the higer milage conversation???

[rodney 17]

Ok so here is the question. Please discuss in a spirited way..

Is high milage as much of an issue as it used to be??? I know most engines are good for 150k nowdays. As long as they have been maintained. Are they still good??

I have come across some very tasty cars recently all of which have 110k+miles.. So assuming it has had its 1 or 2 belts etc as needed is the car still ok?? What about the transmission (more so on 4wd systems) and gear boxes? Yes the interior can be ok but after such miles is it better to save more and get a newer (low milage) car knowing that when you hit 80k you have bills coming? Is it just a confidence thing based on having older cars, so you needed lower miles on it so it was still in one piece??

Discuss.......

[MarksMintness 0]

Here's my tuppence worth...

I've had a couple of low mileage cars and they can often present more trouble to be honest! I had a '90 twin cam Sierra with like 25k on and stripped the drive shafts when I raced away from the lights - the car had been sat for so long! My VR6 has only got 62k on it and it still has a couple of rust holes that need doing, and the brakes all needed doing (for the first time by the looks of it!) and the thing has lots of creaks and rattles! I bet there are higher milers out there that probably represent a better ownership proposition!

[bungy 2]

Bodywork and paint costs alot more than any mechanicals including the engine. Everything that is perishable is more age related ie hoses and seals. A well maintained high miler in daily use with a wealth of new parts will represent better economy than a low miler that has been sat around unused. Overall condition of the car and a carefull once over by someone from the club who knows the cars well and their pitfulls will stand you in good stead.

[MarksMintness 0]

Agreed. End of thread.

lol

[craggsy 91]

I cant see the big thing about low milage cars, they are designed to be used.

I have no problem having a high mileage car as long as its been looked after. I bought mine with 113k on it and now has 154k nearly 5 yrs later, and its never let me down mechanically

[rodney 17]

ok so when talking about the basic oily bits like the engine. What about the more exotic.. The 4wd systems and Turobs? Where do we stand on those???

[craggsy 91]

As long as they have been serviced to manufacturers specs and times Id be happy buying.....more so with 4wd as I can imagine that being expensive to fix. Turbos are relatively cheap to get recons, I dont think id buy a factory turbo car for some reason......V powered NA for me...aka e92 M3, C63 AMG etc

[cabrioman 6]

see this all the time at work can have two cars the same take the two jeeps i had in this week both grand cherokees 3.0 v6 crd`s on 05 plates, one had about 25k and the other had 90+k on the clock one drove like a dream and one was a bucket of *** .... one had been serviced on the mileage with out fail and wanted for nothing and the other i done the 2nd service on it .... and guess wot the high mileage one was the better one of the two .... so imop as along as its been serived and well looked after id have a high mileage car ...

[rodney 17]

Its the turbos that worry me!! I know they are much better than yhey used to be but I get twitchy .. Is it founded??

[cabrioman 6]

i have only fitted 2 turbos while at jeep and they were on cars we had never seen b4 and well over 100k ... but tbh turbos as longs ther eis no excessive play in shaft and has the corret oil feed and return then they will go for ages ... except if a bit of crap gets in the intake side and buggers it up ....

[bungy 2]

Sounds obvious, but oil and filter changes are paramount. At work we use very large high performance engines and we test the oil to see when it requires changing. Poor air filters and loaded oil along with cold starting is where all the wear happens in your engine. Turbo wear happens for the reasons Tony mentioned and people ragging them red hot and switching their engine off. No oil circulation and heat soak plays havoc with longevity. The most problematic car i've ever owned was one that I bought new.

[jims13 6]

ditto i owned anew car, and it was nothing but trouble.. but 184000 miles and counting with my turbo vr, brought it on 151000 ish.. and ive got a4 folders full of recipets and a stamped book.. a service history os worthless without reciepts to back it up.

[hvr6 88]

depends how it's looked after I think mines on 53k and been serviced more regularly than some higher mileage cars, oil never really looks like it needs to be chnaged but everything gets done, I hope it'll last me years cant see us ever getting rid of it tbh.

When I was searching out my VR 6 years ago I did find the lower mileage were much nicer to drive I did view some dogs, not sure it depends on the mileage probably just the owners :-)

[RIX 0]

bought my 95 syncro in 2005 with 160tkm on the clock sold 2 years later with 200tkm(had brain melt down and got a engine rebuild)gearbox and and syncro driven train all fine newer been touched other the me changing the olie at 160tkm,my mate has a syncro variant that has done 210tkm has a 5 gear noise other then that fine showed 203ps on the rollers in august.have another mate that had a 97 model that had done 53tkm when he bought it(the automatic gear was new when he bought it)he changede the abs block and alot of other nasty expensive stuff.

[RIX 0]

if low miles/km they must have been serviced aleast ones a year or i would walk away(you can´t wait 15tkm when it only does 5tkm a year)

my other mate bought a seat (lupo size) from 1999 with 39tkm on the clock last been serviced in jan 2008 at 31tkm and 6years over due for new cambelt.