Time to thin the herd

[Gfish]

JMO, old beaters that don't break-down all the time are undervalued. No worries about scratches and dents. No super-expensive repairs. No high-tech electronic systems or modules to deal with. Anyone who judges you based on the condition of your vehicle, maybe you don't want to associate with anyway...

[CincyDavid]

Agreed. My mother bought it new, gifted it to me as a beater for the kids to drive when they were in high school in 2015(got such a horrible trade in offer she said she'd rather the kids destroy it) and college and it eventually morphed into my fishing car. 220,000 miles ice cold air, and if somebody hits it, no harm no foul. Did a timing belt, water pump and serpentine belt at 200k, service the transmission every 50k, brakes and tires as needed. I still puzzle over what drove her to choose this color. Part of me thinks it reminded her of the Honey Gold 65 Mustang convertible she bought new in 1965...her first new car. Just repainted the mailbox over the weekend too...freshened it right up.

[Shark Hunter]

I have a 1999 Camry with 210K on it my son gave me. His first car.
It has never been washed. I park it right in front.

[oc1]

If you don't wash it, a vehicle develops a patina and "character" after a while.  You can't buy a nice honest patina; otherwise, everybody would have one.  It requires a lot of dedication and restraint though.

[CincyDavid]

I don't wash mine either, it just makes more clear coat flake off. I do, however keep a matched set of tires on all of my cars, beater or not, mismatched tires bug me. The nice cars get Michelin, the beater gets whatever cheap tires the tire store had in stock.

[CincyDavid]

I know it's been awhile since washes when lichen starts growing on it.

[Gfish]

Waiting to see what kinda flora(fauna too?)grows on the roof of my van. It's dark muddy looking now, perhaps not deep enough yet.

[CincyDavid]

Maybe a bag of top soil will encourage some sort of weird growth.

[oc1]

I once saw a car that the guy had glued and tied flats of sod all over it; like a carpet.  I think it was Seaside Pasphalum for good wind resistance.