300,000 Myth???

[jrmason]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
You have to really like a car to keep it that long.

By this point you're your own mechanic doing front end work, wheel bearings, wiper motors, window regulators, all the cheezy stuff that hasn't been improved in thirty years, and may actually have had the last nickel of quality stolen from their designs.

You'll have the skills to fix your car, and can buy another one of yours, ten years newer with 100k less miles for $1500. And it'll be less rusty. And any reasonable person would do it. You'd have to be unreasonably attached to your current heap to stay in it.


Maybe for someone who drives 5minutes to work and back and hits every store they need in between, but I don't think that's what were talking about. If you average 30k miles a year you can hit 300k in 10 years. Its very feasible for those who live in the country and commute to the city,or maybe they travel a lot as a salesman or a home health nurse. I know a lot of people that average right around that, some a little more and some a little less. Most dont hang on to them that long but I know a few that do. My former truck, a 2000 Dodge 3500/ Cummins had 380k on it when I sold it. It was mostly highway miles but they were towing miles. Other than routine maintenance I only had to rebuild the front end twice and the transmission once. It was a very reliable truck as is my current 98.

 

[Doog]

I have found that financially the optimal time to trade in a car is at 200,000 miles. I keep up the maintenance well enough to send them back with most of the factory chassis and brake components still in tact. So, my maintenance is really fluids, tires, brake pads, filters and one tune up.

Which allows me to drive a Lexus ES350 for about $.18 per mile.

 

[DSparks]

I have a 2004 ford f250 5.4 2v that i bought used with 105k off a lease program..now has 255k...has had cheap fleet conventional oils and cheap filters but it has been on a fairly rigorous oil/filter change schedule of 5-6k....no signs of any issues and never been apart...engine is clean except kinda dark/slight varnish which does not bother me one bit..this truck/engine gets beat on with lotsa towing in south texas daily...headed for 300k+ cause im not buying/replacing anytime soon...moral of story..change the oil/filter with something/anything on a consistant basis to get the crud out and most anything will live a long life..i dont buy the long oci's and synthetics...to much to go wrong and to much crud for the oil/filters to hold/suspend...imho.

 

[HerrStig]

Originally Posted By: 01_celica_gt
Originally Posted By: qwerty1234
I've been told that a modern day engine can go 300,000+ miles??? Thats my question. I have a 2000 Honda Civic that I change at 4,000 miles with Penszoil 5 30. However, I tend to believe that the rest of the car will go out before the engine?? The car has 225,000 miles and friends are joking with me. I've changed the coolant, transmisson, and brake fluid. There is rust that is starting. I live near downtown Chicago so I can assume it's "heavy use"??

a modern day engine can last a million miles if taken care of...

I know of one honda accord that lasted that long, then I think there was a chevy truck, and also a volvo that lasted a millions miles each.
The only thing factory OEM on that Volvo is the radiator cap.

 

[SlipperyPete]

Originally Posted By: css9450
Originally Posted By: bigt61
...most people just get bored and want a new ride.


This. Most Americans don't have an attention span long enough to keep a car that long.

I drive a lot - nearly 25,000 miles a year most years - but that's down from what I used to do. But even at that rate that's twelve years to reach 300,000 miles. Most people are bored and are looking for a change long before than.

I've kept one car to over 300K, purchased brand new, and will soon have a second. But I don't personally know any people who have done so.


Is it just Americans? Are there lots of 300,000 mile vehicles in other parts of the world because of their longer attention spans?

 

[Astro14]

Originally Posted By: HerrStig
Originally Posted By: 01_celica_gt
Originally Posted By: qwerty1234
I've been told that a modern day engine can go 300,000+ miles??? Thats my question. I have a 2000 Honda Civic that I change at 4,000 miles with Penszoil 5 30. However, I tend to believe that the rest of the car will go out before the engine?? The car has 225,000 miles and friends are joking with me. I've changed the coolant, transmisson, and brake fluid. There is rust that is starting. I live near downtown Chicago so I can assume it's "heavy use"??

a modern day engine can last a million miles if taken care of...

I know of one honda accord that lasted that long, then I think there was a chevy truck, and also a volvo that lasted a millions miles each.
The only thing factory OEM on that Volvo is the radiator cap.


You're talking about Irv Gordon and his Volvo P1800. It's got over 3 million miles on it now, and much of it is still original.

Doubters like to poke, but his first engine rebuilt wasn't until 680,000 miles...and when he had it done, the mechanic was amazed how little wear the engine had internally...it could have gone twice as far without the rebuild.

Irv's profile was ideal for longevity. 75 miles each way to his job as a teacher. Gentle warm-up and long run every day. Then, long road trips in his summers off.

Still, 3,000,000 is a lot of miles...and he really does like his car...

I would keep my 1990 Toyota 4 Runner forever, it's the perfect machine for what I do, but the body rot has started. I debate the wisdom of replacing it...vs. keeping it. For now, it costs me nothing, maintenance is inexpensive and uncommon. It's had the suspension rebuilt (by me, all new bushings and balljoints, etc. front and rear) but the engine and trans are untouched at a low 265,000 miles.

My father's 1981 Mercedes 240D was running perfectly with over 250,000 miles on it...but salt ended up killing that one too. I inherited it when he died in 1991 (I was overseas, long story) and loved driving that car. 4 Speed manual, and solid, comfortable, and economical...a bit of a challenge in the mountains of Colorado...but a truly great car...the floors and subframe mounts rotted completely out even though the paint and exterior were still good...

 

[Astro14]

Originally Posted By: SlipperyPete
Originally Posted By: css9450
Originally Posted By: bigt61
...most people just get bored and want a new ride.


This. Most Americans don't have an attention span long enough to keep a car that long.

I drive a lot - nearly 25,000 miles a year most years - but that's down from what I used to do. But even at that rate that's twelve years to reach 300,000 miles. Most people are bored and are looking for a change long before than.

I've kept one car to over 300K, purchased brand new, and will soon have a second. But I don't personally know any people who have done so.


Is it just Americans? Are there lots of 300,000 mile vehicles in other parts of the world because of their longer attention spans?


Nope, in my estimation, it's salt and the easy availability of leasing.

States and municipalities salt the roads heavily in winter weather because of liability. It kills cars in the rust belt. There aren't really any cars that last a long time in most parts of the country.

Because leasing makes the payments low, folks just get new cars.

But look in California or Texas, where there's no salt, and no rust...tons of high mileage vehicles...the paint's gone from the UV exposure...but the cars are intact and still running...

 

[PF52]

Originally Posted By: SlipperyPete
Originally Posted By: css9450
Originally Posted By: bigt61
...most people just get bored and want a new ride.


This. Most Americans don't have an attention span long enough to keep a car that long.

I drive a lot - nearly 25,000 miles a year most years - but that's down from what I used to do. But even at that rate that's twelve years to reach 300,000 miles. Most people are bored and are looking for a change long before than.

I've kept one car to over 300K, purchased brand new, and will soon have a second. But I don't personally know any people who have done so.


Is it just Americans? Are there lots of 300,000 mile vehicles in other parts of the world because of their longer attention spans?


People make broad generalizations on this forum all the time. You don't have to agree with them.

 

[camrydriver111]

Originally Posted By: turboseize
An engine lasts as long as the owner intends to keep it running. Of course, this requires proper maintenance and yes, there are some exceptions like those 1.2 and 1.4 VW engines, but generally speaking, if you maintain your vehicle properly and repair minor problems before they can turn into big ones, the vehicle will last as long as you wish.



Please ignore the boost gauge, I was accelerating. Cruising at 180km/h (112mph) the boost gauge usually stays between white and yellow, that is roughly at ambient pressure.
500,000km is 310,000 miles. Today, car has nearly 535,000km/332,433 miles on the odometer.
Gently warm the engine up before you demand power, let her cool down before you shut her off, and never skip on maintenance.
That's all it takes.


Great car!

 

[RISUPERCREWMAN]

Originally Posted By: RazorsEdge
It's not a myth at all. We will hit 300,000 miles easily on our Crown Victoria this Spring/Summer and I'll post pics of the car,etc. It was bought with 60,000 @ an auction and has never had the valve covers off.

The bottom line:You take care of a vehicle,you'll be easily seeing 300,ooo plus miles.You people on this forum worry waaaayyyy too much about the lil stuff concerning oil.Most of the time,the engine will outlast the body/frame of an vehicle regardless of which oil you choose to run.



Congrads! I'm hoping to get 300K from my 2011 Crown Victoria that I bought with 36K on the odometer several years ago. I'm at 68K now. Its a great daily driver. I change the oil & filter at 5K miles religiously.

 

[SlipperyPete]

Originally Posted By: css9450
Originally Posted By: SlipperyPete
Originally Posted By: css9450
Originally Posted By: bigt61
...most people just get bored and want a new ride.


This. Most Americans don't have an attention span long enough to keep a car that long.

I drive a lot - nearly 25,000 miles a year most years - but that's down from what I used to do. But even at that rate that's twelve years to reach 300,000 miles. Most people are bored and are looking for a change long before than.

I've kept one car to over 300K, purchased brand new, and will soon have a second. But I don't personally know any people who have done so.


Is it just Americans? Are there lots of 300,000 mile vehicles in other parts of the world because of their longer attention spans?


People make broad generalizations on this forum all the time. You don't have to agree with them.


Thanks for letting me not agree with them. Is it OK with you if I question them from time to time?

 

[turtlevette]

Originally Posted By: Burt
Driving in Chicago is like parking the car on the beach with all the salt they put down.


They put so much salt on the road in MA that the roads are white. It's more like driving your car thru the ocean surf. Like Jack did to that vette in Terms Of Endearment.

 

[Leo99]

My Rav4 is due to hit 300k miles in June2016. No rust at all. Interior looks brand new. The only part of the body that shows age is the front of the hood from getting hit with little stones. Lots of paint chips.

Spent $200 on repairs the life of it. One starter, one O2 sensor. Other than that, brakes twice, tires and coolant twice. The brakes seem to last about 100k miles. I guess when you drive 100 miles a day on the highway, it helps.

My wife says once something serious breaks (>$500) it's time for a new vehicle. To me, once you rebuild the engine, you restart the clock on the car. I think it can get to 350k to 375k miles before something serious happens. It has some front and rear seal oil leaks, about 1/2 quart per 5000 miles. As long as that stays the same, it will keep on driving.

 

[turboseize]

Originally Posted By: jrmason


What year and model VW is this? I wish they would put those cool MAP gauges in the dash over here :-(
And the clock in the dash...something I loved about my 85 Golf but they no longer do that either.


That is no VW.

It's a Saab. Saab-Scania, to be precise (no GM [censored] in this car!). 900 turbo 16, model year 1985.

 

[jrmason]

Oops! Just re read your post, misinterpreted it the first time.

 

[fdcg27]

There is little doubt that some SI engines can do 300K without ever being opened.
There's also litle doubt that the rest of the car will be pretty well done well before that.
Anyone who really wants mega-miles out of any car can get there.
Some years ago, I read a magazine article in which a Pantera enthusiast was profiled.
The guy had over 220K on his highest mileage Pantera.
My point is that if you can get past 220K with a car which had no good parts outside of the Ford 351C, then you can get past 300K with almost anything else.
It just becomes a matter of how often you want to fix it.

 

[Burt]

Originally Posted By: fdcg27

It just becomes a matter of how often you want to fix it.


True, but if I had more to for a life, I would be reading Bitog either!

 

[kschachn]

Originally Posted By: fdcg27
It just becomes a matter of how often you want to fix it.


I'd say it's more a matter of how much you want to pay to fix it, my Accord and two Toyotas didn't cost nearly as much to get to 200,000 as did the BMW (which isn't even there yet). To be fair the BMW is older though, and a lot of the repairs/maintenance can be attributed to age more than mileage.

 

[fourside]

I live in Southern California, so rust is basically out of the equation. I've had several cars with over 200K on the clock that I have no doubt would've reached 300. I've also had a 1991 BMW 525i with 330K on the odometer that was a tank and showed no signs of slowing down.

In the family, my parents also had an '84 CRX with 360K on the clock when they got rid of it. They always say they wish they hadn't.

Just be religious with maintenance and it's entirely possible. I don't personally have experience dealing with rust, but someone mentioned oil sprays as a way of preventing that.

 

[Clevy]

I live in saskatchewan. Very little salt so rust isn't the killer here so onsite I routinely see vehicles,trucks,with in excess of 500k on the odo.
The truth of the matter is maintenance might get you there but driving habits are far more important.
I've got trucks and vans in my fleet with 460k+,all domestics. Lowest mile truck is 230k.