What makes a good forever car?

Saturn S-series with manual tranny and dual overhead cam (SC-2, SL-2, SW-2).
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Originally Posted by Kurtatron
Honestly I like the F-150 idea. With the abundance of parts, and its history, one of those seems like a great match for a car that can be kept of the road indefinitely, barring rust.

Maybe an older one of those would suit me perfectly.


That's the thing, the new ones are aluminum and rust free. Squirt a bit of Aviation Corrosion X in the doors and under the seams. Corrosion will not start.

I'm 100% convinced the EB engines are capable of very long life. And aftermarket support will be around for a very long time.
 
Buy something that lots of were made, then parts are cheap. Have an attitude that doesn't care about other's opinions. In some ways don't even care about the car. It's not that the car has a soul to be offended but I suspect many of those niggling problems that drive people nuts wind up causing more work and money to be spent than if the problem was simple ignored--think about how many cars are out there being driven with a dent, a rattle, something not working. And going for years like that.
 
one time i read study about long engine life by the university of OU. that said to filter engine oil down to .0002 microns.
 
Forever cars are not cars. They’re trucks. ;)
Pick a vehicle you like, with a longer, good sized production run and good aftermarket support. More than 200k built over several years. Buy one or two spares of hard to find, or problem parts, if you can afford them. Do diligent service intervals. Do not put off repairs. Use good quality repair parts. Easier said than done.

In my fleet, the 1990 Volvo 240 has Bilstein dampers, IPD rear suspension links and springs. A 304 sst exhaust made in Estonia. It will outlive me.

The 1992 Miata that I use in the summer has the best aftermarket support of any car that I have owned. By far. (My old long gone rotted out Fox Body Mustang had great aftermarket support also. ) Lots of vendors competing for market share. It has a Racing Beat 304 sst cat back exhaust. Custom valved Bilstein dampers. Canvas soft top. Aluminum radiator with a coolant re-route to keep the number four cylinder living longer. The list is a mile long. I never plan to sell it.

The 1994 Saturn SL2, that I bought new, has had many parts replaced. It was my daily driver for about 25 years. In New England. The good thing is that parts were easy to find, and inexpensive. It has a lower mileage yard engine and trans in it now. Rocker sills replaced with rust free ones, and floor pan repaired. Front subframe from down south. It has a Thermal 304 sst cat back exhaust, with a Nitro Plated header from a 1992 model year. KYB dampers, most all suspension parts replaced. This one has been my project car for the past 2-3 years. It is not worth much to anyone other than a Saturn Fan.

To keep a car for a long time, know what you want and like. Know the problem areas and how to fix or solve them. Service at regular intervals. Know your vehicle limits and your tolerance for repair and inconvenience. Keep good, up to date code tires on it.

Good luck if you live in a area that uses salt in the winter. Oil based or Fluid Film rust preventative measures are helpful.
 
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There's these 2 famous car owners, one a lady that has driven her 1957 Chevy bel air since new. Another that has racked up 3 million miles on his 1966 Volvo. That makes me wonder about my camper van. I want to keep mine forever, but I wonder if it doesn't really work as a forever car. It's a Toyota Previa. A 90s car with an ECU that's been discontinued from Toyota. I won't be able to buy a replacement ECU from Toyota if the ECU dies. I will likely keep the thing until it dies, just to see. But if and when it does, I want to know what would make a good forever car.

I assume it really just needs to be a car which can be worked on easily and will always have market support for parts. Are the best cars for this older American cars? As in early 70s and prior? I wouldn't mind owning an old station wagon and using that as my camper vehicle. I don't need to tow anything. Just space to carry 4-6 people and enough supplies for tent-style camping. I have already been camping 3 times this year and am scheduled for 3 more times this year. I go camping a lot. The Previa of course is doing fine as of now. It's got 200k miles on it now and no rust. Maintained immaculately with top notch fluids.
What fails on the ECU are the capacitors. You replace that you are good for "forever".
 
Either an assemblage of corporate parts used to build many vehicles (like the Dart someone suggested) or a period's most popular cars (like my previous Camry and current Durango). junkyards are full of 'em, and will be for a while.
 
Kurtatron....hold onto that Previa forever. Best van ever made by Toyota. Amazing van. Not sure which seating configuration you have but removing one of the captain's chair (middle row) and the passenger side rear bench seat leaves you w/perfect seating for 4 and w/the one bench seat folded up, ton's of empty space for anything. If you have the supercharged version be sure it check it's fluid level. The one issue w/this engine which I have experienced is oil weeping from valve cover gasket. (Toyota engineer's even accounted for this by the oil drip tray and the oil reserve tank.) Pleasure to drive. Babe Magnet as well....just kidding. Great van for camping. As far as a forever car, I think I would choose a small pickup truck. Something easy to work on and parts are easy to find. Fun to drive and hauling capability. (BTW...The Previa will take a 4x8' sheet of drywall and is capable of taking 10' pieces of lumber and still being able to close the rear hatch!)
 
Jeep’s, Bugs, and cult cars like them are the easiest to do that with. I had planned on doing that with the Chrysler Voyager that raised my family, but rust won, and it made no sense to spend money on an old minivan. I could have, but it would have not been a good investment.

I can rebuild every aspect of my YJ through the aftermarket. That’s a big help.
 
There used to be a guy here on the forum - like say a decade ago - who was intending to drive his Toyota Avalon for the rest of his life. It had been his grandpa's if I remember right.

This would be a good time for an update.
 
Kurtatron....hold onto that Previa forever. Best van ever made by Toyota. Amazing van. Not sure which seating configuration you have but removing one of the captain's chair (middle row) and the passenger side rear bench seat leaves you w/perfect seating for 4 and w/the one bench seat folded up, ton's of empty space for anything. If you have the supercharged version be sure it check it's fluid level. The one issue w/this engine which I have experienced is oil weeping from valve cover gasket. (Toyota engineer's even accounted for this by the oil drip tray and the oil reserve tank.) Pleasure to drive. Babe Magnet as well....just kidding. Great van for camping. As far as a forever car, I think I would choose a small pickup truck. Something easy to work on and parts are easy to find. Fun to drive and hauling capability. (BTW...The Previa will take a 4x8' sheet of drywall and is capable of taking 10' pieces of lumber and still being able to close the rear hatch!)
I have been hesitant to consider it a long term vehicle, because the platform doesn’t lend itself to replacement parts. Toyota is not supporting this oddball much. Most parts are no longer available from Toyota. Engine mounts, brake cylinders, radiators to name a few. I am leery of aftermarket parts supply when it comes to quality. That is why I am considering looking elsewhere.
 
1) affordable to repair
2) affordable to fuel
3) high volume so it is easy to find parts and people who know how to fix it

We all know Boeing 747 is reliable but that doesn't mean they don't get retired and salvaged due to cost of ownership.
 
I have been hesitant to consider it a long term vehicle, because the platform doesn’t lend itself to replacement parts. Toyota is not supporting this oddball much. Most parts are no longer available from Toyota. Engine mounts, brake cylinders, radiators to name a few. I am leery of aftermarket parts supply when it comes to quality. That is why I am considering looking elsewhere.
Maybe a Mercedes 123 or 126 could be your forever vehicle. Plenty of parts are available, they are a safe vehicle, and with good care, they will last forever. I have had both a 123 (240d) and a 126 (300sd) for 9 years. The 240d was a DD for 8 years until I retired last year. Really good on fuel and was very reliable. The 240d is also very comfortable also. The 300sd is a fantastic road car. I would describe it as majestic. The 1983 240d has the 616 diesel engine which is a forever engine and the 300sd has the 617 diesel engine which is also a forever diesel engine. the 240d weighs 4345 pounds and the 300sd weighs 4750 pounds. They are not lightweight cars!! Good luck in your quest to find a forever vehicle!! I know I have found mine!!
 
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