Stories of cars you've seen that just ran forever with little of no maintenance
- Thread starter WobblyElvis
- Start date
I'm surprised with the 3.5 nissan engines and how they handle neglect. Worked on a 05-ish Maxima with 180k-ish that had brake noise and noticed the oil change sticker had a date that was 2 years old and something like 25k over. When doing a general inspection the dip stick was dry so I threw a qt in, still nothing. Threw another qt in, nothing stick. Ended up taking 3.5 or so qts (4.2-4.5 capacity and the oil filter is the size of lawnmowers), after starting it and re-checking the oil it was DARK!! After giving the required repair info to my service writer he asked when she had changed the oil last. She said that she hasn't changed the oil or had the car worked on since she bought it which happened to be the a little over 2 years ago! Ended up doing an oil change and front brakes (metal to metal, almost down to the fins!!). There was a lot more wrong, but that's all she wanted or could afford to do.
A lady I used to work with bought an early 2000's Grand Prix 3.8 used and drove that for almost 3 years and 35-40k without doing an oil change and it ended up seizing one day she just junked it.
Can't believe some people can/cars do this, yet the most picky people about maintenance sometimes run into strangest issues!
A lady I used to work with bought an early 2000's Grand Prix 3.8 used and drove that for almost 3 years and 35-40k without doing an oil change and it ended up seizing one day she just junked it.
Can't believe some people can/cars do this, yet the most picky people about maintenance sometimes run into strangest issues!
Anything my dad drives.. well I don't know about running forever. He told me last weekend the oil in the 06 F150 5.4 hasn't been changed since he got it ie 5 years and 5000 miles. I bet the variable cam junk likes that! Typically the parents are pretty good about at least changing oil. The transmissions makes me nervous whenever I have to drive one.
Must have been around 1977 (I was 17 at the time). My father had a customer that brought in his '62 Catalina, 4-door HT and gave it to him. Dad didn't want it but took it anyway; you now that thing about not wanting to insult a gift giver. It was a heavy oil burner and had a noisy valve train. Dad let me work on it in my spare time.
The first thing I did was pull the valve covers to see if there was any worn out rockers, etc. As soon as I pried the first VC off the head, I hear a huge splash of liquid on the floor. The oil returns were so plugged up that the oil was filling up the VC's.
I unplugged the returns, did the oil and filter (several times; no synthetic back in those days), replaced some of the worn out rockers with some decent ones I saved from my '63 Bonneville rebuild, and ran it....every afternoon after school I just let it idle for 2-3 hours. That engine was so plugged, the exhaust system would drip oil out the tail pipe.
First time I drove it, I took it out at night on the highway. It produced a smoke screen that Seafoam only wishes it could. Smoke and little bits of sparking chunks. I was afraid it would start a fire.
Once all the oil was burned out of it, it ran for another 3-4 years. I sold it to a classmate of mine for $265. It met an untimely demise in slow speed head on.
The first thing I did was pull the valve covers to see if there was any worn out rockers, etc. As soon as I pried the first VC off the head, I hear a huge splash of liquid on the floor. The oil returns were so plugged up that the oil was filling up the VC's.
I unplugged the returns, did the oil and filter (several times; no synthetic back in those days), replaced some of the worn out rockers with some decent ones I saved from my '63 Bonneville rebuild, and ran it....every afternoon after school I just let it idle for 2-3 hours. That engine was so plugged, the exhaust system would drip oil out the tail pipe.
First time I drove it, I took it out at night on the highway. It produced a smoke screen that Seafoam only wishes it could. Smoke and little bits of sparking chunks. I was afraid it would start a fire.
Once all the oil was burned out of it, it ran for another 3-4 years. I sold it to a classmate of mine for $265. It met an untimely demise in slow speed head on.
Had a Boss once who had an older (probably 90s judging by the horrendous burgundy carpet and window curtains) Ford Econoline van and drove it everywhere full of tools and rolls of Carpet. I don't think he ever did change the oil or even check it, he'd just add a quart when the lifters started ticking because "the oil light doesn't work so I just wait for it to start ticking". Never got the mileage (I was a dumb teenager) but imagine it was over 100k.
jagdriver727
Site Donor 2021
I’ve told this story here before…
Relative has a Toyota Highlander with about 400,000 miles on it. Had it since it was 2-3 years old. Maintenance was sporadic at best but a true testament to the quality of the car.
About five years ago I get a call asking if it was possible for the motor oil to turn completely to sludge and cause the oil pump to burn up… she had gone about 90,000 miles on an oil change only topping it off as needed, oil pump failed and the pan was full of crap the consistency of jell-o. Oil pump was replaced, engine cleaned out, and it’s still driving around today.
That and a timing belt I did two years ago are the only major work the car has ever had.
Relative has a Toyota Highlander with about 400,000 miles on it. Had it since it was 2-3 years old. Maintenance was sporadic at best but a true testament to the quality of the car.
About five years ago I get a call asking if it was possible for the motor oil to turn completely to sludge and cause the oil pump to burn up… she had gone about 90,000 miles on an oil change only topping it off as needed, oil pump failed and the pan was full of crap the consistency of jell-o. Oil pump was replaced, engine cleaned out, and it’s still driving around today.
That and a timing belt I did two years ago are the only major work the car has ever had.
All my 5.0 and 4.6 Ford Panthers went over 200K miles and one [2005 4,6 C.V.P.I.] went over 300K miles with extremely low maintenance. Everything worked perfectly. There will never be a low maintenance vehicle like the Ford Panther ever again.
I'd say my 424K mile '04 Corolla is a pretty good story. I do maintain it, but with this many miles, one would think it's been maintained far better than it has been. Internally, the engine and tranny have never touched. Still even has the original water pump...
My wife has a 2021 that color. Beautiful car, super comfortable, and runs like a dream. They are everywhere around here...more so than the Maxima, too.
