Long life advice

[RgrWynne]

How do I make my car last? 

People often ask our agony uncle Honest John this question, and he refers them to the advice of Irv Gordon, who owns a 1966 Volvo P1800, which he has driven more than 3,000,000 miles. Here are Irv’s top 10 tips:

1 Start with a car you really like. “If you don’t like your car, you’ll never go the distance.”

2 Change oil and filter every year or every 10,000 miles, whichever comes first. “If there is one maintenance activity that will extend the life of your car’s engine, this is it.”

3 Use factory equipment parts. “They are more compatible with your car. I believe in keeping my Volvo a Volvo.”

4 Use one brand of oil. “It assures uniform quality.”

5 Spend a few minutes a week checking under the bonnet. “Even the most mechanically challenged car owners can look for low fluid levels or deterioration of belts and hoses.”

6 Wash your car regularly. “A clean car gives you an excellent opportunity to look for small nicks and scratches.”

7 Wax your car at least twice a year. “It provides a greater level of  protection against oxidation.”

8 Develop a good relationship with your dealer and mechanic. “Both are your partners in the long run.”

9 Use petrol from a busy service station. “Without heavy traffic, petrol is stored for long periods and can degrade over time.”

10 When your car starts to make a funny noise, don’t ignore it. “The longer you wait, the greater the potential for damage.”

I know it refers to a Volvo, but might interest members and has universal advice. In today's Telegraph,

cheeers,

Roger

[PCM]

Use the recommended Oils and Fluids too!

And change them regularly...

Edited February 13, 2016 by PCM
Update

[Titch LS]

Irv Gordon's record is quite some feat of endurance. His 1966 Volvo P1800 (The Saint's car, driven by Roger Moore, well remembered by us oldies) has topped 3 million miles. It's had 2 engine rebuilds and 1 gearbox rebuild in that time. The first engine rebuild was at 680,000 miles and the second at 2 million. A testament to Volvo engineering quality I'd say.  Also, he never lets anyone else drive it. I'd like to ask him how many driver's seats he's got through though!!  He's a big chap.

[cleverdick]

It's all very well saying "use factory parts", but what if the manufacturer (e.g. Ford) won't supply them after 10 years - because they don't want you to do 100,000 miles in the same car - let alone 3 million?  (Fortunately, most Toyota parts seem to be available 20+ years on.)

I used to get angry at the Ford main dealer when I had old Cortinas and Granadas, because there were always parts for the current models but never the older ones.  I once wrote to the Head Office and Technical Information Centre, asking what the design life was, and also after what age would they not issue safety recalls.  They totally refused to answer.

So I changed to Toyota and haven't looked back.

 

 

[mikeyv]

11 minutes ago, cleverdick said:

It's all very well saying "use factory parts", but what if the manufacturer (e.g. Ford) won't supply them after 10 years - because they don't want you to do 100,000 miles in the same car - let alone 3 million?  (Fortunately, most Toyota parts seem to be available 20+ years on.)

I used to get Angry at the Ford main dealer when I had old Cortinas and Granadas, because there were always parts for the current models but never the older ones.  I once wrote to the Head Office and Technical Information Centre, asking what the design life was, and also after what age would they not issue safety recalls.  They totally refused to answer.

So I changed to Toyota and haven't looked back.

 

 

Same here, I started with Anglias, Escorts, Cortinas and 3 litre Granadas and Capris, and in all honesty, I loved them all.

I also had various BLs and Rootes group, but my whole outlook changed when I discovered Datsuns in the late 70s, with their bulletproof mechanics and plush interiors.

Since then, it's been Japanese all the way for me.

[Spacewagon52]

My father and I were always Ford men until my Dad starting transporting Toyota imports from Dover. The worry used to be about the cost of insurance and parts - but when you find you do not need them then they work out quite cheap! Japanese engineering and component quality, in the past at least, has been superb. 

If I were looking to replace either of my Jap cars then I would consider these makes in order:-

 

Lexus

Toyota

Mitsubishi

Nissan

Honda

I have tried the rest (German) and now I go for the best. We are inclined to forget the many visits we had to make between services in the 1960's - 70's.

People MAY be tempted by TOP GEAR reviews (German / Italian) and the like .......... but as far as I am concerned, first-hand experience comes first.

Possibly I have been lucky, but I have never bought a Japanese Lemon, regarding reliability - rust was another matter in the 1970's!

[mikeyv]

11 minutes ago, Spacewagon52 said:

My father and I were always Ford men until my Dad starting transporting Toyota imports from Dover. The worry used to be about the cost of insurance and parts - but when you find you do not need them then they work out quite cheap! Japanese engineering and component quality, in the past at least, has been superb. 

If I were looking to replace either of my Jap cars then I would consider these makes in order:-

 

Lexus

Toyota

Mitsubishi

Nissan

Honda

I have tried the rest (German) and now I go for the best. We are inclined to forget the many visits we had to make between services in the 1960's - 70's.

People MAY be tempted by TOP GEAR reviews (German / Italian) and the like .......... but as far as I am concerned, first-hand experience comes first.

Possibly I have been lucky, but I have never bought a Japanese Lemon, regarding reliability - rust was another matter in the 1970's!

You're right of course, some 70s/80s Japanese stuff rotted badly, but I was at the auctions the other day and saw a few Mercs and BMWs, newer than my rust free 99 LS, that were as rotten as a pear.

[cleverdick]

You'll see many an E-Class with rusted wheelarches - that's for sure!

[Titch LS]

People buy Mercs, BMW's and Audi's because of the supposed badge 'kudos'. They've obviously believed all that Top Gear propaganda. The latest versions of those brands will become a money pit for any owner who buys one of those cars second hand i.e. when it's more than 7 or 8 years old. The older German cars are more reliable than the stuff they've churned out in the last decade. Just today I saw an 'M' class Merc that needed new lower ball joints after only 5 years. My wife's Rover 25 has better quality than that. My LS's lower ball joints are 16 years old.