How was it in the 60s-80s?

I remember in the 80's. you could buy any old car for $500-$1000...Camaros, Firebirds, Darts, Chargers etc...
In 1988 I pickled up a 1969 Dart 318 2bbl for $500, perfect body, California car, everything worked on the car, I mean everything! The car was solid, and man to this day I kick myself everyday for selling that car, I really didn't know what I had. I drove that Car from Southern California, to northern California, about a 800 mile round trip, no issues ever, I took that car on that trip about 4 times in one year, pulled the grapevine(huge incline on the highway) just fine, never overheated.
The 2 issues I had with the car, is, a motor mount broke on me when I panic stopped from ALMOST hitting a kid who rode out on front of me on his bike, and it put the fan into the radiator, but not bad enough to make it leak, just bent up the fins.:wack:
The second issue was it needed brakes, new drums etc. I sold the car to a young High school girl for like $700,because I could not afford to fix it at the time, and opted to ride my bike to work lol, yup, I am a idiot. I saw her later on, and her BF had fixed the car at the auto shop at the High school, she said it cost less than $100 to fix, as all they had to do was buy the parts, and they got them cheap at a salvage yard:violent1:
I begged her to sell it back to me, but she said she loved that car, and was going to keep it as long as she could, and I always wonder, if she still has it. She would be about 44 years old now.

So overall, I have to say, I think if you maintain your car well, no matter how old or new, it will last you as long as you can afford to drive it.