is driven to keep the fuel tank completely full. Any air space in the tank can lead to condensation, which does very bad things inside a fuel system.

You can add a long-term fuel conditioner that should stabilize the gasoline for about a year. Its not that expensive. Just add it to the tank and run the engine to get the additive into all of your fuel system. Here is a link to a good brand of stabilizer.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...rue&ref_=ox_sc_act_title_1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER
 

alkt

Senior Member
Messages
339
Location
uk
sorry to hear about your dilemma i had recently purchased my first motorbike just 2 months before getting sick for me though the only dilemma was the lack of income so had to sell . and now 25 years later it would still be very dangerous and selfish for me to drive any vehicle. hopefully you will get better without having to endure for so long. if you have some one close to you you could come to an arrangement which benefits you both with regards to use and maintenance of the car.
 

panckage

Senior Member
Messages
777
Location
Vancouver, BC
car is at a friend's as he is also my mechanic,
...
my car is a personal thing, so no one else is ever allowed to drive it.
Sell it. He's doing you a favor while you are acting like a selfish you know what! You are expecting your friend to shoulder YOUR burden. I have no idea the relationship you guys have, but this is a good way to ruin it.
 
Messages
2,565
Location
US
Keep it if you have enough money and don't want the money for something else. But I hope you have some treatments/supplements/etc you want to try and use the money for. That way the car is going to good use - the money might help you get healthy.

Also, if you sell it, use part of the money to buy yourself something you would enjoy and use.