Highest mileage retro you've had/seen.

[ag51bye]

I was recently trying to sell my 405 diesel, so as you do I was looking at others for sale. I was surprised to find a couple with nigh on 250k on them still going strong.
Now I no there will be a lot of triggers broom cars out there on there 3rd engine etc. but I thought some people must have some story's off buying 300k ex taxi cavaliers and the like!

[dave21478]

I have never understood the fear many have about mileage.
Frankly, anything made after the early 90's should be able to do AT LEAST 250k on its original engine, assuming it gets basic servicing.

[RobinJI]

My old Volvo 240 was on 205k on the original 2.3 petrol engine, still ran like clockwork.

B3 1.6td Passat was on 155 when I bought it, 170 when I sold it and that ran perfectly and used next to no oil, I've seen and heard of plenty of them on upwards of 300k.

Scirocco doesn't really count as it's definitely a 'triggers broom' car, 4th engine just in my ownership! The shells on well over 150k now, engine's only on 118 though.

[lukeherbert]

ive seen cars in america that've 400k on the clocks and still going but i spose with them having bigger engines its not so bad

[Dom]

'Car' magazine found a Merc W123 or 124 taxi in Berlin, still in use, over a million kilometers.

[Brian Damaged]

250k is absolutely nothing for a Peugeot with that XU diesel in.

There's a guy up in Scotland who was featured on some website or other about 18 months ago who'd done almost 850,000 in a 405D without laying a spanner on the bottom end.

I've had a Citroen BX diesel with 250,000 on it and a Volvo 360GLT with 212,000 clicks under its belt before now. Both of which I'd happily have gone anywhere in.

Daddy Damaged's '85 Peugeot 505STDT has got to be knocking on for 300k now and still going strong.

[Mystery Machine]

I know it's not high mileage compared to some of the ones mentioned here, but my old Cavalier was on 216,000 when I changed the clutch only to find it was the original one! It still had a good few thousand left on it but the release bearing had gone, so I changed the lot.

At that mileage it was still running beautifully, didn't drink any oil, never let me down and I'd have happily driven it for many, many thousands more miles. Those Isuzu TD engines are just brilliant!

[smilermk2]

hi i had a rover 218 diesel (taxi) with over 350000 miles and never stripped the engine at all just serviced it regular

[bullyboy]

My friend's nissan cedric diesel has little over 712 000km on clock and still going strong

[covcourier]

I bought a 309 GLD from a taxi driver I knew back around 1999. It was still working until the day I bought it with 470,000 on. When the waterpump siezed and broke the cambelt a few weeks later I thought it was finished but we took a chance on a new pump and belt and all was ok. Luckily I had only been sat in traffic when it went. Was over 500k before being sold to a Peugeot breaker for more than I paid for it.

My current (non Retro) 55 reg Mondeo has just had its original clutch changed at 220k.

[barnesy]

My 1.6td Passat



has done this



and still feels & looks great. No major components in the engine have been relaced.

[joem83]

Highest ive had was my 95 318is with 200k on it, probably the best car ive had. Sold it 3 years ago, still going strong and I am certain it's had alot of abuse ;D

Dec 12, 2012 18:22:58 GMT Mystery Machine said:

I know it's not high mileage compared to some of the ones mentioned here, but my old Cavalier was on 216,000 when I changed the clutch only to find it was the original one! It still had a good few thousand left on it but the release bearing had gone, so I changed the lot.

At that mileage it was still running beautifully, didn't drink any oil, never let me down and I'd have happily driven it for many, many thousands more miles. Those Isuzu TD engines are just brilliant!

I was talking to a Taxi driver about 10 years back that had a td Cav, he was laughing about the fact he had just replaced the original g/box @ 350k! and it was only on it's 2nd clutch. Everything else on the engine was original.

[composimmonite]

Personally my highest was 260,000 miles on a Range Rover Vogue but late father-in-law ran a 1971 Volvo 144E up to just under 500,000 miles in mid 70's. At 300,000 miles a piston broke up so we lifted it out and had a rebore / crank grind. Most of the miles were motorway which probably helped. Gearbox and axle were original.

Paul H

[vitesseefi]

Audi A6 (C4) 2.5TDI on 242k. Still goes 6k between oil changes without needing topping up. Original clutch, exhaust + only service items on the engine. Still does 55mpg if I'm nice to it (rare!)

Plenty of these beasts over 300k now.

Nick

[Robinxr4i]

My old 535....


In 2006 the odometer froze at 300,000 miles presumably the digi read out didn't go any higher (the service history substantiates this), the car had been used as a daily for 2 years previous to my ownership so it must have done close to 350k. Impressive maybe but IMO what was more impressive was the fact the engine wasn't tired or down on power. As Alan Jefferies rolling road it made 218bhp (they only book 211bhp from the factory)

Unfortunately I did kill it but it wasn't due to high mileage, I killed it by snapping a rocker arm bouncing the engine off a raised rev limiter bloody idiot. Sadly at the time I had no money to fit it so I broke it for spares.

[TurboDieselWeasel]

We have W124 300TDT (Turbodiesel estate) taxi which has done 1.1 million kilometers (683k miles) and our comapny car is a W123 230TE which has done 1.3 milion kilometers (807k miles), with it's second engine which has done 800.000km+ (500k miles) and runs sweet as a nut. The taxi however suffered engine damage and was put out of service...

My 300Ce has done 330.000km (205k miles) and my 200T W123 has done 330.000km as well Both on theyr first engine...

[Blue850]

My 94 Opel Vectra 1.7TD has 269,000 miles, had a clutch change at 165,000, its currently lying up waiting for 2014 when I can get get it insured on a classic policy over here and run it as a 2nd car. The every day Octavia TD just has 160k on it
I spoke to a chap earlier this year who had put a 1.7 TD in a Kadett D, (Astra A), he said the hardest part of the job was to find a Vectra/Cavalier donor with less than 300k on it ;D

[popuptoaster]

My Volvo has 265k on it now and still feels like a car with curse word all miles on it. I'm running it with three times the stock boost and its still not complaining after a year of abuse and neglect.

Volvo used to have a high mileage club, i don't think they send out the grill badges anymore though.

Even the seats haven't worn. :S

[voyager]

Once looked at a merc van, 410 lwb , cant remember how old it was, wasnt pretty, well battered and dented but sounded sweet. it had covered over 1.5 million kilometers on original engine, it went from Bradford to heathrow airport, back to bradford then on to Glasgow and back to Bradford. 'Every Day'. several drivers changing over at bradford. carrying fresh asian food from the airport to market.

[chrism1]

Our old 405D clocked 498k when we had it. It was owned by Fastline factors so it was serviced upto the eyeballs. It eventually died due to a worn clutch the cost of a new one was greater than the cost of the car, scrapped it, cashed in the tax and made a £45 profit.