Average US vehicle age now 12.5 years

[JeffKeryk]

Check your info Jeff...
Quote me to me....I said "keep your plastic parts out of my engines." I'm not sure of your mechanical knowledge or abilities, so I'll ask you a question. Where is the the intake manifold? Follow up question: Go anywhere you wish on the internet. Show me one piece of plastic INSIDE a 3800?

I in no way meant to question your knowledge. I was pointing out that plastics have been used for years to lower weight and cost. Ford used plastic oil pans in some F-150 V6 engines. There are examples of plastics used internally.

Timing gears have used composite teeth on cam sprockets. I have seen these on Chevrolet and Ford engines.
In the mid-1980s, Ford engineers developed a 2.3-liter engine that featured a plastic block, rods and piston skirts. Although the experimental engine was never mass-produced, the Polimotor project proved that plastic could be used as a lightweight alternative to aluminum, cast-iron and steel.
Plastic automotive engine

 

[SC Maintenance]

This thread is kind of turning fun with reminiscing.
But "Plastic engine parts doesn't translate in to less reliable."?????

O. YES. THEY. DO.

I'm not sure what field you make your living in, (I'm in quality control in the welding industry), but plastic (of any kind) is not a reliable material to withstand heat or freeze/thaw cycles or heavy loading of any kind. I own firearms with plastic frames, but the barrels are steel. Buildings, bridges, tools, construction equipment of all kinds...I could go on.....plastic is so weak and unreliable that it is not even considered as a potential material for construction of anything that needs to withstand stresses.

Please, keep your "plastic parts" out of my engines.

There are certainly some plastics that are worse than others, and a lot of early plastics were pretty bad. On the opposite end my Nissan is 15 years old with 388,000 miles and has a plastic intake, and not only has it never had a problem, I have never heard of a Nissan Plastic intake having any problem. I have heard of a lot of intake manifold problems elsewhere, like aluminum cracking or warping - not specific to a 3.8l GM, but my point is no material is perfect in every way.

Metals may be stronger, but plastic can flex without cracking unlike aluminum, and wont rust like cast steel. If a plastic intake manifold will last 30 years on a car that lasts 20, does it matter. BTW my dad had two Buicks with 3800's in them. The engine was fine. The Buicks fell apart around them. So in reality the engine was over engineered for the vehicle it was put into.

Materials science has come a long way. To say you just don't want to own an engine with plastic is not logical, IMHO. Its like saying you don't want fuel injection, or electronic ignition.

 

[brianl703]

Show me one piece of plastic INSIDE a 3800?

 

[Ihatetochangeoil]

I am not invincible or above correction and have been corrected; actually, I knew of this when I typed my first line and I should have been more specific. That is the only piece of plastic in the 3800, the timing chain tensioner, which is not highly stressed, and very few people have ever had a timing chain wear out on one of these engines. You might find one or two Youtube videos on it, but certainly not pages of complaints.
My broader point which stands is simply the reliability of the 3800s. From 2000-2005, the eighth generation Buick Lesabre was the best-selling full size car in America and almost 20 years later, there are still plenty of them on the road. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buick_LeSabre

 

[CanAmAndMore]

My oldest vehicle is 22 years old now, still runs perfect.
There is no need to always drive a new car.

 

[mjk1967]

12.5 years -- I guess I am average, once again....

 

[weaponoffreedom]

Plastic engine parts doesn't translate in to less reliable. And yea we disagree.

How Many Miles Can You Put On A 3.5 EcoBoost: RELIABLY - 4-Wheel Drive Guide

How Many Miles Can You Put on a 3.5 EcoBoost

4wheeldriveguide.com

dauntless

 

[macarose]

The Camry is 31 years old. The truck is 39 years old. And this bumper sticker will last forever!

 

[SammyChevelleTypeS3]

My oldest vehicle is 22 years old now, still runs perfect.
There is no need to always drive a new car.

Agree. Our record was an 18 year old Honda Accord. Got another one now that is 14 years old from new this August. My last Ford F150 I had before retirement was 16 years old. A while back we found it just too easy to shop for a nice 2-3 yr old vehicle online by checking the makes / models / miles and price before even hitting the car lots. Usually we zero in on one and majority of the times when we go in to test drive and look over , we end up taking the car home that same day. It is so easy once you have done most of the "shopping" from the comfort of home.

 

[Rmay635703]

Up until recently my daily drivers were 1981/1982

 

[hank2]

With the cost a basic new vehicle now plus high interest, high leasing and gouging, the average age will continue to climb. Unavailability of parts for many older vehicles will eventually kill them with many unable to replace. The big engine destructions in exchange for a new car buy in '09/'10 took a tremendous amount of potential used engines and other parts away for '90's vehicles.

I've kept a number of the vehicles that I purchased new for about 9-12 years. My two cars are now 9 and 10 years old. I don't plan to ever buy another car. I like that my '82 truck helps pull up the average.

 

[wpod]

Removing the lead from gas was a big plus, the fuel injection helped, better metals and machining and improved seals and gasket materials certainly didn't hurt the longevity, but the major improvement was the long required emission standards requirements the manufactures had to meet.

 

[supton]

I don't mind older cars, kinda like simple ones. As long as I can get parts that is. But life in the rustbelt means that cars are disposable. They are lasting longer than ever, but still, nothing lasts forever.

 

[weaponoffreedom]

Removing the lead from gas was a big plus, the fuel injection helped, better metals and machining and improved seals and gasket materials certainly didn't hurt the longevity, but the major improvement was the long required emission standards requirements the manufactures had to meet.

And the point of all this is what exactly?

 

[weaponoffreedom]

I don't mind older cars, kinda like simple ones. As long as I can get parts that is. But life in the rustbelt means that cars are disposable. They are lasting longer than ever, but still, nothing lasts forever.

yall shouldnt use salt on the roads, problem solved..

 

[supton]

yall shouldnt use salt on the roads, problem solved..

Yeah, just that easy...

 

[oil pan 4]

Mien leaf is about 13 years old this year.

 

[Vil_Riker]

Contrary to BITOG wisdom, my oldest car is a 20 year old BMW.

 

[Malo83]

1983 Silverado, my DD
2008 Malibu LTZ, wifes ride.

 

[Rmay635703]

Mien leaf is about 13 years old this year.

My Volt is already getting elderly also