If this was the last car you could ever own . . .

[ffxfina3]

So, I've seen the occasional threads on BITOG regarding people who have kept their cars going for many, many years, and a few for 500,000 or perhaps even a million miles. But I've been thinking recently:

What if I imagined that I would never be able to purchase another car again? How would this affect how I maintain my vehicle?

I'd love to hear what people say about this? If you knew that you would need to drive your current car for for another, say, 40 years, or perhaps more, would it change the type of oil you use? Filter? How about other things? For example, would you start using Rain-X windsheild wiper fluid so that you can minimize wear and tear on your wiper arms or motor? Would you do more UOA? Would you start waxing your car (or wax it more often)? Would you take some kind of steps to preserve your interior fabric?

Thanks for your input,
Bryan

 

[thr_wedge]

I'd sell my Mazda6 and buy a Porsche 911 Turbo or GT2, try and get the longest loan on it possible hopefully at sub inflation rates, and buy stock in a tire company

 

[CharBaby]

We would love to keep all of our cars in my signature. My Altima, my wife's RX-300 and daughter's Mazda3(she lives on her own in PA), they also say the same thing! We'd all just like to keep what we have and drive them forever as the cars fit our likes, butts, budget and expectations(overall). But it is, what it is!

I've been using good oils and other fluids in all the cars plus, replacement parts as well. I do detail them often and coincidentally, I do use Rain-X on the glass...Love it!

 

[Donald]

Reasonable oil change intervals, along with the other lubricants. Krown or CarWell or FF is a must.

Do the required maint.

Don't eat in the car, especially food with crumbs.

 

[d00df00d]

Wouldn't change a thing.

 

[IndyIan]

I think I'd move closer to work so I didn't need the car everyday, put it in a garage and get a motorcycle!

 

[robertcope]

Originally Posted By: thr_wedge
I'd sell my Mazda6 and buy a Porsche 911 Turbo or GT2, try and get the longest loan on it possible hopefully at sub inflation rates, and buy stock in a tire company


Ditto. Best plan ever.

robert

 

[gman2304]

I might be more proactive in my preventive maintenance. Replace bolt on parts due to time [alternator, water pump, suspension parts etc} before they break.

 

[Doog]

I would move out of NE Ohio....(road salt)

 

[spavel6]

I'd be excited - I've always wanted to run my car the extra 90k miles to hit the magical 500k.. Then.. well, maybe 600k?!?!

 

[Jcp123]

I would be METICULOUS about PM, plus I'd use a little better grade of parts than I am using now. I mostly cheap out in the Echo - book value is about $800 in its poor shape - but I always use the good stuff on my Mustang. Rio still has power train warrantee so eh, the dealer can do whatever for now

 

[Jarlaxle]

Originally Posted By: Doog
I would move out of NE Ohio....(road salt)


That. Nothing wears out here...it ROTS out.

 

[joegreen]

I do not plan on ever getting rid of my vehicles. When I buy parts for my merc I usually buy oem or I do research and find the best parts I can knowing I will have it forever.

 

[OneEyeJack]

My sig contains the last 2 cars I'll ever own.

I purchased the Honda new and it now is 31 years old and has over 400K miles and runs fine. Everything works and I'm getting 37mpg day in and day out in mixed driving. This car has never failed to start and get me where I'm going. Part of that may be the fact that I'm really diligent about maintenance and routine service.

I also purchased the 4Runner new and it's doing just fine, too. This was the first new vehicle I purchased with an automatic transmission. In the past I've always opted for manual transmissions.

I have no plans to replace either one. I'm done.

Since I started driving in 1960 I've owned over 100 cars. Many were purchased with the idea of fixing them up, driving them for a while and selling them. It was a hobby that you could indulge in and sometimes make good money.

Now that I'm fighting some health problems (cancer) the idea of owning anything else is just a passing fancy. I'm happy with my last 2 vehicles and have no need or desire for all these new options and gadgets that come with almost every new car on the market. I've actually gone out in public without my cell phone and even driven my car without a Bluetooth connection. And I still enjoy just getting out and going on a road trip and taking the long way to get somewhere to enjoy the trip as much or more than the destination.

 

[morepwr]

I would not change much in my routine of maintaining the vehicle. I would probably keep an older vehicle like my 91 Chevy 1500 since there is far less electronic extras to deal with than a new vehicle.

 

[Mykl]

I don't think I'd do anything differently, with either of my vehicles. Maybe I'd move the VW's OCI to 5k instead of the factory 10k interval, but I can't think of anything else.

Both sleep in a garage, the VW spends more time outside so the windows are tinted and I'm very consistent about using the sunshade to protect the interior. They both get washed and waxed frequently, although both could use a machine detail at the moment.

 

[zray]

Originally Posted By: Donald


Don't eat in the car, especially food with crumbs.



I applaud your keen observation.

Nothing worse than having the temperature get into the 90's & smelling what you ate 3 weeks ago. You can't see it, or find it. But your nose tells you it is "alive" somewhere in the car.

Z

 

[ThirdeYe]

I maintain my cars to plan to keep them for 40 years, but they rust out in 20 here in Michigan.

 

[eljefino]

I kept a saturn wagon 11 years from 2003-3014. When gas prices tripled I figured it'd be the end of days, so I redid all the struts and front end and re-ringed the motor. Eventually a synchro in the trans went bad. I don't take those apart.

Got 11 years out of it, ate $300 in depreciation.

Now, I don't get attached. Mostly because there are few cars worth slobbering over. Neither new nor moderately used. I hope they get better, later, so we can look back on 2005-2015 and muse, what were we thinking?

 

[19jacobob93]

Interesting thread I like it!
If I had to keep my car forever I'd be laughing!
Just ticked over 200k on the way back from work tonight, 90k of which were put on by me in the past 3 years and in that time I've replaced nothing but disposables. It hasn't had the easiest life either spending its first 6 years as a rental car then driven 25k on dino oil by me and driven without coolant for 45 minutes during that 25k! That was an 18 year old new driver me haha
Other than a slight lifter rattle on start up (crudded up from that baked 25k dino oil) it runs perfect and is in pretty good shape
I would carry on doing 7,500 ish OCIs with a decent 10w30 semi syn and MoS2 and swap out all fluids and rust proof it thoroughly
I genuinely plan on keeping this until something major goes, if not forever and since some of these have over 1.6 million kms with 100% original engine internals including head gasket I am very confident