keep a 20 year old daily driver for 20 years ?

[SC Maintenance]

Not exactly but there are groups depotting and recapping components for the 2000 Insight, along with a wholesale swap of modules with ones redesigned .

The main issue on 90’s GM specific vehicles is that the abs modules/pump are difficult to find outside junkyard versions that may fail shortly after.

On our 93 Suburban the old mechanic just disabled abs fixing it so we had normal non-abs brakes

If its a 90's GM with a single layer board and components still around sure.

If its a multi layer board with board problems / shorts or IC/ components that are NLA - then no.

Now the idea of a redesign / emulation on some sort of standard hardware is compelling - but someone would have to do it.

 

[Rmay635703]

If its a 90's GM with a single layer board and components still around sure.

If its a multi layer board with board problems / shorts or IC/ components that are NLA - then no.

Now the idea of a redesign / emulation on some sort of standard hardware is compelling - but someone would have to do it.

Someone did for one rare obscure car.

The boards are multilayer, generally if you catch them before total failure you can replace the (mainly caps) that fail before they eat through the board.

In the GM example they didn’t fix the electronics and converted it to strictly non-abs disabling the capability altogether

 

[tcp71]

The Sienna is our signature has been with us for 20 years, bought it new. Takes my wife to work every day and us our for hikes, biking, skiing on weekends.

 

[SC Maintenance]

The Sienna is our signature has been with us for 20 years, bought it new. Takes my wife to work every day and us our for hikes, biking, skiing on weekends.

The question this thread poses is will it last another 20, not if you can get to 20 the first go.

 

[tcp71]

The question this thread poses is will it last another 20, not if you can get to 20 the first go.

No intention of getting rid of it. I'm not clairvoyant...so...maybe?

 

[SC Maintenance]

Someone did for one rare obscure car.

The boards are multilayer, generally if you catch them before total failure you can replace the (mainly caps) that fail before they eat through the board.

In the GM example they didn’t fix the electronics and converted it to strictly non-abs disabling the capability altogether

Stand alone programmable ECU's exist. A friend of mine used one. I suppose once a car hits 25 its exempt from Emissions in most places. Maybe possible?

https://www.maxxecu.com/products/street

The other systems are obviously more complex. I know that ABS controller for my Nissan's are obsolete. I have had intermittent issues with mine so maybe I should be looking for a spare. The biggest issue would be the TCU?

 

[Rmay635703]

Stand alone programmable ECU's exist. A friend of mine used one. I suppose once a car hits 25 its exempt from Emissions in most places. Maybe possible?

https://www.maxxecu.com/products/street

The other systems are obviously more complex. I know that ABS controller for my Nissan's are obsolete. I have had intermittent issues with mine so maybe I should be looking for a spare. The biggest issue would be the TCU?

A variety of so called very reliable GM platforms require luck to source functional parts and are no longer considered reliable because of this.
In certain cases the mechanical side remains fully functional or is rebuildable but the electronic side isn’t, sometimes the opposite is true.
On many GM platforms You can swap the physical mechanical side of abs easy enough if you have good electronics but the mechanical side is gone.
ABS modules long sitting on a shelf could have physical issues when you decide to install.

Brakes can be disabled by bad abs electronics but that is only one of a couple systems on 90’s era that die.

My guess is Jerry rigging or board repair will become more common if these cars continue to be kept on the road.
The Honda Insight is so obsolete that replacement of it’s various modules is elementary as it’s so crude as to be easily replaced by general purpose components.

Aftermarket ECUs have been around a long time, back in the old days getting your sensors hooked up and working could be quite complex though I haven’t looked at one in over a decade.

Obviously I know absolutely nothing about Nissan, lol.

 

[vwmaniaman]

My 1990 Ranger XLT is my daily driver or our 2005 Yukon XL. The Ranger is getting 22mpg and the Yukon 16mpg. Personally the Ranger just fits my 78 yr old body better and I don't have to take my eyes off the ro to adjust the hear or air or the radio. I am old school on the climate controls.

 

[E150GT]

I don't believe I would generally look for a 20 year old vehicle to buy and daily drive but never say never.
I am however on year 10 of my current car bought new. 2016 Mazda 6 2.5 with manual transmission. It's been a good car. Paint looks like poop but it's mechanically sound. Last year was the first year I really had to do anything but brakes or oil changes or tires. It does need some stuff. I'm using OEM parts because they are better than that junk at the parts stores and I can get them even though they are more expensive.

 

[Fitter30]

2003 chevy astro van 250k. Drive it 8-10k a year put a used transmission in it 1.5 years ago 238k miles. $2800.

 

[ClutchDisc]

2006 Sienna. 20 years old this year, I will keep this thing forever. I daily drive it including long road trips. Amazing vehicle.

 

[JoeDirt41]

Personally I think automotive reliability peaked about 20 years ago before excessive computerization, direct injection, turbochargers and CVTs. There’s tons of cars from that era I’d daily drive with confidence.

I’m currently semi-daily driving a 1997 Accord EX that I’ve owned for a little over a year. It’ll be 30 years old next year. I had to put a fair bit of work into it, but I’d completely trust driving it anywhere and would not be concerned if I had to depend on it full-time. Doing the work myself, cost of ownership has been extremely low and I intend on keeping it as long as possible.

 

[pacstud]

I heart my 98 ranger supercab styleside with the tiny 2.5 lima rwd, but above all I love the manual transmission. If I add a small get around car, I'd get a stick every day of the week.

Plenty (relatively speaking) of parts still available, a good vehicle for pull it yards.

I do like the OP toyota, just hard to find non-rusted out Japanese trucks in the midwest.

 

[pacstud]

Personally I think automotive reliability peaked about 20 years ago before excessive computerization, direct injection, turbochargers and CVTs. There’s tons of cars from that era I’d daily drive with confidence.

I’m currently semi-daily driving a 1997 Accord EX that I’ve owned for a little over a year. It’ll be 30 years old next year. I had to put a fair bit of work into it, but I’d completely trust driving it anywhere and would not be concerned if I had to depend on it full-time. Doing the work myself, cost of ownership has been extremely low and I intend on keeping it as long as possible.

Agreed, but I'd move the line of demarcation to 2010-2012. Anything with the words "eco" or "hybrid"...yikes.

I think around that time, solid simple transmissions that weren't trying to scrape .02 mpg. Still had spares. Engines that worked, based on proven models. Late 90s, early 00s, I'll take those any day. Can still retrofit a head unit, put in some nice features, and generally, whatever defects exist (I'm thinking LIM gaskets on GM cars for about a decade), they aren't catastrophic, just annoying (see: korean cars from 2010s).

Now safety, sure, that's gotten better. Reliability...cars are disposable these days, it seems. I don't know that I'd buy a new car, for me it's money better spent elsewhere.