How many people own or have owned a vehicle which went over 300,000 miles?

[Oaktree]

Subarus that vintage were tough cars.

ISTR them as being terrible rustbuckets, even worse than typical Japanese cars of that era. And the engines always sounded like they were about ready to throw a rod once they hit 50k...you could hear one coming a mile away. Quirky cars too...odd controls, etc. In the mid-80s my GF had one, I remember doing a brake job on it. Set the emergency brake, jacked it up...couldn't get the &^%$ front calipers off to save my life. Did a little investigation, discovered the e-brake went to the FRONT wheels on them! :mur:
I don't recall Suburu really getting their act together until the mid-late 90s.

A guy on youtube was talking about why GM is closing plants. He seemed to suggest that old GMs were better and lasted longer. I remember, here in Canada, pretty much any five year old vehicle was on it's way to rusting out.

Funny, I seem to recall 70s-80s GMs standing up to rust better than most makes (with some exceptions, like the Vega which would rust out in the Sahara). Japanese cars rusted like a brillo pad, as did Dodge trucks. Ford, VW & Chrysler were somewhere in the middle.

Various vehicles had their own problems and peculiarities back then, but compared to now, they were so simple and you wonder how hard it would have been to repair them. Like various CHOKE issues whether it was on a VW bug or a Ford Custom 500!

Carburetor problems in general were a PITA. Chokes were finicky to set up since you only got one chance before the car warmed up, but once you got it right they worked OK.
Yeah, vintage cars were easier to work on, which was a good thing because they needed working on way more than today's vehicles.

One thing that was a bit of a revelation when I bought an antique car a few years ago was how much brakes have improved over the years. I'd really gotten spoiled by discs!! You've really got to plan ahead when you need to stop in something with 4 wheel drum brakes!!

 

[4570Man]

I’ve always heard that but I don’t know what the real problem is. Drum brakes don’t inherently suck because that what all heavy trucks use.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I would buy my next pickup with drum brakes and no ABS BS in a heartbeat if given the chance.

I rarely use my brakes anyway. I was sitting in my truck in a small town, eating a pizza a few weeks ago, observing traffic. I couldn't believe all the retards that go screaming up to a red light, and mash on the brakes.

 

[Jstpssng]

I will pass on going back to drum brakes. My first Honda CB175 had drum brakes, then I upgraded to a CB 450 with a single disc. The difference was amazingly noticeable,, even when pushing the bikes around in a garage. I would never go back. A lot of things are different on heavy trucks especially the weight; hence the need for different braking systems. Comparing a semi to a pickup is apples and oranges.

 

[two_bit_score]

My 1995 Chev 1500 is getting close to that 300K. It’s got 285,000 on it now and has only had normal wear and tear replacements of a/c compressor ( once), belts, hoses, mufflers, brakes, etc. original motor, tranny, never wrecked. It’s showing age and interior wear but no rust. Some clear coat failure but paint still looks good at 50’.

Grease monkeys at the oil change place still tell me they want to buy it if I decide to sell.


TBS

 

[4570Man]

I will pass on going back to drum brakes. My first Honda CB175 had drum brakes, then I upgraded to a CB 450 with a single disc. The difference was amazingly noticeable,, even when pushing the bikes around in a garage. I would never go back. A lot of things are different on heavy trucks especially the weight; hence the need for different braking systems. Comparing a semi to a pickup is apples and oranges.

Why? In this instance we’re only comparing the break types. I’ve never seen a semi without drum brakes and they obviously work pretty well. A pickup has drum brakes and they apparently suck. I’ve never had a pickup with 4 wheel drum brakes. My ton has rear drum brakes and I’ll admit the rear doesn’t brake as well as I’d like. At least 2nd is really effective. I’ve had 2 ton truck with 4 wheel drum brakes and they have all kinds of stop.

 

[Botaskinner]

@ mykleh,
That series Avalon was one of the best cars ever made. I replaced my 300D Mercedes with a 2001 Avalon, bought at 123K and regretfully sold it to my BIL when was down on his luck, and he ended up totalling it at about 230K.

Before I sold it i resealed the valve covers, replaced the timing belt and water pump and all 4 struts. It could have run another 100K easily. The engine, called a sludge maker by many, was spotless inside when I sold it.

We have a gently used LS430 now but I still miss that Avalon.

 

[zoedog2012]

I would buy my next pickup with drum brakes and no ABS BS in a heartbeat if given the chance.

I rarely use my brakes anyway. I was sitting in my truck in a small town, eating a pizza a few weeks ago, observing traffic. I couldn't believe all the retards that go screaming up to a red light, and mash on the brakes.

Was my wife one of them?

 

[TractorGuy]

Had a couple of 240 series Volvos that had over 250 on them when I let them go. Both were on original engines and transmissions and I would have driven either anywhere. Wife's was a 2 door sedan and mine was a wagon.

Wife talked me into buying a new boat that my wagon didn't like to tow. Pulled in to a used car dealer and traded both cars in on a Jeep Cherokee and a Mazda Miata. Both of those did pretty well by us but we moved on before they had anywhere near that mileage. I think I had 190K on the Jeep when I sold it and the kid that got it totaled it so no telling how far it would have gone.

I was a professional Volvo Tech for 25+ years so maintenance was something I was fanatical about.

My current DD is a 2003 F150 with the 4.6 V8 sitting at 175,000. No plans to sell or trade. If and when it breaks I plan to repair it.

 

[Guidshir]

I have a 1995 4cyl Nissan hardbody pickup that has an unknown number of miles on it. The tach has been iffy for the 16 years I've owned it. My estimate is ~250k. It runs great. Only thing I had done has been clutches and head gasket. I have beat the crap out of it, driven it at high speeds for years, carried gravel, wood, etc.

As much as I love it, it is literally falling apart under me and will have to be replaced eventually. I will probably get another older, small truck since I can't see the logic in buying and driving a huge monster I don't need.