# Invest in 2nd rebuilt tranny for 2003 Eurovan? **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** eurovan, volkswagen\ **Created:** [August 6, 2018, 8:54pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/invest-in-2nd-rebuilt-tranny-for-2003-eurovan/122415 "2018-08-06T20:54:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![shadowfax](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/shadowfax/32/13026_2.png) [@shadowfax](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shadowfax)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2018, 9:12pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/invest-in-2nd-rebuilt-tranny-for-2003-eurovan/122415/21 "2018-08-07T21:12:15Z")
I do consider cars to be investments. Investments don’t have to directly make money in order to be investments. We often say that an education is an investment in the future, even though most of us didn’t get paid to go to college. A computer won’t make me money directly, but the articles I write on it, or the stocks I trade with it, will. Similarly, the car won’t make me money directly, but I can use it to get to work. If I don’t go to work I get fired and don’t make any money, so by investing in the car I get a monetary return via the opportunity the car opens up for me. And OP’s got herself a bad investment, because a car that keeps eating transmissions won’t get you to work very well, and you’ll spend a lot of the money you make at work on repairing the crappy vehicle. ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2018, 9:18pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/invest-in-2nd-rebuilt-tranny-for-2003-eurovan/122415/22 "2018-08-07T21:18:43Z")
> **[Why Your Car Is Not an Investment](http://learnfinancialplanning.com/car-is-not-an-investment/)** > > You love spending thousands of dollars for your car thinking that it is an investment. But the truth is, car is not an investment. Know the reasons why! Tester ---
**Author:** ![Dakotaboy](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/dakotaboy/32/21842_2.png) [@Dakotaboy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Dakotaboy)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2018, 10:14pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/invest-in-2nd-rebuilt-tranny-for-2003-eurovan/122415/23 "2018-08-07T22:14:04Z")
The only VW vans that are worth anything are '60s campers and such. Saw one go for $100K plus at Mecum. ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2018, 11:24pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/invest-in-2nd-rebuilt-tranny-for-2003-eurovan/122415/24 "2018-08-07T23:24:33Z")
> [@Dakotaboy](#): > > The only VW vans that are worth anything are '60s campers and such. Saw one go for $100K plus at Mecum. The problem with the high priced examples is that driving them too much will devalue them. They get used occasionally, but the extra mileage and highway road rash will really mess with the value. These are more collector cars than recreational vehicles. ---
**Author:** ![shadowfax](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/shadowfax/32/13026_2.png) [@shadowfax](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shadowfax)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2018, 1:48pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/invest-in-2nd-rebuilt-tranny-for-2003-eurovan/122415/25 "2018-08-08T13:48:42Z")
> [@Tester](#): > > ![](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/5/7/573fdeab3ce4f1657e9f3054e5fce909af704e9a.png) [Financial Planning – 14 Feb 09](http://learnfinancialplanning.com/car-is-not-an-investment/) > > ### [Why Your Car Is Not an Investment](http://learnfinancialplanning.com/car-is-not-an-investment/) > > You love spending thousands of dollars for your car thinking that it is an investment. But the truth is, car is not an investment. Know the reasons why! That’s a purely balance-sheet definition of investment, and it’s the kind of thinking that leads MBAs to fire IT people because they don’t directly make the company money. While it’s true that the tech support guy doesn’t directly make the company money, the tech support guy keeps the people who give money to the company happy, and if they get mad, they’ll give their money to someone else, which is why tech support is a good investment for companies. The car does not directly make you money unless you’re a cab driver, and you can make less money by selling it as time goes by, but the car does allow you to reliably get to work and get paid. If you don’t go to work, you’ll lose your paycheck, which is why a car is a good investment for people who want jobs. ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2018, 3:14pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/invest-in-2nd-rebuilt-tranny-for-2003-eurovan/122415/26 "2018-08-08T15:14:51Z")
Some people ride buses and subways to and from work. And they pay a fare for the convenience of getting from point A to point B. That fare is money spent that they’ll never see again or ever realize a return from. Same with a car. You pay for the car which depreciates, the gas, license, insurance, and the maintenance and repairs for that car. All money spent that you’ll never see again or realize a return from, just for the convenience of getting from point A to point B. I don’t consider that as being an investment. Tester ---
**Author:** ![eddo](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/eddo/32/2594_2.png) [@eddo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/eddo)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2018, 3:32pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/invest-in-2nd-rebuilt-tranny-for-2003-eurovan/122415/27 "2018-08-08T15:32:39Z")
> [@Tester](#): > > I don’t consider that as being an investment. > > Tester I guess that depends on what you expect your return to be. A return on an investment doesn’t have to be money. Cars are fun, cars can give independence, cars can give a freedom. I may not have the financial value in my 2000 GMC pick as I did when I bought it- but the 12+ years of enjoyment and reliable transportation that I have received out of it have been worth it to me. For that- I see it as an investment that has paid off, and continues to do so. ---
**Author:** ![systemBuilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a4c791/32.png) [@systemBuilder](https://community.cartalk.com/u/systemBuilder)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2018, 3:36pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/invest-in-2nd-rebuilt-tranny-for-2003-eurovan/122415/28 "2018-08-08T15:36:13Z")
I have bad news for you! Cars have a lifetime just like people! There is infant mortality. That’s why you have a warranty! There is an old-age decline and your car is deep into this period! Volkswagens just aren’t very reliable. You got 160,000 miles out of Volkswagen of any kind you are extremely lucky your car has made it to 105 human years! Sell it before you go bankrupt! [Previous page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/invest-in-2nd-rebuilt-tranny-for-2003-eurovan/122415.md?page=1)