[net.auto] Volkswagon Beetles and high mialage

mff@wuphys.UUCP (Mark F. Flynn) (03/14/84)

I own a 1970 beetle with ~ 150,000 miles on it with the origianl
(unrebuilt) engine.  Can anyone top that?  

p.s. Just to cause some controversy, I'll throw in that I consider
the beetle to be one of the finest-built cars ever produced.

lat@wbux5.UUCP (03/14/84)

*pop*

Yea, I can top that one.  Before my trusty Gremlin went
to that great auto-shop in the sky, I had over 200,000
miles on the original engine (excluding hoses, of course).
It was a 1973, Gremlin-X, with Levi's material (and logo)
for the seats, and was the best party-mobile I ever owned
(aside from the rusty holes on both front fenders, I never
had a problem with that car).  If that tree hadn't jumped
out in front of me one dark, rainy night, that car would
probably still be running today, with an extra 60,000
miles on it.


-- 

Laurie Topor
[ihnp4, vax135, houxf, mhuxt]!wbux5!lat
Bell Communications Research \ 185 Monmouth Parkway \ West Long Branch,
	NJ 07733 \ (201)-870-7491

tlh@akgua.UUCP (T.L. Harris [Tom]) (03/15/84)

I own a 1968 Ford Mustang with 217,000+ miles on the original,
un-rebuilt 289 engin. First On Race Day...

	      From the Pond of the Phrog
	      !akgua!tlh - Squatty Body 10/4

jwb@mcnc.UUCP (Jack W. Buchanan Jr.) (03/15/84)

I know of a 1971 Datsun 240Z which as of about 3 years ago had 230,000 miles
on the original engine.  It was extensively used in rallies and even had a 
rally computer in the glove box.  At that time it required a replacement of 
the timing chain and upper gears, which did not require engine removal.  It 
had been through several clutches, Macpherson struts, rear axle universal 
joints, and had had the transmission rebuilt at about 200,000 miles.  I own
a similar car with 120,000 miles on it and just installed the first new clutch
The body is in terrible shape, however, as this vintage Datsun has bad rust
problems.  You can't have everything.

Jack Buchanan
UNC-Chapel Hill

 

david@tekig.UUCP (David Hayes) (03/15/84)

Hey!

What do you get when you substitute a different body
for your bug??


A 911 Porsche, well, close anyway!

tektronix!tekig!david

stanwyck@ihuxr.UUCP (Don Stanwyck) (03/16/84)

> I own a 1970 beetle with ~ 150,000 miles on it with the origianl
> (unrebuilt) engine.  Can anyone top that?  
> p.s. Just to cause some controversy, I'll throw in that I consider
> the beetle to be one of the finest-built cars ever produced.

I had a 1974 RX-2 (Mazda) that went over 160,000 with no work other than
tune-ups and lube&oils - but then it died.....  i got $100 trade-in when
it went under.  Oh, it did get 1 brake job and 2 clutch jobs in that time.
It died in 1980 - young, but having gone a great distance in it's short
lifetime.  It was new April 1975.  

This is a tribute to Carmy.  May she rest in pieces.
-- 
 ________
 (      )					Don Stanwyck
@( o  o )@					312-979-3062
 (  ||  )					Cornet-367-3062
 ( \__/ )					ihnp4!ihuxr!stanwyck
 (______)					Bell Labs @ Naperville, IL

lepreau@utah-cs.UUCP (Jay Lepreau) (03/20/84)

Hey, no fair listing water-cooled cars when talking longevity!!
Getting an old bug or, even better, bus engine to go that far
is a real feat.

Any of you notice VW's recent advertising pitch for their new "vanagon"
with the water-cooled engine?  As the owner of a REAL bus I just got a
glossy brochure in which VW extols the virtues its water-cooled engine:
it lasts longer, run quieter, and-- mirabile dictu-- provides real heat
to the passengers!  Apparently this is the engineering breakthrough of
the 80's for VW.  :-)