Maintaining an Old Car
Most people have driven a ’beater’ in there lifetime, often in their high school years.  This is a car that is old, uncared for, and beat up.  Some of these vehicles work perfectly well for an every day commuter, despite their looks. But it is very important to keep them well maintained and safe, if not it could lead to a crash or a break-down.  There are certain tasks that should be done if you are driving a beater:

Safety:
Check the brakes; don’t wait until you hear grinding noises before taking action. There should be adequate material remaining on the brake pads for disc brake.  Leaking brake fluid means the need for immediate repairs.  The importance of well working breaks is obvious, so get these things done.

Tires also play an important role in keeping the car safe.  Worn out and neglected tires cause many accidents.  It is expensive to replace tires, but well worth it.

Seeing what outside of the vehicle is key to good safety. Windshield wiper blades and new headlight lenses are inexpensive, so there is no reason to let this one slide. 

Maintenance:
Prioritize things that, if not maintained, could cause a loss in control; the braking system, tires, the steering system is what any initial money should be invested in.

Next on the list is preventing break downs.  Keep good check of hoses and lines, belts, CV joints and fan.
Checking the oil, brake and transmission fluids should go without saying.  It is worth having a repair manual for your model, it will help greatly for ‘do-it-yourself’ repairs. To aid startup, clean corrosion from the battery terminals with baking soda mixed into water. Inspect the battery cables and their connections, and check spark plugs.

Time to Let Go
When is it time to stop putting money into a vehicle that only presents new problems?  A major repair should not be an automatic answer, there is really no easy way to know.  By researching you can get an idea of what the common problems your make of vehicle has.  Some cars, such as European ones, have very expensive parts, and are not likely worth the money to keep fixing.  It is a case by case call, and sometimes is hard to determine if the repair is worth the cost.

Some drive beaters to save money, yet they end up losing money because of repairs and break downs.  Keeping good general maintenance may help prevent this, and many things can be done on your own.  There are so many resources online about at home car repair.  If you do not know how to change the oil, look it up.  You will easily find a step by step guide.  Some people just love their old cars, and this is fine.  Just remember that neglected maintenance can be dangerous for not only yourself, but others.