Episode 51

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Published on:

11th May 2023

Rev-up Your Car Maintenance Game To Save Money and Increase Value

00:00 - OPEN - Rev-up You Car Maintenance Game to Save Money and Increase Value

New and used cars are more expensive than ever, so if you don’t want to spend a lot to replace your current vehicle, the strategies and tips in this episode will help you keep it in good running condition longer and looking its best.

00:50 - INTRO - Keep Your Current Used Car in Top Shape so It's Worth More When You Eventually Sell or Trade-in

If you have been thinking about replacing your current car, but you’re not sure what you want, I would advise you to reconsider that strategy for the time being and focus instead on stepping up your maintenance game so your car lasts longer and costs you less in the long run to drive and maintain. 

Also, keeping your current car in good condition will allow you to get more for it when you eventually trade it in or sell it down the road. 

03:20 - THE BASICS - Stay On Top Of Fluid Changes

  • Regular engine oil changes are critical
  • Use the correct oil for you car
  • Coolant flush
  • Brake fluid flush
  • Transmission fluid
  • Differential fluid
  • Power steering fluid
  • Use quality gasoline

09:25 - ON-GOING MAINTENANCE - Deferred Maintenance is for Dummies

  • Tune-ups
  • Timing belt and water pump replacement
  • Brake pads and rotors
  • Tire replacement
  • Alignment
  • Buy a cheap OBD II Scanner to diagnose trouble codes

13:45 - Keep A List Of Scheduled Maintenance Items And Make Routine Checks of Oil, Tire Pressure, Etc.

  • Keep a list of maintenance items and when they are due next
  • Check oil, washer fluid and brake fluid at fill-ups
  • Buy a good pressure gauge or a tire pump with a gauge
  • Pick a day and time each week to check your tire pressure and look at tire tread wear
  • On the same day, check your windshield wipers and clean your windows

16:50 - DRESS FOR SUCCESS - Spend Time Each Week To Keep Your Car Clean

  • Interior
  • Exterior
  • Repair broken, bent or dented parts

19:05 - PAIN AT THE PUMP - Strategies To Maximize Fuel Economy

  • Tune ups 
  • Tire pressure
  • Alignment
  • Double up on trips (do you need to go?)
  • Plan your urban trips for right hand turns (clock-wise circle)
  • UPS uses this strategy to save 10-million gallons of fuel each year
  • Take off the bike rack and rocket box!   Mine cost me about 3-mpg on the freeway. 

23:00 - CLOSE

Thanks for listening and be sure to subscribe and follow Better Than New on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Also, be sure to catch the next episode on the 1992-2000 Lexus SC400 V8 Coupe

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About the Podcast

Better Than New
Find a cool used car, truck or SUV at a price you'll love
The average new car sales price in the US is nearly $50,000, and the average used vehicle sales price is close to $30,000... I think that's insane! Well if you're like me and you don’t want to pay these crazy inflated car prices, I believe you should still be able to drive something fun. That’s the idea behind Better Than New – a podcast to help you find a cool used car, truck or SUV at a price you’ll love.

I’m Gary Crenshaw, host of Better Than New and a long time automotive enthusiast, and I want to inspire car buyers on a budget to think differently about what they can actually afford to drive. My goal is to introduce listeners to the broad array of interesting, fun-to-drive, enthusiast-friendly used cars, trucks and SUVs available at prices just about anyone can afford… vehicles from the 80s, 90s, 2000s and beyond that offer buyers a wide range of interesting choices. Each week we’ll explore a specific vehicle or vehicle category, tell you what to look for and what to avoid, and give you practical tips to help you find your next cool used car, truck or SUV and keep it on the road for years to come.

With a little work, the joy of owning a cool used car at price you’ll love is within reach and this podcast is here to help you find it.

So hop in, buckle up and let's go for a drive!

About your host

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Gary Crenshaw

A lifelong lover of all things mechanical, Gary has spent the majority of his existence driving, dreaming about or wrenching on cars, motorcycles and even the occasional airplane.

It started with mini-bikes and go-karts as a kid, progressed to 2-stroke dirt bikes, followed by his first car… a 1969 Volkswagen Beetle. Then came the Yamaha era with several RD400s, RZ350s and a Canadian RD350LC (should have kept that!). A pilot’s license was next with some memorable hours flying a 1946 Aeronca Champ low and slow around the Pacific Northwest. While in college, his brother-in-law who sold high-end cars hired him to deliver BMW, Mercedes and Porsche vehicles to customers.

Those early experiences led to a lifetime of owning an eclectic mix of interesting used cars, including a ‘65 Mustang GT, a ’72 Datsun 510, a Porsche 914, a Celica Alltrac Turbo, a Mini Cooper S, a couple of Miata’s, two Audi S4 Avants, a Galant VR4, a Fiat 850 Spider, a 1983 Subaru 4x4 GL wagon and a first gen RX-7, along with dozens of daily driver cars and SUVs from Acura, Honda, Toyota and Mazda. And his favorite? Depends on when you ask, but that distinction likely goes to the Mazda RX-4 station wagon he learned to drive in. That fun-to-drive car combined Gary's passion for wagons, rotary engines and manual transmissions all in one.

So what about you? Which used car, truck or SUV would you love to own? Let’s find it together!