17 Ways to Make Your Car Last Forever

[gipper]

Had a clear bra on my Mazda, and it did a nice job of catching the rocks.

As for warming up, yeah, warm up enough so your defrost is working to keep your windows clear, but don't gun it till you've been driving a while. Some cars now have rev limiters that cut back until the engine is hot.

I like the list, but it's funny how luck comes into play as well. When I was 19 or so I wanted to get a car (just moved to Colorado, so my motorcycle was no longer a year round vehicle). Anyways, I picked up a 1989 Chevy Corsica from my buddy for 300 bucks to get around until I could get out to Denver to go car shopping. Had 90k miles on it, not known for reliability. Anyways, I just kept driving it and putting off car shopping and likely a car payment as long as I could. But I didn’t want to put money into the Corsica. So once a year, about 30k miles I’d change the oil. And it didn't leak or burn oil, so I wouldn't add to it either. Didn’t treat it well, only replaced things if they were becoming dangerous (tires/brakes/lights). Drove it with my foot to the floor all the time. Had a sparkplug foul up and end up thinking the cylinder flooded, because I replaced it and was running on 3 cylinders for a couple weeks and just when I'd given up hope, all of a sudden I noticed the car wasn’t completely gutless anymore (just back to old 80’s chevy 4 banger gutless). It wouldn’t die. Took it cross country to Florida a half dozen times. I remember driving through a road that was flooded over. And it died in the middle of the road (exhaust underwater). A couple buddies were laughing at us as water was seeping in the bottom of the door. Turned the key again, it started right up and drove on.

Anyways did that for 3 years. Car had 180k miles on it at that point. Moved, and sold it to my roommate who offered $500 for it as a commuter since he knew it wouldn’t die. I wouldn’t take more than what I paid. Came back a couple years later. He was still treating it like crap, and it was at 250k miles.

I had a similar experience. I bought a 1975 Oldsmobile Delta 88 two door hard top with the rocket 350 motor from the original owner in 1982, when I graduated college. What a great car. A boat really, but it could go. Original owner cried when I bought it. She still loved the car.

It had about 80k on the clock when I got it. Drove it five years then sold it to a good buddy for $500. He abused the car. Never changed the oil. It still ran like a top. He then sold it to another buddy who later sold it to another buddy. All of them knew what a great car it was, when I owned it.

It must have had 250k miles on it when it went to the auto graveyard.

 

[miketx]

Had a clear bra on my Mazda, and it did a nice job of catching the rocks.

As for warming up, yeah, warm up enough so your defrost is working to keep your windows clear, but don't gun it till you've been driving a while. Some cars now have rev limiters that cut back until the engine is hot.

I like the list, but it's funny how luck comes into play as well. When I was 19 or so I wanted to get a car (just moved to Colorado, so my motorcycle was no longer a year round vehicle). Anyways, I picked up a 1989 Chevy Corsica from my buddy for 300 bucks to get around until I could get out to Denver to go car shopping. Had 90k miles on it, not known for reliability. Anyways, I just kept driving it and putting off car shopping and likely a car payment as long as I could. But I didn’t want to put money into the Corsica. So once a year, about 30k miles I’d change the oil. And it didn't leak or burn oil, so I wouldn't add to it either. Didn’t treat it well, only replaced things if they were becoming dangerous (tires/brakes/lights). Drove it with my foot to the floor all the time. Had a sparkplug foul up and end up thinking the cylinder flooded, because I replaced it and was running on 3 cylinders for a couple weeks and just when I'd given up hope, all of a sudden I noticed the car wasn’t completely gutless anymore (just back to old 80’s chevy 4 banger gutless). It wouldn’t die. Took it cross country to Florida a half dozen times. I remember driving through a road that was flooded over. And it died in the middle of the road (exhaust underwater). A couple buddies were laughing at us as water was seeping in the bottom of the door. Turned the key again, it started right up and drove on.

Anyways did that for 3 years. Car had 180k miles on it at that point. Moved, and sold it to my roommate who offered $500 for it as a commuter since he knew it wouldn’t die. I wouldn’t take more than what I paid. Came back a couple years later. He was still treating it like crap, and it was at 250k miles.

I had a similar experience. I bought a 1975 Oldsmobile Delta 88 two door hard top with the rocket 350 motor from the original owner in 1982, when I graduated college. What a great car. A boat really, but it could go. Original owner cried when I bought it. She still loved the car.

It had about 80k on the clock when I got it. Drove it five years then sold it to a good buddy for $500. He abused the car. Never changed the oil. It still ran like a top. He then sold it to another buddy who later sold it to another buddy. All of them knew what a great car it was, when I owned it.

It must have had 250k miles on it when it went to the auto graveyard.

People who don't change the oil are animals.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

Had a clear bra on my Mazda, and it did a nice job of catching the rocks.

As for warming up, yeah, warm up enough so your defrost is working to keep your windows clear, but don't gun it till you've been driving a while. Some cars now have rev limiters that cut back until the engine is hot.

I like the list, but it's funny how luck comes into play as well. When I was 19 or so I wanted to get a car (just moved to Colorado, so my motorcycle was no longer a year round vehicle). Anyways, I picked up a 1989 Chevy Corsica from my buddy for 300 bucks to get around until I could get out to Denver to go car shopping. Had 90k miles on it, not known for reliability. Anyways, I just kept driving it and putting off car shopping and likely a car payment as long as I could. But I didn’t want to put money into the Corsica. So once a year, about 30k miles I’d change the oil. And it didn't leak or burn oil, so I wouldn't add to it either. Didn’t treat it well, only replaced things if they were becoming dangerous (tires/brakes/lights). Drove it with my foot to the floor all the time. Had a sparkplug foul up and end up thinking the cylinder flooded, because I replaced it and was running on 3 cylinders for a couple weeks and just when I'd given up hope, all of a sudden I noticed the car wasn’t completely gutless anymore (just back to old 80’s chevy 4 banger gutless). It wouldn’t die. Took it cross country to Florida a half dozen times. I remember driving through a road that was flooded over. And it died in the middle of the road (exhaust underwater). A couple buddies were laughing at us as water was seeping in the bottom of the door. Turned the key again, it started right up and drove on.

Anyways did that for 3 years. Car had 180k miles on it at that point. Moved, and sold it to my roommate who offered $500 for it as a commuter since he knew it wouldn’t die. I wouldn’t take more than what I paid. Came back a couple years later. He was still treating it like crap, and it was at 250k miles.

I had a similar experience. I bought a 1975 Oldsmobile Delta 88 two door hard top with the rocket 350 motor from the original owner in 1982, when I graduated college. What a great car. A boat really, but it could go. Original owner cried when I bought it. She still loved the car.

It had about 80k on the clock when I got it. Drove it five years then sold it to a good buddy for $500. He abused the car. Never changed the oil. It still ran like a top. He then sold it to another buddy who later sold it to another buddy. All of them knew what a great car it was, when I owned it.

It must have had 250k miles on it when it went to the auto graveyard.

People who don't change the oil are animals.

I will say the Wife was hardly religious about it.
But then she drove a 4Runner. It still ran fine when she traded it in after 275k for a new Tacoma.

 

[Likkmee]

275 k. When I restored it at 165 it had the 1976 radiator cap still intact.
The metal ? Not so much. A couple sheets of stainless and 6061 doors later
Yeah. Made the wheels too. Lotta work.
10 ply BIAS ply tyrez. Try and find those
30 mpg---nasty diesel

 

[Moonglow]

275 k. When I restored it at 165 it had the 1976 radiator cap still intact.
The metal ? Not so much. A couple sheets of stainless and 6061 doors later
Yeah. Made the wheels too. Lotta work.
10 ply BIAS ply tyrez. Try and find those
30 mpg---nasty diesel View attachment 602767

I buy tires of 10 ply BIAS from Amazon.

 

[Likkmee]

I buy tires of 10 ply BIAS from Amazon.

Cool. Normal sized like those ( 31.5 x 9.5 x15) or big truck stuff ?
Those are BF Goodrich and made only for the power company here.
I ummmm.I "liberated" those 4. I got a buddy that spins wrenches there. They have a couple 40 footers slap full

 

[Moonglow]

Cool. Normal sized like those ( 31.5 x 9.5 x15) or big truck stuff ?
Those are BF Goodrich and made only for the power company here.
I ummmm.I "liberated" those 4. I got a buddy that spins wrenches there. They have a couple 40 footers slap full

Just for my truck and the rough roads around here.