Longest Lasting Car On The Road

leomort · December 2001

I also noticed the irony in this post "longest lasting car...." vs the "disposable car.." post. Diametrically (spelling?) opposed? Many of the cars here would be considered many thousands of miles beyond their "disposable" terms.

I aslo like my cars to be reliable with low maintenance cost. Thus the rules out the luxury brands, and german/eurpean cars.

Leo

suvshopper4 · December 2001

ndance: Good post. Yeah, how interesting the car is, that's important. And one's 'point of pain' re repair cost, I like that.

I've always admired Saabs. Just don't want to have to rely on one. Or have to deal with repairs, in terms of both dollars and convenience. Very important in a one-car household.

jrdwyer · December 2001

I agree with the comments about luxury and German cars having high long-term maint. costs. If a person truly wants low cost maintenance and has some basic appitude for repair, then choose a high volume car or truck (F-150, Accord, Camry, C-1500, gm cars, Taurus, etc.) The reason is simple: available parts and available mechanics.

As an example of this, I recently went to our local pull-apart junkyard for two repair parts. Our 1988 Olds Delta 88 (180K) needed a new headlight lens cover. Cost new $150+. Cost used $75. Cost at pull-apart where there were many old similar models to pick from $26(including bulbs). I also was looking for a muffler for my 95 Mazda Protege (136K). Cost new $135-180, cost used $75, cost at pull-apart where I was lucky to find one suitable wreck $6.

To a similar extent, the cost of having a mechanic do such work is related to how familiar they are with the car and the availability of aftermarket parts.

Mr_Shiftright · December 2001

You have to realize that we don't get to see or drive some of these "long-lasting" cars. I bet some of them are really wrecks and really dangerous.

I run into this all the time. Someone says to me "Oh, you run down on Saabs but I never have trouble with mine". So I say "Okay, let's go for a drive in it".

Well, whaddya know, sure it runs and looks "okay", but within three blocks I'm saying "what's that clunk?" and he's saying "WHAT CLUNK? Oh, that, I just slow down when I hear that".
And then I notice a pool of power steering fluid in his garage and he says "Yeah, well, I just put in a pint every few weeks...what's the big deal?"

Driving a car like that would make me nuts.

leomort · December 2001

yes, that is probably very true. Some have probably been kept way past their usefulness. But I'd also hope some of them look nice for their age and/or mileage. Their probably a reasonable compromise somewhere in the middle between these two topics.

Leo

jrdwyer · December 2001

To answer the question, are these cars junkers?

The 1988 Olds Delta 88 (180K). Paint-poor, windshield-small crack on passenger side, transmission- slow leak, front shocks- should be repalced, rubber engine mounts- should be replaced, everything else- good to excellent.

1995 Mazda Protege (136K). Looks and drives like new. Excellent condition.

I agree that one should not drive a car with faulty mechanicals and possibly endanger himself or others. But just because a car has high miles and a few minor flaws, this dosen't relegate it to the scrap heap.

ywilson · December 2001

I used to own a SAAB 9000 turbo. I had it since new and when my wife totalled her car I gave her that one. When the head gasket blew on it, the mileage was 285,000+ miles. I have not seen alot about SAAB's here but there arre many out there with alot of miles on them. Body does stay decent but other little things seem to go wrong. The engines are rock solid.

Mr_Shiftright · December 2001

Saabs are basically rugged but if you want a lot of miles out of them you are going to have to put money in the car. Most high mileage Saabs I see or drive around in are in terrible shape, but they are still running.

So the high mileage goals you may have also have to take into account your standards. If you want a high mileage car that looks and operates without fault, that usually costs a fair amount to achieve.

dhughes3 · December 2001

I don't see a clear winner from the standpoint of make. What I do see is that the vast majority of these cars were used at a rate far above the national average of 12-15K per year. For instance: first brake job at 130K; first clutch at 250K; several examples that guess out at 30-45K per year driven; most well over 20K/year. These evidence that the car is being kept running for long periods of time, probably at steady rate highway speeds. Any car can acheive long life if it isn't subjected to a lot of cold starts and stop-and-go traffic. There's the secret. Keep it rolling.
I didn't try to sort out the replies by locale, but I wonder if they wouldn't show that southern cars outlast those that have to undergo the rigors of cold weather driving.

andre1969 · December 2001

I agree that when you put a lot of miles on a car, most likely you're going to get a lot more out of it than if it doesn't get driven much. For example, a few years ago, someone gave me a '67 Newport with about 108,000 miles on it. Little-old-lady owned car. I also have a '68 Dart that has about 338,000 miles on it. Believe it or not, though, my Dart, with 3X the miles, is in better shape than that Newport was! Well, okay, the Newport was still on its original drivetrain, where the engine/tranny/rear end were replaced in the Dart around the 240K mark!

I think a lot of what happens is that when you drive a car a lot, chances are you're going to keep up with maintenance. But if you don't drive as much, you might be more likely to let things go. Also, as cars age, and become second/backup cars for the family, they're just going to sit around more. I had to depend on that Dart for my daily transportation for years, so I had to make sure it was (semi) roadworthy. OTOH, that Newport I picked up hadn't been driven more than a few miles at a time in probably a decade. In fact, the roughly 15 mile trip home was probably the longest trip that car had seen since the Reagan administration! Probably one of the highest speeds it had seen since then, too! Mechanically it was fine...those old big-blocks and torqueflites could put up with a lot of abuse, but the body and interior were literally falling apart around the drivetrain!

allchevy · December 2001

We have a 69 Pontiac GTO just turning 380,000 reliable miles of grocery,vacation,crusing-even some drag racing daily miles.It is running on a 350 cu in small block chevy-the 400 pontiac engine was blown when I got it over 20 yrs ago.It has used 1 engine and trans rebuild 3 rear ends,countless brake jobs ,tune ups, oil changes and radiators to keep it growling down the road, laying some rubber along the way!We are finally replacing the origional interior and its ready for some new brake lines and another paint job. They just dont make them like they used to!

Mr_Shiftright · December 2001

Well, cars were simpler back then, and cruder, so you can repair/restore them much easier. A guitar is easier to re-string than a piano.

accountstudent · December 2001

My father-in-law has a '97 Ford F-150 4x4 just now hitting 200,000 miles on the odometer. It's his work truck. He drives it to a coal mining job every day and the interior is totally saturated with black coal dust. It has had the oil changes about 10 times and still runs great. The front windshield leaks and it has been driven up a tree(driver fell asleep). The auto transmission has begun to slip a little. This Ford is definitely "Ford Tough"!

dhughes3 · December 2001

Hey, accountstudent--Have you considered that the coal dust may be filling the otherwise beat out & worn out bearing surfaces and cylinder walls? Sort of a poor man's STP treatment!

popkwizz · January 2002

1979 320i I bought in '86 had to go to the smog graveyard last year with 206k. State of California bought it from me for $1000 and I bought another 1979 320i with 144k miles on it for $1000. It's a tough car and there seem to be thousands (not literally, but almost!) of them out here in Northern California in good shape. I have an '84 318i that I bought with 135k on it and it now has 260k and will probably make its last visit to a gas station this coming fall when it goes up against mr smogtest. These cars are extraordinarily durable and fun to drive and built like the proverbial brick schmidt hut, for the most part. But, just for the heck of it, I just bought an '86 300E Mercedes with 63k miles on it and I fully expect to keep it around for many years.

tboner1965 · January 2002

Drive it out here instead of selling it to the State of CA.

Heck, I'd give you the 1K and a cheap ticket on a plane so you could get back.

Anything that makes it across country is worth 1K 8^)

TB

popkwizz · January 2002

tboner: My second 320, 'brownie', I bought because it was convenient and because I know a lot about these cars from personal 125k driving experience. But I bought it because it was the best thing I could find under time pressure to get another vehicle. Though I paid $1000 for the car and my mx tells me it's worth $1500 I don't really see it quite that way. The paint has taken a beating; the heater blows all the time; the '79 is known for cracked heads in due time; driver's seat is total funk, though in one vinyl piece; loose tranny, but will probably hang in there for another 30k; battery brace is loosening up, and yet I'd still take this car over any new or 'preowned' tin can for safety, maneuverability, and general quality driving experience. But, I wouldn't drive it across country unless I had to. The one I sold to the state was really due to become a coffee table as it finally cracked. Though even after that it seemed as though it would go on like the stripped down dude from Terminator. But my mx said they wouldn't touch it anymore!!

58vw · January 2002

250 K each on 85 Peugeot 505STI and 84 Volvo 240, 230 on 1985 Nissan maxima, 230 on 94 Saturn sl2 with original clutch. It appears that driving carefully for the first few blocks to warm up and frequent oil changes may make a difference.

58 VW

stonewall8 · January 2002

I bought a 70 Olds Delta 88 with 100,200 miles on it and drove it till it had 203,000 and sold it to a guy that drove it from S. Fla to Ky and back, starting the next day. He came back to pay me the last of the money he owed me for it and I asked how it did on the trip. He said he had to tie a stocking on in place of the alternator belt half-way up Fla. and that got him to a repair shop. He said that was the only problem in the 3000 mile trip. When I owned it I had to replace the timing belt at 157k, ball joints at 140k, and the a/c quit at 180k (around 1987). I got 20 mpg on a trips in it. It had a 350 2Bbl with a 350 trans.

totyreed · January 2002

I just discovered this site and have to tell you what a Toyota fan I am. I bought a 92 Camry with only 4,000 miles on it (dealer demo) and now have 201,000 miles on it. The amazing thing is that it looks almost new inside and out. Paint still shines better than many 'new' cars except for a few paint chips from stones. Usually gets one, maybe two wax jobs a year. Engine runs great, just general maintenance. One brake job at 99,000 miles. Two major tune ups at the 100k and 200k mark. Original exhaust, water pump, etc. I have changed oil every 3,000 miles and tran. oil every 35,000, plus drain and refill radiator every 2 years. Never used oil additives and the car doesn't burn oil. Have replaced belts twice, but no major repairs. I still drive the car everyday and starts immediately, even in very cold Michigan weather. Great car.

Longest Lasting Car On The Road

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