http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/93-old-florida-woman-retires-her-64-mercury-204007316.html
Gotta disagree with a few things in that article. The statement that cars are lucky to last 5-10 years and attain 100k miles is ludicrous. Modern cars are built to last far longer than they ever were. Modern coatings help prevent rust, modern machining & fabrication makes engines last practically forever (probably 90% of the cars in junkyards had perfectly good engines when dumped there), and modern fuel and spark control make vehicles essentially maintenance free. Hell, manufacturers are even offering warranties in the 100k mile range (GM power train is 5/100, Hyundai/Kia is 10/100). A car that didn't last 100,000k and still be in nearly perfect running order would be an embarrassment to any manufacturer.
Hell, two of my own vehicles have over 100k (the 300 is right around 100k, the Dakota is at about 120) and both are getting up there age-wise as well (7 years for the 300, 9 for the Dakota) and neither has any rust at all (though admittedly the Dakota is rare in that respect). And these are CHRYSLER products, for Christ's sake...
That being said, new vehicles do have a few things against them for longevity. When they do break they're more expensive to fix, and when they get wrecked they're pretty much throwaway cars. And since most modern cars have no potential for future desirability there will be few that are taken care of and held onto. But as for how long they last or how well they're built? Gimme a modern vehicle any day. That's why my future plans are to get a classic car and stuff it with modern drivetrain and electronics...
I remember watching the video about her last year. Is it a stick? No mention of suspension bushings/trunions/kingpins/balljoints anything like that, same with the rear end, transmission, actually I don't know if they said anything about the motor either! Some people rack up huge miles on old pushrod engines. Obviously factoring in a mild wimpy cam profile to be fair, can a non-roller cam really go a couple hundred thou? I can't help but have a knee-jerk reaction to driving a muscle car or say my '38 Buick real far because I feel like the cam would wear while everything else still has plenty of life in it.
Also Carm, something my diesel-mechanic friend mentioned to me, the government, so he says (I don't remember reading this anywhere but I'd assume down the hierarchy of his employer he heard this) now mandates emission control systems must be warrantied for 100k. And thus, things like dumping fuel/burning excess oil will destroy or render the cat useless, so they have had to step up engine durability and thus offer these "100k Powertrain Warranty" campaigns. Never woulda thought of that.
"major" emissions equipment (PCM and converters) are 8 year, 80,000 miles. Every other piece of emissions equipment falls under the comprehensive warranty.
Ohhh no kiddin. Still it probably pushes for a program like that.
a lot of cars in the 90's were produced as 'throw away cars'.. i.e. - hondas, hyundais, some of the cheaper big 3 cars.. low dollar meant you got what you paid for.. my mom bought a brand new hyundai accent in late 96 (97 model) and it pushed it's way to 125k before things started jumping head first into the toilet.. it was properly maintained by me (funny thought, a 12 year old handling oil changes, tune ups and things of the sort LOL) and still started failing relatively 'early..' but what do you expect from a car that only cost $10k after tags, tax and title fees lol
funny side note.. i traded that POS with a blown head gasket for my 79 Z28 :mullet: