Topic: High mileage vehicles....is it still a thing?

[USMC5811]

Don't want to start a brand war, but...
I have always driven Fords, and each one of them ran great well up into high mileage - even my '71 Pinto - but had to be retired for other reasons.
Pinto - 175k ("dry rot")
Escort - 135k (t boned)
Explorer #1 - 156k (rolled)
Explorer #2 - 325+ (body rust)

My wife has driven a Chevette, Neon, Cavalier, and Malibu - all started getting sketchy around the 95k mark

I'm in PT Cruiser now, so we'll see how that works out...


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[flybox1]

Don't want to start a brand war, but...
I have always driven Fords, and each one of them ran great well up into high mileage - even my '71 Pinto - but had to be retired for other reasons.

Queen - A Night at the Opera 8-track got stuck in the player, huh?

[Lostboy Steve]

Don't want to start a brand war, but...
I have always driven Fords, and each one of them ran great well up into high mileage - even my '71 Pinto - but had to be retired for other reasons.
Pinto - 175k ("dry rot")
Escort - 135k (t boned)
Explorer #1 - 156k (rolled)
Explorer #2 - 325+ (body rust)

My wife has driven a Chevette, Neon, Cavalier, and Malibu - all started getting sketchy around the 95k mark

I'm in PT Cruiser now, so we'll see how that works out...


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Just keep that timing belt fresh. Was the second explorer an 02-05~? The older ones seemed to be good with body rot.


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[USMC5811]

Don't want to start a brand war, but...
I have always driven Fords, and each one of them ran great well up into high mileage - even my '71 Pinto - but had to be retired for other reasons.
Pinto - 175k ("dry rot")
Escort - 135k (t boned)
Explorer #1 - 156k (rolled)
Explorer #2 - 325+ (body rust)

My wife has driven a Chevette, Neon, Cavalier, and Malibu - all started getting sketchy around the 95k mark

I'm in PT Cruiser now, so we'll see how that works out...


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Just keep that timing belt fresh. Was the second explorer an 02-05~? The older ones seemed to be good with body rot.


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Think it was an '01 - so around that same era


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[USMC5811]

Don't want to start a brand war, but...
I have always driven Fords, and each one of them ran great well up into high mileage - even my '71 Pinto - but had to be retired for other reasons.

Queen - A Night at the Opera 8-track got stuck in the player, huh?

No, grandad kept it in the garage after grandmother wasn't able to drive for me, but all those years just sitting took its toll.
I didn't have the funds or skills to fix it.
Kept it until '92, and it's still on the road today with somebody else.
PS - the sound system was the very first upgrade I made.


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[Duanob]

Don't want to start a brand war, but...
I have always driven Fords, and each one of them ran great well up into high mileage - even my '71 Pinto - but had to be retired for other reasons.
Pinto - 175k ("dry rot")
Escort - 135k (t boned)
Explorer #1 - 156k (rolled)
Explorer #2 - 325+ (body rust)

My wife has driven a Chevette, Neon, Cavalier, and Malibu - all started getting sketchy around the 95k mark

I'm in PT Cruiser now, so we'll see how that works out...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

No wars but my experiences, I had to get rid of my last 1997 F150, the repair bills were eating me alive! It was costing my $3000 a year just to keep it going. I only had 138K on it, but brakes failed, alternator blew up and took out a bunch of electricals, head gasket on one bank blew, tranny was starting to act up, I just dumped it fast. I now have a 2001 Chevy Tahoe that seems solid enough to go 200K+ without major issues. I've only replaced the ABS sensor and the heater actuator which are the most common problems but it runs and drives awesome. Even towed my 6500lb boat like it's no problem.

I've been looking for a little mid 90's BMW and so many of the ones in my price range have 200K and more on them. I don't want to buy a car with that many miles but it's really nice to see so many of the these cars that will go that many miles without hauling them to the scrap yard. Most of them are still on the road and running.

[70CB750]

It is a thing here:

1986CJ7 - 270 000 miles, bought it with 50 000 miles in 1998
2004 Grand Cherokee - 230 000 miles, bought it with 13 000
1999 Camry - 225 000 miles - hand down from a friend to my oldest with 170 000 on the clock
1998 Volvo - 150 000 miles - my oldest bought it with 140 000 miles as college hauling car

Truth be told, getting tired of keeping all these running

[70CB750]

Friend of mine sold his Tacoma year ago - it had over 500 000 miles on it.  Got rid of it because the frame was rusting near the rear axle.

Another guy I know bought it, had the frame welded - I would not do it, btw - and Tacoma keeps going.

[BobbyR]

Back in my Grandfathers time if you said you hadn't had the head off by 5K miles they accused you of lying.

My 55 Ford had 100K miles on it and people would gape at it. I think I got 5K more miles before some #$%* in a VW Beetle ran into me head on.

Even into the late 70's the cars were #$%*ty, and put together even worse.

There is no doubt the cars of today last a long time. I lease my cars since I do not want to put up with the maintenance work as the mileage increases. I used to be in the driveway every other weekend under one of our junkers.

Once life took a good turn, I decided to lease and bring it to the dealer and have them fix it.     

[USMC5811]

....bring it to the dealer and have them fix it.   

They're the only ones with equipment that makes it possible to repair them anymore.
My emergency tool kit in the Pinto was an adjustable wrench, vise grips, two screwdrivers (1 of each flavor), and a set of feeler gauges for setting the points.
That was all I needed to keep it going through any roadside drama.


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[BobbyR]

One of my best friends was killed in a Pinto. it was a dangerous car.

[USMC5811]

One of my best friends was killed in a Pinto. it was a dangerous car.

Sorry to hear that.
It wasn't until the design changes of 73-74 that the gas tank became an impact risk.
The '71s were made with small engines sitting in an engine bay big enough for the biggest block Ford crate engine - that's why they made great drag strip cars.


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