What's considered an old car?

[jetman]

Last February bought a 2002 Corvette w/60k miles. PO had it since 2004 and did almost no mx.

I (DIYer) spent a few months last spring bringing it up to speed.
I drove it back and forth (2000 miles) 3 times between our 2 homes in TX & CO. Plan to do the same yr after yr.
Daily drive it too.
Has 69k miles now.

 

[The Critic]

Anything over 10 years/150K miles, whichever comes first.

 

[MCompact]

I guess the Club Sport qualifies- it's going on 29 years since I took delivery.

 

[Kira]

I'm with GSCJR: "Old" is too vague a term.

In 1974, when I was young, an older fellow how traveled a lot said, "In England, if your car is 8 years old.....you own a new car".
That was then and he was him.....see, no reference point at all.

Hey man, age is just a number....and other obnoxious expressions apply here.

 

[mr_boring]

Cars and trucks from the 80's are old. Why? Because most of them fell apart by 1995.

I think anything over 25 years old is considered to be an antique in most states.

 

[Kira]

^^And that's one metric....a good one, but not the only one.

 

[k1xv]

State law might provide some guidance. In some states, cars over a certain age can be transferred without a title.

And over other ages, can be exempted from annual inspections, and can qualify for "Antique" or "Classic" plates.

I would define it as any car that is no longer supported by the dealer with the entire catalog of parts.

 

[thastinger]

I have a 98 F150, 04 Escape, 09 Mazda5, 13 GT500 and 14 Armada. Half of those wouldn't have lived that long if they salted the rounds around here. So I think "old" would depend on the area.

 

[Propflux01]

Anything over 10 years/150K miles, whichever comes first.

I'll agree with the ten years. Thats when manufacturers no longer have to support parts for it anyhow.

 

[Cujet]

I think Florida requires a vehicle to be 30 years old to qualify for "Antique" tags (license plate). So, I'd say half that would make a vehicle old. My 2009 F150 still looks great, but it is now 15 years old, and it is starting to show it's age in a number of ways, from cracked leather seats, to a hole in the carpet, deteriorating electrical connectors, and loud transmission pump whine when cold.

Interestingly, it has the 5.4L 3valve V8, which is generally said to be the worst engine ever made. Yet here I am 15 years later with no known engine issues. I do use 10W-40 though.

 

[Passport1]

'92 Volvo is elderly.

 

[Elkins45]

I think of my 98 Chevy (52k miles) as old and my 2009 Scion (167k miles) as certainly middle-aged.

 

[supton]

20 years old. 10 isn't young either. But that's because of the region: salt isn't kind to metal.

Just my opinion.

 

[Chris142]

Anything over 10 years/150K miles, whichever comes first.

I'd say that 50% of the cars on the road are old here.

 

[dishdude]

CKN seems to think "old" is three or four years.

He's not wrong! I would say 5-6 is old.

 

[fantastic]

That's great! Looks like we all agree...

 

[AZjeff]

What's considered old?

Depends where you live. In the rust belt 20-year-old cars are rare, and the ones still on the road are in sad shape unless the owner is fanatical about taking care of it. I bought a rust free 2002 wrangler last year, being from Pennsylvania I’m still amazed.

 

[andrew_j]

Around my area 12-15 years. Cars last longer now but rust eats them in New England albeit slower.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

2000 is new
1999 is old

It's that 2 that makes the difference

It used to be 90s is new, 80s is old

There is no set definition. Some age gracefully; others not so much (like people). A vehicle that has 15+ years of freeway miles can run like new with 200k on the clock. While a car in the rust belt will experience the exact opposite.

Cars in Arizona generally don't have issues with rust and corrosion so it's the ideal environment for collectors. The rate of decay varies based on location, maintenance, usage and vehicle design.

Arizona is hot, so you have to worry about paint fading, clearcoat wearing away, interior plastics fading or melting/warping, etc

Isn't the PNW the ideal environment for collectors? It's not as hot up there, and still not humid, either

 

[LongTime_Lurker]

It's okay since they don't salt the roads regularly. A bit damp for electronics though...