car mileages - whats average engine lifespan capability

  • Thread starter Thread starter Sam
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Sam

looking to buy a cheap 2nd hand car - 10 yr old ones with 90k miles e.g.
little fiesta etc. how long do modern engines last?
would a 10 yr old 440 Volvo with a Renault engine in it incidentally be a
better bet than a 10 yr old fiesta.???
How do folks rate puntos?
mostly for local daily commuting in traffic - 10x2 daily miles plus local
running around and a few 222 mile runs each season to see friends.

Thanks.
 
In
Sam said:
looking to buy a cheap 2nd hand car - 10 yr old ones with 90k miles
e.g. little fiesta etc. how long do modern engines last?
would a 10 yr old 440 Volvo with a Renault engine in it incidentally
be a better bet than a 10 yr old fiesta.???
How do folks rate puntos?
mostly for local daily commuting in traffic - 10x2 daily miles plus
local running around and a few 222 mile runs each season to see
friends.
Thanks.
Click to expand...

My Merc is on 165000 miles with no problems...

I'd say a well serviced Punto should last about 140k without any major
problems,
10 yr old Fiesta slightly less, unless it's a 16v
Volvo 440 I'd avoid just because they're horrible.


--
Pete M

Mercedes 260E
Ford Capri (ressurection started)
"Never moon a werewolf"

COSOC #5
Scouse Git extraordinaire. Liverpool, Great Britain
 
Sam said:
looking to buy a cheap 2nd hand car - 10 yr old ones with 90k miles e.g.
little fiesta etc. how long do modern engines last?
would a 10 yr old 440 Volvo with a Renault engine in it incidentally be a
better bet than a 10 yr old fiesta.???
How do folks rate puntos?
mostly for local daily commuting in traffic - 10x2 daily miles plus local
running around and a few 222 mile runs each season to see friends.
Click to expand...

Get a big old barge, it'll be cheaper and last longer.
 
SteveH said:
Get a big old barge, it'll be cheaper and last longer.
Click to expand...

Agreed. Small cars with high mileages are likely to be shagged. Get an
old big car, they are cheap to buy, and may actually be less in
maintenance too. A Volvo 740 would be a better buy than a 440, and can
be bought with more the 200k miles on them without any worries.
 
In
Andy Hewitt said:
Agreed. Small cars with high mileages are likely to be shagged. Get an
old big car, they are cheap to buy, and may actually be less in
maintenance too. A Volvo 740 would be a better buy than a 440, and can
be bought with more the 200k miles on them without any worries.
Click to expand...

I know where there's a lovely Merc 260E for sale..

<points at sig>

--
Pete M

Mercedes 260E
Ford Capri (ressurection started)
"Never moon a werewolf"

COSOC #5
Scouse Git extraordinaire. Liverpool, Great Britain
 
Agreed. Small cars with high mileages are likely to be shagged. Get an
old big car, they are cheap to buy, and may actually be less in
maintenance too. A Volvo 740 would be a better buy than a 440, and can
be bought with more the 200k miles on them without any worries.
Click to expand...

I'd add that if considering a high milage vehicle of any type, make sure
it has an up to date and comprehensive service history - even if a DIY
one, supported by receipts. Many buy cheap high mileage cars which are in
decent condition and then totally neglect them. So you really need to buy
it from the owner who piled on the miles - not a later one.
 
SteveH said:
Get a big old barge, it'll be cheaper and last longer.
Click to expand...
Agreed. My E34 520i Touring has now got over 345000miles on it and it still
drives better than most 'new' cars.

JB
 
Avoid ex-taxis though - if they've been used for mini cabbing, there's only
one reason to sell - its had it!
 
Dave Plowman (News) said:
I'd add that if considering a high milage vehicle of any type, make sure
it has an up to date and comprehensive service history - even if a DIY
one, supported by receipts. Many buy cheap high mileage cars which are in
decent condition and then totally neglect them. So you really need to buy
it from the owner who piled on the miles - not a later one.
Click to expand...


A very valid point!
 
Sam said:
looking to buy a cheap 2nd hand car - 10 yr old ones with 90k miles e.g.
little fiesta etc. how long do modern engines last?
Click to expand...

Generally as long as they're looked after plus another twenty thousand miles
or so. :)

If an engine has been treated with respect (especially when cold) and had at
least the oil changed at the manufacturers recommended interval it has a
decent stab at being able to cover big mileages, even the likes of a small
engine in a small car.

Conversely, change the oil "at every MOT even if it doesn't need it," extend
beyond 5,000 rpm whilst leaving the end of your street in the winter when
the oil is still below freezing point, then warm the engine up using the
limiter up to third gear, yeah that'll not help matters. When warm it's
another story...
would a 10 yr old 440 Volvo with a Renault engine in it incidentally be a
better bet than a 10 yr old fiesta.???
Click to expand...

Ignoring bodywork, no, absolutely not.
How do folks rate puntos?
Click to expand...

A bouncy ride, decent engines but older ones can have noisy tappets that
make the Endura-E seem like a silky V6 (about £25 per tappet to fix, as I
understand), lots of interior space, most don't corrode at all (a few have
big problems), cheap insurance on the smaller engine varieties, the GT Turbo
has a "difficult" and turbulent chassis but it's quick. There's a review of
the Punto, and some other cars, on my website.
mostly for local daily commuting in traffic - 10x2 daily miles plus local
running around and a few 222 mile runs each season to see friends.
Click to expand...

If you're planning on doing your own maintenance to the car then perhaps
getting something that's easy to fix, parts are easy and cheap to get hold
of, and if you break it you won't have to pay too much for a garage to fix
it. This typically means sticking to Ford and Vauxhall, but I'm not
discounting the other makes of course.

As far as engine longevity goes, many websites reckon that older small
capacity (i.e. 1.3 and under) Ford engines just don't last long without
needing a rebuild. Most Fiestas die because of bodywork corrision or
crashes rather than needing a replacement engine. Regular oil changes keep
them running - 170,000 miles, the last 50,000 with it sounding like a
tractor, but it keeps on running...
 
Sam said:
looking to buy a cheap 2nd hand car - 10 yr old ones with 90k miles e.g.
little fiesta etc.
Click to expand...






get a GOOD old volvo. can't go wrong. for nearly ten years i've owned
just two cars. an '81 242 for the first five, and an '84 240 wagon for
the next. bought the first for $950.00 ten years ago, and when i sold
it five years later it was still running strong. the car was so
dependable/reliable that the only repair i remember doing on it over
the years is a fuel pump, water pump, and driveshaft center bearing.
and the clutch cable broke once. a little semi- regular maintnance and
that car was happy! i'm driving the wagon now and it's pretty much the
same deal. bought this one for $3000.00 five years ago and i swear to
you the only actual repair that has been performed is for a fuel pump.
this and semi regular service. and the standard oil changes and tranny
service, which i do as recommended. both these cars had over 190,000
miles on them when i bought them, and the wagon now has 262,000 trouble
free miles on it. again though, these are cars that were very well
maintained over the years before i purchased them. that is key. along
with an honest and accuate seller. of course i don't expect you might
be interested in cars quite as aged as this, but a newer 740 or 940 may
do you just as much justice.
 
Volvo 440 I'd avoid just because they're horrible.
Click to expand...

Much as they're not really to my tastes either, they are very cheap nowadays
and probably no worse a banger than an old Escort/Astra etc. A mate of mine
with little if any mechanical sympathy had one for several years and about
80,000 miles - in the end he got rid of it as it had a dodgy alternator and
a couple of other quite fixable faults. And the paintwork was faded as he'd
never had it washed, let alone polished :o)
 
In
Carl Bowman said:
Much as they're not really to my tastes either, they are very cheap
nowadays and probably no worse a banger than an old Escort/Astra etc.
A mate of mine with little if any mechanical sympathy had one for
several years and about 80,000 miles - in the end he got rid of it as
it had a dodgy alternator and a couple of other quite fixable faults.
And the paintwork was faded as he'd never had it washed, let alone
polished :o)
Click to expand...

indeed.

There isn't much on the road that's worse than an Astra, or old FWD Escort.


--
Pete M

Mercedes 260E
Ford Capri (ressurection started)
"Never moon a werewolf"

COSOC #5
Scouse Git extraordinaire. Liverpool, Great Britain
 
Sam said:
looking to buy a cheap 2nd hand car - 10 yr old ones with 90k miles e.g.
little fiesta etc. how long do modern engines last?
would a 10 yr old 440 Volvo with a Renault engine in it incidentally be a
better bet than a 10 yr old fiesta.???
How do folks rate puntos?
mostly for local daily commuting in traffic - 10x2 daily miles plus local
running around and a few 222 mile runs each season to see friends.
Click to expand...

The Volvo will beat the Fiesta by several miles, if you're talking squarish
headlamp models of Fiesta. The fiesta will be rusty around the filler cap,
and the engine will sound like a bag of nails in a 30 year old tumble drier.
If it's a 95 on model, with the oval headlamps *AND* the 1.25 litre engine,
it's a good 'un. If it's got the 1299 or any other CC in it, it'll sound
like the aforementioned nails / drier scenario.

My choice for shite old banger would be an Audi 80. Won't rust if it's not
been crashed and repaired badly, and the engine's should be pretty good.
Failing that, a MK3 Golf should be pretty solid despite it's lardiness. I'd
recommend a MK2, but you only get injection on the GTi, and carbs are a bit
of a pain in the backside. If fuel's no object, I'd go for an old 6cyl
bimmer or jag. Should do stellar mileages. Or one of the old E class Mercs.
Mate has an ancient 260E and you still can't be sure the engine's running on
tickover.
 
In
Doki said:
The Volvo will beat the Fiesta by several miles, if you're talking
squarish headlamp models of Fiesta. The fiesta will be rusty around
the filler cap, and the engine will sound like a bag of nails in a 30
year old tumble drier. If it's a 95 on model, with the oval headlamps
*AND* the 1.25 litre engine, it's a good 'un. If it's got the 1299 or
any other CC in it, it'll sound like the aforementioned nails / drier
scenario.

My choice for shite old banger would be an Audi 80. Won't rust if
it's not been crashed and repaired badly, and the engine's should be
pretty good. Failing that, a MK3 Golf should be pretty solid despite
it's lardiness. I'd recommend a MK2, but you only get injection on
the GTi, and carbs are a bit of a pain in the backside. If fuel's no
object, I'd go for an old 6cyl bimmer or jag. Should do stellar
mileages. Or one of the old E class Mercs. Mate has an ancient 260E
and you still can't be sure the engine's running on tickover.
Click to expand...

I'm selling one of those Mercs ;)


--
Pete M

Mercedes 260E
Ford Capri (ressurection started)
"Never moon a werewolf"

COSOC #5
Scouse Git extraordinaire. Liverpool, Great Britain
 
Have to agree. My dad's 1993 (K) 80 has never missed a beat over the
years and is still going strong on the original factory fitted battery.
 
jd said:
get a GOOD old volvo. can't go wrong. for nearly ten years i've owned
just two cars. an '81 242 for the first five, and an '84 240 wagon for
the next. bought the first for $950.00 ten years ago, and when i sold
it five years later it was still running strong. the car was so
dependable/reliable that the only repair i remember doing on it over
the years is a fuel pump, water pump, and driveshaft center bearing.
and the clutch cable broke once. a little semi- regular maintnance and
that car was happy! i'm driving the wagon now and it's pretty much the
same deal. bought this one for $3000.00 five years ago and i swear to
you the only actual repair that has been performed is for a fuel pump.
this and semi regular service. and the standard oil changes and tranny
service, which i do as recommended. both these cars had over 190,000
miles on them when i bought them, and the wagon now has 262,000 trouble
free miles on it. again though, these are cars that were very well
maintained over the years before i purchased them. that is key. along
with an honest and accuate seller. of course i don't expect you might
be interested in cars quite as aged as this, but a newer 740 or 940 may
do you just as much justice.
Click to expand...

I've always drove Volvos until very recently (fiscal problems) I had a C
reg. 740 estate that I used as a daily driver, also had a 740SE saloon and a
nice 740 GL auto with loads of extras I put in. The C reg one had 100,000 on
the clock when I bought it. It was a 2.3 manual GLT. I decided to use it as
an experiment in abuse. I thrashed it everywhere for another 200,000 miles.
I scrapped it at 320,000 miles because of rust in the floor pan. I never
changed it's oil or serviced it, just kept everything topped up. The parts I
replaced were: front disks, brake pads, water pump, distributer (Hall effect
wiring went), clutch, tyres, windscreen wipers. Nothing else in 200,000
abusive miles. At 320,000 miles it failed it's MOT for the first time with
the afore-mentioned floor pan rust. I treated my other Volvos properly, but
this one was an experiment as I said. I was very impressed with the way it
held up with no servicing for so long and the thing that killed it had
nothing to do with the engine, which was the most abused part of the car.
 
Have to agree. My dad's 1993 (K) 80 has never missed a beat over the
years and is still going strong on the original factory fitted battery.
Click to expand...

Thought they ran on petrol?
 
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