4 ms·

In the olden days you needed to do a engine overhaul at 100,000 km because the rings would be shot and it would be smoking. Now I see 1990's Camry's and other

In the olden days you needed to do a engine overhaul at 100,000 km because the rings would be shot and it would be smoking. Now I see 1990's Camry's and other cars happily @ 250,000 km without any major engine work.

radicaldreamer 5y ago
In Southern California, it's common to see ancient cars rolling around without overhauls, probably due to the mild weather. A little less common in the Bay Area, but I still see 20+ year old beaters and 90s Camry's almost every day.
- ghaff 5y ago
  Largely taking rust out of the equation makes a big difference. In New England, where I live, if you drive a car in the winter you're probably still looking at around 15 years max. I had a Honda del Sol from the last year they were made and I had garaged it in the winter for the last 10 years or so. It got to the point that the dealer's mechanics would gather around it when I brought it in because basically none of the cars (which weren't that common anyway) were still on the roads if they were driven in the winter.
  - UI_at_80x24 5y ago
    Del Sol's are really sweet. It's a looker even from the factory.
    - ghaff 5y ago
      They really were. Honda wasn't really successful with them. I suppose they were too impractical for a Honda buyer and too Honda for a "sports car" buyer. I enjoyed it for a long time as a second vehicle. It was also the most reliable vehicle I had owned up to that point. But as I stopped commuting and ended up traveling a lot more I just wasn't using it enough to justify the insurance/registration/etc. cost especially as it hit 170K miles or so and I didn't really rust it for long trips at that point.
      - rodgerd 5y ago
        Had it been a front/rear layout like the S2000 I would have thought it be a slam-dunk; as is, the front/front combo knocked it out as an MX-5 competitor.
        ghaff 5y ago
        I think you're making my point. You would have wanted a "real" sports car like the S2000--which also didn't do great. Whereas I wanted a fun but very practical two seater. (The del Sol also actually had a pretty good trunk.)
ghaff 5y ago
I fortuitously got rid of a 20+ year old Honda with about 170K miles shortly before the pandemic hit. It was starting to show some age and needed some maintenance--which is why I decided to get rid of it (in addition to not driving it much)--but I'm pretty sure it never had significant engine work other than a pro-active timing belt replacement. (I hadn't driven it in the winter for years.)

radicaldreamer 5y ago

In Southern California, it's common to see ancient cars rolling around without overhauls, probably due to the mild weather. A little less common in the Bay Area, but I still see 20+ year old beaters and 90s Camry's almost every day.

ghaff 5y ago
Largely taking rust out of the equation makes a big difference. In New England, where I live, if you drive a car in the winter you're probably still looking at around 15 years max. I had a Honda del Sol from the last year they were made and I had garaged it in the winter for the last 10 years or so. It got to the point that the dealer's mechanics would gather around it when I brought it in because basically none of the cars (which weren't that common anyway) were still on the roads if they were driven in the winter.
- UI_at_80x24 5y ago
  Del Sol's are really sweet. It's a looker even from the factory.
  - ghaff 5y ago
    They really were. Honda wasn't really successful with them. I suppose they were too impractical for a Honda buyer and too Honda for a "sports car" buyer. I enjoyed it for a long time as a second vehicle. It was also the most reliable vehicle I had owned up to that point. But as I stopped commuting and ended up traveling a lot more I just wasn't using it enough to justify the insurance/registration/etc. cost especially as it hit 170K miles or so and I didn't really rust it for long trips at that point.
    - rodgerd 5y ago
      Had it been a front/rear layout like the S2000 I would have thought it be a slam-dunk; as is, the front/front combo knocked it out as an MX-5 competitor.
      - ghaff 5y ago
        I think you're making my point. You would have wanted a "real" sports car like the S2000--which also didn't do great. Whereas I wanted a fun but very practical two seater. (The del Sol also actually had a pretty good trunk.)

ghaff 5y ago

I fortuitously got rid of a 20+ year old Honda with about 170K miles shortly before the pandemic hit. It was starting to show some age and needed some maintenance--which is why I decided to get rid of it (in addition to not driving it much)--but I'm pretty sure it never had significant engine work other than a pro-active timing belt replacement. (I hadn't driven it in the winter for years.)