Who's got a High Mileage Car? 200,000+

Currently driving a '97 Civic with a recorded 218K miles. I bought it with about 150K on the odo and have done "routine" type maintenance to the engine. The "chassis" is kind of beat up ( side-swipe before I bought it, and 2 parking lot light pole collisions) but the car still runs straight and reaches an INDICATED 85-95 mph relatively easily. Downside? Somewhere along the line (perhaps when the side-swipe was repaired) a piece or two was left out of the front suspension... so it can be a touch flaky on tight turns. Upside? Gets 32 mpg in town and on trips can JUST crack 40 MPG. And the A/C even works.

1983 Volvo 240 - 280K miles. The original clutch lasted 250K, even with three people learning stick. The last 5K miles its been turbocharged - and it didn't come that way from the factory.

1993 Volvo 940 - 311K miles. This is the wifemobile, simple, cheap, reliable in every way. The original water pump is just starting to go.

Not mine: while I was at the 'Zuzu place I had a customer who had bought an '86 Trooper II new, 2.3 5 speed, at ~310k the odometer quit. His wife drove it another year or two, then gave it to their daughter who promptly pulled out in front of a pickup truck and totaled it. We guesstimated it had 375K on it and it was DD'ed. IIRC he had rebuilt the carburetor twice, did one head gasket and two clutches, otherwise just oil changes brakes batteries and tires.

My Cavalier has 185k, bought it at 100k from a friend, needs about $100 a year in work. Replaced the exhaust last week, a coolant pipe last year. Otherwise just routine maintanance.

The wife has an 02 Malibu with 328,000 miles. It ate hub bearings before I learned to buy OE, needed intake gaskets at 125k and a cat at 200k, an alternator and a powersteering pump. It runs like new and aside from some really bad rust by the fuel filler it's still shiny.

My last DD was a 95 Escort. It was my wife's first new car. a tree fell on it when it was a year old and was reskined. It went through struts and rear springs but ran great until it stopped abruptly on my way home from work with 280k on it

My DD is a 1992 Merc 300D, 298K and counting. I've done a oil pump, head gasket, and glow plugs. I had a Dodge Cummins (1993) that I sold with 365K on it. The trans was built, I put a battery in it. Heck, even the front end held together just fine.

1984 Mercedes 300D Turbodiesel. 307,000 miles right now, bought in 2002 with 221,000 miles for $1750.

I've replaced one water pump, one rear half axle, and the middle section of the exhaust within a few years of purchase. I've had one valve adjustment, and otherwise its just been oil, brakes, shocks and batteries, and the occasional trim repair, oh and a new starter in I think 2008.

I drive it four days a week or so. I had no idea when I bought it what I was getting into. Its hard to get rid of free transportation. I confess I'm getting a little tired of it though. I want to get it up to 500K kilometers (around 310K miles) and submit for the grill badge, and then I think its time to move on.

2002 F250 Crew Cab Lariat FX4 4x4 Powerstroke Diesel with 255k is my daily driver. The truck literally looks new. Even the drivers side "slide my fat murrican ass" bolster that always wears is pristine.

I put in new oil cooler O-rings and did glow plugs when she arrived up north, who knows how long it had been running without glow plugs in sunny Florida. As far as I can tell, the rest of the engine and trans are original. Just replaced the OEM ball joints this summer. Pretty impressive.

I don't have it anymore (I sold it last Feb.), but I had a 97 Subaru Outback with 410,000 kms (about 260k miles).

I still see it around town every few weeks so I know it is still going.

I sold my 1983 Mercedes 300D with 357k on the clock. Someone thought it was still worth $1000. I would agree with that!

86 Prelude Siw/ 265,000 miles.

Original bottom end, reman head installed at about 230,000 but didn't really need to. Clutch has been replaced twice, alternator once, axles once. Needs paint/plasti-dip and could use A/C.

I've had it for 11yrs; it's still fun and pretty reliable for its' vintage. I've dated women who are less so..................

1987 4Runner with 426,000. Runs good. Needs paint.

logdog wrote: Did cars just fall apart at 50k in the 50s or something? I know by the 70s it seemed getting 150-200k didnt seem odd if maintenance had been done. I think anything other than fluids/tires/brakes under 100k is a failure and getting to 200k should be anymore than something like an alternator or some suspension work (although plenty of cars make it needing nothing at all). Ive had several 200-300k cars and it seems that is a common range here. So when did cars just fall apart beyond repair at low mileage?

It's not that they "fell apart", it's that they needed more maintenance than they do now and people neglected to do the maintenance just as much back then.

Think about it, do you file your points at 1500 miles?

Tune-ups were 3000 miles, same time as the oil change.

When was the last time anyone had to have a "valve job" done? Plenty of engines run their whole lives without having the head off now.

It used to be normal to have a re-ring, valve-job and bearing replacement a couple times in an engines life.

I've had plenty of old cars with high mileage but they only got theat way with proper maintenance.

I'd say modern stuff is simply more tolerant of neglect than anything.

I have a friend who uses a 70s Chevy cube van with a stock 350 SB as his work truck. He claims he's near 1 million miles on the basic motor, frame and body work. Of course he's replaced maintenance items many times.

My mailman has a 1976 Chevy Caprice also with a 350 that has 750K on it, or so he claims.

I have an XJ with 160K. Just a baby.

ive had numerous 250k+ hondas. most recent one was a 98 hatch that had 160 on it when i got it. i put new core support and panels on the front (previous owner fell in love with a tree). i swapped it to manual trans, drove it to 190, 38mpg daily, gave it to my brother for graduation who promptly put 40k on it and changed the oil 2 times... yes.. 2 times. needless to say around 230k it was eating oil like it was its job. brother calls me "hey, does a battery just die and wont turn back over?" uhhhh, are the headlights on? he says "yea" then no. i asked if the oil light was on..............."maybe" ..........for how long........ "a week"

lol. one whole week of oil light on.... finally went. put a junkyard engine in and sold the beast for $2200 last month (brother upgraded to a 2000 acura integra. 99k on the odo, main upgrade...AC! haha)

'71 Chevrolet C-10. ~240k miles. White-on-blue, longbed, 350 with TH350. Owned it since March, 2009.

Rebuilt the transmission 18 months ago, replaced a badly worn camshaft 10 months ago. Other than that, I've been through two sets of side pipes, three seat covers, and lots of oil. Its about due for a full rebuild, cylinders are pretty worn.

Trans_Maro wrote:

logdog wrote: Did cars just fall apart at 50k in the 50s or something? I know by the 70s it seemed getting 150-200k didnt seem odd if maintenance had been done. I think anything other than fluids/tires/brakes under 100k is a failure and getting to 200k should be anymore than something like an alternator or some suspension work (although plenty of cars make it needing nothing at all). Ive had several 200-300k cars and it seems that is a common range here. So when did cars just fall apart beyond repair at low mileage?

It's not that they "fell apart", it's that they needed more maintenance than they do now and people neglected to do the maintenance just as much back then. Think about it, do you file your points at 1500 miles? Tune-ups were 3000 miles, same time as the oil change. When was the last time anyone had to have a "valve job" done? Plenty of engines run their whole lives without having the head off now. It used to be normal to have a re-ring, valve-job and bearing replacement a couple times in an engines life. I've had plenty of old cars with high mileage but they only got theat way with proper maintenance. I'd say modern stuff is simply more tolerant of neglect than anything.

That's why it's funny to hear some of these old guys lamenting how they don't make 'em like they used to. Rustproofing also wasn't like it is today so even if you did all those things it was only a matter of time before the car disintegrated around you.

My AE92's over 200k miles, all in brutal gridlock traffic.

The powertrain is pretty much completely stock, internals are all factory. This engine eats distributors and a lot of the seals to the outside world have been changed. I run 25W60 oil to get good oil pressure and keep the smoking down.

209k on my mx6. Originally owned by a mazda master tech. Body is shot, runs like a champ.

1995 Ford F150 203k miles.

1993 Pontiac Bonneville SSE. I got the car from my Dad after my Mom passed away, it was her car. I sold it to a guy I worked with for $1100 with 275,000 miles on it. It still had the original trans and aside from a rusted brake line it only needed regular maint stuff.

2003 SAAB 9-5 Aero. We got it 4 years ago with 100k on it and it now has just under 180k. Its still young and I do not see it going away anytime soon.

1999 SAAB 9-3 HOT. When we got the 9-5 I gave my brother the 9-3. It had 210k on it when he got it, motor has never been touched and still on the original clutch.

1990 Celica GT. I sold that car when we got the 9-3 for $900 to a guy who was tired of putting gas into his Dodge PU. It had 298K on it at the time. The second gear synchro was on its way out, it blew a little smoke when you started it in the morning and has some rust behind the rear wheels.

Everything of mine is either 175k or just under it.....

99 camry, 243k. origigonal engine and trans have never had a gaskedt broken open.

replaced normal wear items, (brakes, etc), the alternator oncce, struts and swapped to poly bushings. thats it. was bought by my dad qith 30k on it, driven till i bought it from him at 202k.

michael

<<<< That 911 over there. 1976 911S targa, 221k miles and climbing.

Original trans, new clutch a few years ago. Third motor. Original 2.7 pulled head studs. Replaced with a 3.0 that had a connecting rod break and punch a hole in the case. Replaced with the current 3.2 that is in it.

Plus, new shocks, torsion bars, wheels, etc. All the stuff was available on this model or later models. For instance I went from 15 inch wheels to 16's, I went to larger torsion bars out of a later car, etc.

But its been a 10 year project. These things are never done...

Trans_Maro wrote: It's not that they "fell apart", it's that they needed more maintenance than they do now and people neglected to do the maintenance just as much back then. Think about it, do you file your points at 1500 miles? Tune-ups were 3000 miles, same time as the oil change. When was the last time anyone had to have a "valve job" done? Plenty of engines run their whole lives without having the head off now. It used to be normal to have a re-ring, valve-job and bearing replacement a couple times in an engines life. I've had plenty of old cars with high mileage but they only got theat way with proper maintenance. I'd say modern stuff is simply more tolerant of neglect than anything.

I agree. Cars get better and better at surviving their owners. I dont know if I would consider a vehicle "high mileage" until 300k anymore.

My DD Nissan Kingcab hardbody has 353k miles. I have done two head jobs and rebuilt the engine once in between. Other than shocks, brakes and tires, that about it. Paint is starting to look pretty bad. Pretty boring, but it gets the job done. The R-12 AC even works.