How may people keep a car for a long time...

[OneEyeJack]

CKN, I also think that you must be careful about what car you purchase. Some cars are just plain service department queens. Many cars are not practical to own past the original manufacturer's warranty. Most things written about cars are about the flash and the features and too much information about reliability is either non existent or anecdotal, things you can't rely on or figure out.

I've been wondering about the idea of picking an older car and going through it. You know, fix everything. A car older than my Honda. A car not regulated by the government. Remake the car. Then drive it. There are older cars that have every part that is required to make it go or stop and turn available. And there are no complicated maintenance requirements or special tools or instruments required.

By the way, there are 3 other Honda wagons like mine in the area driven by happy owners. We wave at each other when we pass and we've all met at one time or another.

 

[KrisZ]

I think that OneEyeJack's Honda overall is extremely reliable and durable and I completely agree with him on that. Not too many cars would have all interior components and plastics working and in one piece after 30 years of continuous use. I think it is a testament to Honda's old ways that are long gone, as well as OneEyeJack’s care for this vehicle. His location and climate also play a big role in this accomplishment.

What I don't agree with is calling the work done on the engine and tranny "maintenance". They were repairs, plain and simple regardless of how easily/difficult they were accomplished, or how many parts were changed.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: KrisZ

I think that OneEyeJack's Honda overall is extremely reliable and durable and I completely agree with him on that. Not too many cars would have all interior components and plastics working and in one piece after 30 years of continuous use. I think it is a testament to Honda's old ways that are long gone, as well as OneEyeJack’s care for this vehicle. His location and climate also play a big role in this accomplishment.

What I don't agree with is calling the work done on the engine and tranny "maintenance". They were repairs, plain and simple regardless of how easily/difficult they were accomplished, or how many parts were changed.


I agree. And I would also add that we cannot say that the engine has 420K miles on it, it has 12K miles on it due to being freshened. It still went a heck of a ways, but it is no longer original.

 

[OneEyeJack]

If you get rid of cars on a regular basis then anything like an overhaul would never be considered. And considering the quality of many cars, they should be dumped. Owning many of the current crop of cars past the factory warranty is a risky gamble. This is especially true if there are systems and electronics that require special tools, meters and training to address any problems. Can you identify every device, hose and wire under the hood of your current late model vehicle?

Even though you don't agree I consider my Honda as original because everything is kept at original factory specs and as much as possible I've used NOS parts, everywhere. Everything on the original carburetor works and all those vacuum lines are hooked up and working.

I purchased an 84 Audi in the same year and it was a nightmare. It was a great driving car but the electrical system was a mess. It ate water pumps and was difficult to keep the front end aligned. Switches failed. Senders failed. Basic stuff just failed. The fuse box cooked. Fuel pumps wore out quickly to the point that I set up a fuse relay box to warn me when it started drawing more amps and could change the pump before it failed. The warranty was 2 years in those days. So, even the factory knew they were selling turkeys. I was taken in by marketing and a nice driving car. This Audi encouraged me to keep the Honda and I did just that.

 

[1foxracing]

8th Gen Honda Civic's are very reliable as well, there is a guy on the 8th gen forum with over 1,000,000 miles on a 2006 LX model. Original engine went to around 640,000 miles with 20,000 mi OCI's. It's well documented on the forum and Jalopnik picked the story up when he was at 750,000 miles.
http://jalopnik.com/5885287/how-i-put-750000-miles-on-my-honda-civic-in-just-five-years
http://www.8thcivic.com/forums/mechanica...-strong-82.html

 

[wirelessF]

I'm trying to convince my aunt to keep her 04 BMW 325i. Bought new. Body is still clean, some interior wear and some of the minor stuff going bad such as window regulators and the major stuff fixed like the cooling system. It has less than 60,000mi and is driven
As for my 14 and 13 year old trucks, well I hope something does not end their life soon. I can maintain them the best I could but a single [censored] could end it.

 

[OneEyeJack]

I guess that from what I see on this site keeping a car is not very popular. This is probably a good thing considering the way the market is going today. I can't imagine what all these gadgets and features will be like as the time and mileage builds up.

I also was told in this thread that rebuilding anything, no matter what means that my car is not original anymore even with the use of NOS parts and keeping everything stock. It appears that I've been cheating. I should be like most other people and at the first sign of trouble, get rid of the car and buy something new or newer. Well, I think I'll stay put. Maybe I'll tell people that ask about my old car I am cheating because I rebuilt the engine and kept the car. I sure hope the government does not pass a law that prohibits people like me from driving a car without payments and fixing things as I go. People like me must be a terrible drain on the economy. At least we're left alone so far. It's probably because we're not important and that's good.

 

[supton]

You sound rather bitter for some reason.

 

[wtd]

I tend to keep vehicles for a long time. I still own the 1970 Monte Carlo I bought while in college in 1987. Will be 28 years of ownership in May. It has had a few engines in it as well as a couple of transmissions but it was old when I got it.

I still own the 1998 Chevy ext-cab Z71 4x4 that I bought new in May of 1998. It just turned over 128,000 miles with the original engine and transmission.

I bought My 1998 Chevy K3500 in Nov. of 2007 with 94,000 miles and it now has almost 107,000 miles

My daily driver is a 1992 Cavalier I bought wrecked in 2006 with 76,000 miles on it. I fixed it and drive it almost every day. It has almost 204,000 miles on it. I assume the engine and tranny are original.

I plan on keeping my 2014 Mustang GT for many years.

Wayne

 

[OneEyeJack]

Originally Posted By: supton
You sound rather bitter for some reason.


No, not bitter at all. I just live in a different world than many young people I meet. It's okay. In fact I prefer it that way. I'm left with things that I like that are not in demand. What's not to like about that?

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: OneEyeJack
I guess that from what I see on this site keeping a car is not very popular. This is probably a good thing considering the way the market is going today. I can't imagine what all these gadgets and features will be like as the time and mileage builds up.

I also was told in this thread that rebuilding anything, no matter what means that my car is not original anymore even with the use of NOS parts and keeping everything stock. It appears that I've been cheating. I should be like most other people and at the first sign of trouble, get rid of the car and buy something new or newer. Well, I think I'll stay put. Maybe I'll tell people that ask about my old car I am cheating because I rebuilt the engine and kept the car. I sure hope the government does not pass a law that prohibits people like me from driving a car without payments and fixing things as I go. People like me must be a terrible drain on the economy. At least we're left alone so far. It's probably because we're not important and that's good.


A car not being original is not "cheating" and in no way implies that you should be like "everybody else" and buy a new one. It is what it is. The engine in my Mustang was not "original" after I was done with it. Original SHORTBLOCK? yes. But I changed the heads, cam, intake and a pile of other parts. There wasn't anything wrong with them, I just wanted more power. So when I speak about that engine (which has reasonably high mileage) I always say the stock shortblock has X-miles on it, because the rest of the engine doesn't. Just being honest about it. The same goes for my old Town Car, stock shortblock, but the heads/cam/intake were done for a power increase. It is on transmission #2 in my books because the transmission was freshened last year (it was slipping). That car, if the current owner (a friend of mine) keeps up on the undercoating and rust prevention, will last as long as he wants it to. Which ties back into that whole discussion about many people just never wanting to drive one vehicle that long.

 

[oliveoil]

Everyone, enough. So OYJ changed a few components bearings, waterpumps,,,what is the actual difference? Not much. They both are lubricated and eventually fail. He's driven this car almost a half million miles with regular maintenance. It's fantastic an should be applauded.

 

[jgeorge]

bought a 1985 camaro iroc-z in 1989 still have and drive it. bought a new 2003 thaoe not one single problem drive it everyday. and a 1996 camaro convertible i bought in 2008 that i will keep until something major happens to it.
WHY trade a perfectly good vehicle to keep up with the Jones. not me.

 

[Olas]

People may keep a car for a long time with two simple rules:

Maintenance,
and
Not being a sucker for the adverts on TV that try to convince you buy the new model

Pretty easy tbh..

 

[pandus13]

Originally Posted By: OneEyeJack
Originally Posted By: supton
You sound rather bitter for some reason.


No, not bitter at all. I just live in a different world than many young people I meet. It's okay. In fact I prefer it that way. I'm left with things that I like that are not in demand. What's not to like about that?

Well, you already know you are here in the right place (between like minded oil/car maintenance nuts... :=))
how about stories about all the nuts around you that you avoided in all those years...

 

[badtlc]

I haven't done it yet but I'm thinking it will be a long time before I give up my escape.

 

[Spazdog]

I just don't like the new cars that much.

I can drive a 2014 just about anytime I want to. I prefer my 2005.

There's nothing wrong with the 200. Well, nothing substantially wrong. It does feel like the transmission ratios were chosen at random and the programming is definitely geared towards the economy side....most cars today are. It has virtually the same size wheels and tires as my older car but my car just plain handles better. It's far more precise and just feels stickier in a corner even with cheapo Barums. Even being 9 years and 165,000 miles older.
Even the newer 6es seem to be engineered to a lower standard. It's quieter and softer riding, but the steering feel is just not there.
I don't know what the people in the Altima and Camry commercials were driving before they drove those cars but their cars are pretty far from precise.
The current Malibu 2.0T reminds me of a softer sprung Kia Optima 2.0T. More than acceptable ride and power but no communication at the wheel. It sticks okay but you are never sure what's going on up there.

 

[CKN]

Originally Posted By: oliveoil
Everyone, enough. So OYJ changed a few components bearings, waterpumps,,,what is the actual difference? Not much. They both are lubricated and eventually fail. He's driven this car almost a half million miles with regular maintenance. It's fantastic an should be applauded.



That's where some of us disagree OliveOil. Changing internal parts IS NOT maintenance.....

 

[Mykl]

Originally Posted By: CKN
Originally Posted By: oliveoil
Everyone, enough. So OYJ changed a few components bearings, waterpumps,,,what is the actual difference? Not much. They both are lubricated and eventually fail. He's driven this car almost a half million miles with regular maintenance. It's fantastic an should be applauded.



That's where some of us disagree OliveOil. Changing internal parts IS NOT maintenance.....


So then he still wins because the average car doesn't make it to where he's driven it without having these parts replaced.

These days the carriage almost always fails before the drivetrain, he managed to pull off the opposite and still has a useful vehicle with about a half a million miles on it.

In an antique collector car that has the "numbers matching" title, do the owners care if sub components like bearings, rings, etc have been replaced or is that a sin? If they do care, I see your point, if they don't care then why should we?

 

[oliveoil]

Picky, picky pick. [censored] OEJ (OP) has been changing a few parts and keeping the little car running as a DD! Good for him. I bet he has saved thousands. Really we all change parts, internal or external, who really cares. Good maintenance and careful operation is the key to a long life, beit an automobile or human being.