This old car doesn't owe me anything

[fatelk]

I hope you all don't mind a rambling off topic thread. It seems a lot of folks enjoy talking about cars from time to time so I figured I'd post about my old car. I just got back from taking a quick trip out of state for a work emergency, and was thinking about it as I was driving home.

It a cheap GM car, a little Saturn sedan that my wife bought brand new 20 years ago, shortly before we met. It still has a couple tiny blue specks left in places of some "washable" paint they decorated it with after our wedding, and there's a little piece of baling wire still near the exhaust pipe that my dad put there to tie the string of tin cans to as we were leaving the church for our honeymoon.

It now has right at a quarter-million miles on it, nearly every one driven by my wife or myself. It's carried us on several cross-country vacations, countless smaller trips, and a lot of memorable drives such as bringing newborns home from the hospital.

It's been incredibly reliable. I've replaced a starter and motor mount (cheap- did it myself) and a couple other small, inexpensive things like sensors over the years. The only costs have been gas, several sets of tires, several batteries, and always, always consistent oil and transmission fluid changes. It burns/leaks maybe 1/2qt of oil every thousand miles, not bad considering. It still gets 38mpg highway miles, just checked it today. It's the bare-bones model with manual windows and locks (remember those?) A person just couldn't ask for more reliable, inexpensive transportation that that.

It's on it's last legs and getting pretty much worn out. It still purrs down the road but it's showing it's age. My oldest will be old enough to start driving this year; she'll probably learn to drive in it.

For such a cheap little car it has served us very well. I know it can't last forever but I told my wife when I got home that if the engine or transmission disintegrates on the way to church tomorrow morning, this old car doesn't owe us a dime. I know it's silly to feel attachment to an old junker, but when it finally stops running and heads off to the scrap yard it will be a sad day.

Anyhow, just some musings I had today. Thanks for listening! :)

[MyFlatline]

Don't you wish they were all made that way to last...Not so much any more.. Lucky you for the memories..

[abunaitoo]

I to get attached to my cars.
Bought my 1986 Toyota tuck new,
Body rusted so bad, it leaked more inside than out.
These trucks are popular here, and I sold it just this year.
It was replaced with a 1999 Nissan frontier.
We also have a 1990 Nissan Maxima that's still going strong.
I like older model cars and trucks.
I can still fix them, and they give less trouble than newer models.

[NyFirefighter357]

I remember my girlfriend in the early 1990's bought a Saturn SL2 basic model 5 speed. I could get over 45 mpg on road trips. It also got use through some bad winter storms.

[tigweldit]

Still got the car I took my driving test, for my first drivers license, in. That was in 1971. The car is a 1969 Firebird 400 convertible. I've rebuilt every part at least once. Take care of your stuff and it can last a long time.

[skeettx]

1986 Toyota T-100 with 224,000 miles
1999 Mitsubishi Montero Sport with 243,000 miles
1994 Jeep Grand Cherokee with 150,060 miles
What fun and they are still running well
When we go more than 100 miles out of town, we rent cars :)
Mike

[rking22]

my 2003Yukon flipped over 300,000 leaving Memphis for San Antonio 2 years ago, took it back on the same trip last year. Daily driver is an S10 v6 5speed with 220,000. Farm truck is 96, Z71 with a bit over 240,000. They last if taken reasonable care! Bought the Wife a Sonata 2 years ago, it's at 36,000 on it's way to a quarter million. Don't know if I get attached to them but my daughter has laid claim to the z71 ,,,when I die. She knows me, and her Mustang has over 250,000 miles on it! She gets attached to them.

[Cast_outlaw]

1990 chev 1500 307000 on the chasi 70000 on remaned 4.3 v6
1992 ford b600 school bus 425000 cumins 5.9
1992 chev blazer 265000 bush/hunting truck
2001 GMC Sierra 420000 6.6 duromax
2011 vw golf wagon 75000
All running all reliable

[shooterg]

The 1968 Dodge Dart with 312,000 is parked out back - only because the 2001 Dodge Neon with 261,000 gets twice the gas mileage. The wife's 2000 neon has 216,000. I've always felt cheated if a car doesn't go over 300K without major work !
The 2001 has killed 3 deer and was ambushed by a Toyota truck bumper once, so it does wear some junkyard body parts but I have never had a car payment and ain't starting now.

[modified5]

That is amazing for a Saturn! Well done taking care of that one. As a auto tech for 25 years, I condemned many of those to the wrecking yard. Most were abused though.
After 25 years, I am done working on them for a living. Time to get my hobby back. I am picking up from a friend of mine a 1982 3/4 4wd Suburban that was an old forest service rig. Manual everything and carburated. Time to get back to basics and have fun again. It will be my daily driver when I am done.

[fatelk]

Funny thing is I hated the little car when I first started driving it. The tiny 1.9 liter 4-cyl engine is pretty wimpy. It took me a while to get used to it. As to longevity, I was taught that cars will generally last a lot longer if you take care of them, keep the fluids full and clean, and drive them carefully. Avoiding rough, aggressive driving will make mechanical parts last longer.

I learned to drive in a 1949 Chevy 2 ton truck. I imagine that truck was long ago recycled into rebar.

[Bookworm]

Mrs Bookworms' daily driver is a 2001 Dodge Stratus. It has 260,000 miles on it, and gets driven ~90 miles/day.

We bought it in 2001, wrecked. It was hit in the right front, something pushed the RF wheel straight up. Had 3K miles on it. I had a guy fix it, we've been driving it ever since.

It's on the short list to replace, as in the next few months. Solid car, still gets ~30MPG, depending on how it's driven. Put a Maaco paint job on it about 4-5 years ago.

It doesn't owe us a thing either.

[labradigger1]

03 Silverado 4.3 v6, 267000 miles and going strong.

[Remmy4477]

93 F150 with a 6 cylinder, pushing 250,000 miles.
Ugly, not a fast truck, hauls anything I drag home. The rods are getting noisy at startup and the clutch is getting thin. Probably rebuild the engine and a new clutch this summer.
Cannot justify payments for a new truck/SUV with a 4&1/2 ft bed

[nun2kute]

You guy's can really put a smile on my face in the morning. don't know any Saturns, but I got some really good memories in an old Dodge Dart from when I first started driving. Haven't been attached to a vehicle for quite a while,(the last one was a 69 Chevelle SS that would go sideways anywhere I wanted it to) but I got a 93 ford 150 out back that is waiting for better (warmer) weather so it can have a new clutch part put in. My only concern with my vehicles are they have to get me down the road, and the only payments are for maintenance and petro.(I've had some really Fugly vehicles) Other than that I just run them into the dirt and then get something else to work on.

[Petrol & Powder]

Keep em-going !

I've lost count of the cheap old vehicles I've had. For the most part I got more out of the vehicles than they got out of me.

You never make money when it comes to vehicles but sometimes you lose less :razz:

[shaper]

In 2000 I found a 1989 Silverado on the back row of the lot. It had not been taken care of. Had 240,000 on the odometer. I built a 350 engine and put it in. today it has over 450,000 and is still running strong. everyday driver.

The wife,s father passed in 2002 and she inherited his 1998 Lumina . At 180,000 miles the 3.1 engine stared bleeding lubricants from every gasket. Some idiot at GM decided a plastic head gasket, pan gasket and valve cover gasket would save them some money. I parked it for a while. Right now it is at a friends shop having the engine replaced. The little car was very dependable and got 27 mpg no matter how I drove it. I refuse to buy the high tech cars of today, and it scares me to think the cars on the road with me dos not have a driver in it. I miss my 1966 Pontiac La Mans.

et

[Petrol & Powder]

One thing that amuses me is the constant lamenting about "new" cars and statements about "you can't work on them anymore". Something I've heard repeatedly for decades.

I remember when fuel injection started to replace carburetors and EVERYONE said that's it, game over; we're never going to be able to work on cars again........
Well fast forward to today and just about any shade tree mechanic can replace fuel injectors, mass air flow sensors, throttle position sensors and know when to do those jobs.
Same thing happened with front wheel drive, transverse mounted engines, electronic ignition, coil packs, crank triggers, ABS brakes and dozens of other changes.

Americans are very resourceful and rather self sufficient. Not everyone is mechanically inclined but some folks are. And some of them are pretty bright for "good ole boys". They will find a way to get by.

There's a lot of mechanical "DNA" in the souls of Americans.

[mold maker]

My son now drives the "73 Chevy pickup that my Dad bought in "75. In between it served me for 9 years. The "73 Suburban I bought new was traded for an "03 Dodge, which I still drive.
To me, having a fancy new ride w/lots of bells and whistles, is way down in priority.

[BigAlofPa.]

My 02 Saturn has 212k on it. Its a 5 speed great on gas. But yeah they lack power. By myself it does ok on hills. If i have people with me. Im in 3rd gear before i get to the top. My 01 GMC Jimmy has 197k. It needs a transfer case. I'll tackle it when it warms up.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I've bought and sold many cars/trucks over the years, some I've loved, some not so much, LOL :)
I tend to buy a car that's near the end of it's life, so there is always a chance I get unlucky :( with repairs, and sometimes I get lucky with few repairs...but there is always something to fix/maintain on a older car.

ANYWAY, one of my favorites was a 1988 Honda Civic CRX that I bought with 195Kmi on it. That little 1.5 ltr engine (5 spd manual) was quite peppy in that super lightweight 2 seater. I'd get crazy good gas mileage as long as I kept the RPMs down and wouldn't drive into a strong wind, LOL. I put 55Kmi on it before I sold it for nearly what I had into...most of the repairs I did to it, were installing used parts from a parts car I got for $75, that I bought specifically for the wheels, but I wound up pulling all kinds of parts off of it and even selling some parts. That car was seemingly designed to be repaired by the owner, one of the easiest cars this ham-fisted wrench-twister ever worked on.

[fatelk]

As much as I hate to admit it, youtube is an incredible resource if you work on your own vehicle.

[brass410]

have 89 gmc 3/4 4x4 out behind shop, its got 500k plus (odemeter quit in 2008) took it off the road in 09 got new truck, anyway after reading this thread I thought maybe I should restore the ol girl, carried a battery out dropped it in darn if it didn't fire right up smokes a little probably stale gas. Just shows a little care and they can go a long time, if the frames don't rust out first.

[Petrol & Powder]

As much as I hate to admit it, youtube is an incredible resource if you work on your own vehicle.

It really IS.

Pre-internet days there was an unofficial network among mechanics. Some secrets were a bit harder to gain access to than others but for the most part you could get the info you needed if you knew who to ask. You Tube has largely replaced that old unofficial network and I think it levels the playing field. As car technology becomes more and more complicated the internet keeps those trade secrets circulating.

Sometimes just little knowledge can be extremely valuable.
Remember when manufacturers starting putting "cabin air filters" in cars (a ridiculous device if you ask me) and dealerships would charge $100 to change one? That practice lasted about a year before the internet completely eviscerated that scam.

[jonp]

Wife's daughter had a Saturn. Ran great and had a ton of miles on it with just normal stuff replaced like shocks, bearings, brakes etc. Finally got rid of it because the sunroof leaked and we couldn't get it to stop.

My daily driver is a 1997 Honda CRV. 175,000 miles and runs great. I was going to get rid of it but I think I'm going to do an experiment and see how long it will run down the road.
Truck is a 2004 F150 XLT 4wd with the 5.4 Triton. 160,000 runs good but needed a rod as the timing jumped due to broken chain guide.
Wife has a 2012 Fiat 500. 166,000 and nothing but oil change and tires.
Our newest is another CRV. 2008 with 75,000. Runs like a champ and bought it to drive the 1,000 miles home as the truck is kinda hard on gas.

[FISH4BUGS]

My 81 Mercedes 300 diesel I sold with 414k on it....and it was still running well and passed inspection. Mechanically was fine...the body had been done over twice and I think that was enough.

[Petrol & Powder]

My 81 Mercedes 300 diesel I sold with 414k on it....and it was still running well and passed inspection. Mechanically was fine...the body had been done over twice and I think that was enough.

It's unfortunate but rust kills the good ones.

[aap2]

My dad bought a new 1967 Chevy Impala 4 door with a 283 V8. We always did regular oil changes and suggested maintenance; and other than normal wear items it was always reliable and ran great. I took it to college in 1975 and 5 years later it had over 300k and was still in good mechanical shape... If body and frame rust didn’t kill it, I would still be driving it.

[DLCTEX]

Well said. I’m happy they don’t make them like they used to. I remember when an engine that got 50,000 miles without an overhaul was a good one. A vehicle with 80,000 miles was worn out. I am accustomed to now getting 250,000 miles with few worries. I have owned some that didn’t even need brakes repaired for 200,000 miles. Try that back in the day. Give me the modern ones thank you. I love my remote starts, seat warmers, navigation, Bluetooth for my cell phone, etc. etc.

[woodbutcher]

:lol:Got a 84 F150 with the 300ci inline six.Other than a battery failure,it has never let me down until today.(more than 400k miles on it).The ignition box died in the parking lot.
First time in 200k miles I`ve had a DS2 box to fail.Yeah,I know the 84`s had the TFI ignition system with the electronic carb.But it was wore out when I got the truck,and just swapped out the whole ignition system for the DS2 which is a better system as far as I`m concerned.
Took a whole two hours including going to a friends house to use his timing light.
Was a complete plug and play conversion.So, tomorrow,weather permitting got to get another ignition box.Might be able to get a freebie,as a friend has a couple at his place.
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo

[bob208]

my first computer truck is a 98 k1500 4.3. it has 220000 mi. no power anything runs like a top. gets 18.5 mph here.

[jonp]

My 81 Mercedes 300 diesel I sold with 414k on it....and it was still running well and passed inspection. Mechanically was fine...the body had been done over twice and I think that was enough.

Boy, I've seen those old diesels with a few hundred thousand more than that on the odometer and the doors still thunked when you closed them. Other than rust I'm not sure what could kill one of those.

I had a girlfriend years ago that had an old VW Jetta 4 door. 300k and solid as a rock. She just had to have a new car cause a couple of girls at work got one so sold it and bought a Honda Civic. Would not sell me that old Jetta but at least she got a good one to replace the Jetta.

[jonp]

As much as I hate to admit it, youtube is an incredible resource if you work on your own vehicle.

You are not joking. That and some dedicated sites like f150 Forums along with free rental tools and Harbor Freight for tools I won't use often so only have to work once. I would never had tried to replace my rear axles in the F150 without watching a video on it and seeing how easy it was. Youtube has saved me a ton of money. At this point it seems that no matter what your vehicle is and what the problem is someone has already been there, fixed it and posted a video on how to do it.

[RED BEAR]

I had a 86 celebrity euro sport that I bought used in 89 drive it for 18 years out over 200k miles on it other than routine stuff brakes oil ect. The only thing I ever did was put a rack on and had to put a door on where someone hit it. Finally have it to my sister and now she have it to her son and it is still going strong.

[lead-1]

I've got a '98 Chevy truck that as rusty and crusty as it is, has been pretty good to me. I bought it for $1200 and had to put a battery in it to be able to move it, I have kept track of every dime I have put into it except gas, oil and antifreeze. So far it has cost me $42 a month and that goes down if I don't have to put anymore money into it and some of the money spent wasn't on necessities. I don't know of anywhere you can buy a car for $42 a month.

[wyofool]

Ok, I don't ordinarily post on these threads but I will for this one. An uncle gave me a '36 Chevy 4-door when I turned 16, I gave it to my son when he turned 16. He still has it (not original) and he turns 50 this year.

[rbuck351]

About ten years ago lady at work said she had three dead cars in her back yard and I could have one if I got one of the others running. I put on a set of brake pads and a pair of differential pinon bearings in one and got a 2001 Chevy Cavalier with a bad rod bearing. 65$ for the pads and bearings and $200 for a Craigslist Cavalier motor with 115,000 miles on it and I have driven it another 100,000. Other than gas,oil, battery, tires and a fuel,pump it has been a very cheap car to run. Probably under $100 per year not counting gas. It still burns a half qt of oil every 5000 miles or so. This is my new car. I also have a 98.5 Dodge Cummings with about 200,000 on it. It seems to be about broke in. And lastly a 93 Jeep Wrangler with unknown mileage, probably over 200,000. So far I haven't found a need for a newer car.

Modern cars are running much longer than they used to. New fuel injection systems manage the fuel/air mixture much better so you don't get rich mixtures washing crud past rings contaminating the oil like carbs do. Rings, cylinder walls, bearings and other engine parts last longer running with cleaner oil. When I started driving (1964) an engine that lasted over 100,000 miles was doing very well. Now an engine that doesn't make it past 250,000 was abused or just a lemon. I,m not a fan of all of the computer controlled stuff on modern cars but computer controlled fuel injection and ignition timing have made for much better engine life and mileage. Traction control and abs are a couple of improvements I could do without. Not very fond of automatic transmissions and especially ones computer controlled either.

[Bloodman14]

Mine was a 2004 Chevy Cavalier, 2-door, with a 5-speed manual, and a 2.2L engine. Got it from a rent-to-own outfit in '06. Went through an entire suspension rebuild in '14 because of a new job (my first in the medical field). Got a job as a mobile phlebotomist, and decided that the old girl wasn't going to last much longer. Saw a side article on Fox News about the most affordable cars on the market. Top of the list was the 2017 Chevy Spark. Local dealer had one, we checked it out, and drove home the next day with it. The Cav chose that time to start giving up the ghost; limped her to the dealership (trade-in), kissed her on the hood, patted her back bumper like you would pat a good woman on the butt, and said 'Goodbye, and thanks for being such a good car'. 278,514 miles.

[RugerFan]

My 2009 GMC Sierra 1500 (4.8L) just turned 200K last week. No major repairs and runs like day one. Really tickled about that.

[mattw]

Gotta say... I have a 2007 Expedition EL with 258k miles on it. It has bad cancer right about the running boards and the paint is bubbled on the back hatch. I do like the old truck. My last F-150, a '97, was sold with 287k on it!

[CastingFool]

I finally retired my old '96 silverado, with 287,000 miles on it. Started like a dream, didn' t use oil, but the body and frame were rusting. Replaced with a 2008 silverado with extended cab. The grandkids like riding in it.

[Elkins45]

My situation is the exact opposite. I have a 98 Silverado with only 42K miles on it and it has never been reliable since day one. It’s a total crapshoot if it’s going to start or not, or if there’s a new brake fluid leak.

I just sold my 2007 Corolla that had 178K with only routine maintainance. I think that car would easily have gone another 100K, and since the kid I sold it to is a mechanic it may go even farther.

[Budzilla 19]

99 Dodge Ram 3500 4x4 one ton truck, 331,000 and still going!! Cummins diesel, 5 speed. Lots of 4x4 parts, though, that thing is rough on drivetrain however it’s my pipeline right of way ride so it gets used. ‘01 Dodge Ram 2500 2 wheel drive just a pure, bad to the bone diesel hotrod!! 189,000 on the clock, 53000 on a frame off rebuild! Built, not bought. (500 horsepower is addicting to say the least)