Being exrtremely aware of the economy today is one reason I have kept hold of my older vehicles instead of replace them. Taking care of them has saved me more money than I can put a number on. I don’t mind the lack of luxuries at all, my truck (1988 GMC 1 ton 4×4) looks, runs, rides and performs every bit as good as a brand new truck. I, like many Americans, opt to get my older older vehicles repaired rather than trade it in on a newer one.

It’s a lot less expensive to maintain an older vehicle, based on less complicated systems to repair. Normally, when an automobile or truck reaches the end of its life expectancy, owners will generally start looking for a new vehicle.

But as more and more people lose their jobs or fear losing their jobs as the nation’s economic crisis continues, many people are choosing to repair their old vehicle rather than take on another debt for a new one. As a result,  automobile mechanics are noticing an increase in business and an increase in more expensive, involved repair jobs.

Brian Hanson of GotEngines.com said he is seeing an increase in large ticket jobs such as engine replacements.

Engine and transmission replacements do not come cheap, Hanson said. Replacing an engine can cost $1500-$3,000, but it is still less than the cost of a new vehicle.

I have noticed that vehicle owners are also trying to stretch the time between preventive maintenance like oil changes and waiting longer before having squeaky brakes and worn tires replaced. That is a mistake.

As a knee jerk reaction most vehicle owners will consider trading their vehicle when the engine or transmission begins to go, but Hanson is getting more requests for engine and transmission rebuilds and used replacements.

While I’m semi-retired from the transmission and engine industry small jobs become less important than the large repairs. I think drivers are repairing more than they’re buying, cars are not coming down in price.

In addition to the payments a new vehicle would bring, new ‘rides‘ also bring higher insurance premiums than older ‘rides’. I have heard these sentiments from other folks. Personally I have always subscribed to the paradigm of having it fixed instead of a new car. With proper maintenance and periodic repairs, modern automobiles should be safely driven well beyond 150,000 miles.

Now is the time of year when a lot of the business we’ve been getting is income tax check money,” Hanson says. They’re saying we can’t afford to take a chance on a car payment, so they call us to get this one fixed.”

Even in a poor economy, qualified repair shops keep their mechanics busy with big item jobs mostly consisting of used engines, rebuilt engines and even new engines and transmissions. Lets face it, if the car is in fair condition $3000 beats $30,000. Loan or no loan.

Speaking more with Brian Hanson leaves me confident he will step up the pace in suppling customers with affordable hi quality replacement engines. GotEngines.com has earned their reputation by helping customers make good decisions for each unique situation. Hanson incorporated GotEngines.com Blog into his business as a realistic and understandable source to educate his customers and potential customers on many areas of concern people have and don’t know about concerning the maintenance required to have your vehicle last as long as possible.