Cars/Trucks, stories of longevity

Let's here your stories. I am currently driving a 99 Avalon with 211k miles that I bought new. It drives and looks like new (ok maybe it looks 5 years old). I may have to get rid of it though. My wife is driving a 98 Rav4 75 miles a day for work, it only has 80k on it (I bought this past spring). I think it's time to get her something new (er), and I'll inherit her Rav 4.
What's the longest you drove a vehicle?

 

Got a 2000 Dodge Ram 2500 diesel. Bought it in 2002 with 50,000 miles and just hit 283,000 yesterday. There's still a few hundred thousand left in the Cummins, but the Dodge parts I'm not so sure about.

 

International ugly truck contest in Chadron Nebraska...not a lot to do out there.
http://netnebraska.org/interactive-multimedia/television/next-exit-13
sorry about the low resolution, but you can get the picture.

 

My first truck was a 1989 Ford Ranger. I bought it off my dad when I turned 16 (in 1997) for $500 and it had around 200K on the clock. It was driven by a carpenter and beat on every day of its life before he bought it.

4 cyl, 5 speed. No options...not even a radio...bench seat..2wd...steel wheels...nothing sexy about it...the only thing that could have made it less sexy is if it were tan/beige/brown. It probably put 65HP to the ground. Like any red blooded American 16 - 18 year old boy I ran the b@ll$ off that truck but it never quit. I didn't just abuse it, I punished it...hoping it would die so I could get a "real" truck.

I did NOTHING to that truck except change the oil and put a set of used rear tires on for the next 40K miles....then I sold it for $500. It used a little oil toward the end, maybe a quart every 3k miles, but it was still extremely reliable and mechanically sound.

It hit at least 3 deer too. That was a good truck.

My next truck was '89 Mazda B2200. I had to fix something on that truck every week, but I learned a lot in the process. It $40'd me to death. Every week, something broke and cost me $40 to fix it. It overheated routinely in the summer, was a rust bucket, and general POS.

The next truck lasted me through college and a while after I got married. It had 198K on the clock when I sold it...and I put 110K of those on there myself. Another bulletproof Ranger. This one was pretty decked out, but still a 2wd/4cyl/5speed. I was a little nicer to this one, but didn't baby it. I once hauled two yards of wet compost in it...or about 2K lbs. That was not a good decision....even by my standards of overloading. Only repair I had to make to it was a broken leaf spring hanger (before the compost hauling adventure), and a set of badly worn rotors. That was a good truck too.

Current ride only has 65K on it. Still a baby.

 

First car was a ford tempo with 100 something thousand. I put about 79k or so on it got rid of it in college. Had about 220k on it then. Moms then boyfriend was given it when he wrecked his car. He drive it a year or two tens more thousand miles then gave it back to my brother who drove it while home from school and my dad even drove it as a spare car. Then sold it to a coworker for $200. Car odometer quit had no power steering but should have!!! At that point it had close to 300k. I then drove a Mercedes 300d that had 350k on it or so. It was a solid motor but the vacumme hvac was a nightmare. Gave it back to mom when I bought a $900 1990 ford ranger xlt 2wd in about 03. Drove it daily till about 3 yrs ago and still have it!! Its the blue one in my pics. Bought it with 155k on it and now has 298k on it. I started driving the hand me down 97 Saturn from my wife 3 yrs ago for gas mileage. It now has 222k or so on it. All been good vehicles.

Can't wait to hear what Peter has he is like me and drives it till wheels fall off.

 

Ranger really started burning oil pretty good around 239k it has a notable power loads around 270k and uses oil, does not blow blue smoke at start idle it anytime. Will blow black smoke once you hit about 4500rpm up to red line but other than that nothing. It is the 2.3L 4 cyl with the 8 spark plugs and is a 5speed.

Pete your 1500 must be a long bed. Diesit have add a leaves? My 80k10 will sag like crazy with full load of green rounds. Heard that heavier duty springs are put on long bed trucks.

 

My '95 had the same motor. The spark plugs on the driver side are a biotch to change. Takes 17 swivels, 9 extensions, 4 beers, and fairy dust to get #3 in and out. It didn't use a drop of oil.

 

I think that's number 4 I'm thinking 3 comes out through the intake with 1, 12" extentuin or 2, 6's and a swivel. Maybe its 2??? I was thinking 2 and 4 were a pain? Ben I think 2 years since I did them last when I did timing belt.

I also have an 86s15 jimmy. Has the 2.8L dog of a motor. Not on drop used for oil. Its scrap now that I need to haul. Was a farm truck for years that broke down an I never got it going and at this point not worth it. Gonna pull some part an then scrap it.

 

Maybe it was 2 and 4. Its been close to 10 years since I tackled that job.

 

Your memory may be better than mine? I have done it 3 times in the last 10 years! I think now that the engine is worn it eats plugs faster? When i did them with t belt I swear the prior time I put dbl platnums in. Don't think I had 30k on those plugs and they were rounded over and severely worn.??

 

So u got 3/4 ton springs on a 1/2? Makes send why it does not squat. My k10 gets almost the same fuel mileage empty as loaded. Dragging 5k worth of trailer and an ATV in the bed of the k10 still gets 8mpg empty I think I have seen 12mpg?

 

What motor do you have? 86 was fuel injection so you don't have that motor unless its replaced? I hear all these guys that get those mileages but I can't! I even have 3.07/08's stuffed in the axles!! It may be due to the fact that I'm rolling on 33's?? And with those gears I'm out of my power band until about 50mph. I guess its the tires. Wanted to put 3.73s in axle but gears are crazy cash! And just forgot about it and quit looking for a donor truck for complete axles yrs ago.

Plus I have the desirable 12 bolt rear in my half ton not the common 10 bolt of later yrs.

 

Put 395k on a 99GMC 1/2 ton before the frame started cracking. Changed oil about every 20-25 thousand. Never touched the motor and still ran like a top. Couple of tranny jobs, lots of brakes and other normal stuff. Still has original exhuast!

Gary

 

Pretty sure that's the last T belt I will put in it had one about 100k miles prior when it went into my father in laws shop. For a clutch. Guy could not pay bill and gave my FIL the truck and I bought it from him.