To Keep Old Cars New
Dr. Gridlock asked original owners of high-mileage vehicles to weigh in on what their odometer reads and how they have kept the vehicle running so long.
We got responses from all over the metropolitan area, and the local owner with the most reported miles was Lee E. Paige Jr. of Herndon, who said he has a Toyota pickup truck with 445,843 miles on it. Wow!
I’ve never been able to break 200,000 miles, but a lot of readers have. They said they achieved vehicular longevity by changing the oil every 3,000 to 6,000 miles or three months, whichever comes first; by meeting regular maintenance schedules; and by attending to little problems before they become big ones.
Seems to me that is the best way to own a car. With depreciation lowering the value in the first few years, an older, well-cared-for car — already paid for — provides travel at minimum cost. Of course, I’m not hearing from owners of used cars that blew up.
I heard from original owners who had 200,000-plus miles on their Honda, Toyota, Mercedes, Volvo, Saab and BMW vehicles, and also on domestic vehicles, such as Ford, Chevrolet and even Oldsmobile.
