Sorry for the repeat, but I think the following got lost in the old messages -
Robin wrote:
'Thing one: time wears cars out more than mileage these days,like aeroplanes.'
Interesting point - Do the people who repair cars when they wear out agree?
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Paul,
Happy to answer this under your own thread.
I'm not sure I'd say time rather than mileage wears out cars now but it is a fact that they are able to stand mileage in a way that would have astounded us 20 years ago.
Think of the era when it was fair game to have a recon engine at 50-70,000 miles, or on a time basis when rust was often structual and very cosmetic by 7yrs old.
If we take a specific "modern" example that I know very well, the BX Citroen TD, what wears that out?
The BX bodyshell is often totally rust free at 12 years old so no need to scrap from that point, the diesel engine may have covered 160,000mls but is likely to go another 60,000 without problems. The brakes have seen routine replacement of pads, discs and perhaps the odd front caliper so they're still fine. The BX has bushes on both front and rear suspension that fail around 100,000 miles, replacing these and the hydraulic spheres will keep the system in good order up to 250,000 miles plus. On the better models (TZD/GTI) the interior trim and seats will stand 200,000 miles plus and still look tidy.
Now the description of the BX I've given above could be that applied to a Mercedes, VW or BMW and there is the point. Owners of such vehicles are ready to praise their abilities for monster mileage motoring compared to the rest. The truth is the rest don't have to wear out, we just give up on them too soon.
So it doesn't really happen now that a car becomes unuseable due to wear at a certain point. It is a balance of how much you want to put into the car and how much you value image.
That is why this is such a good time for the "bangernomics" way of running a car. Such a vehicle doesn't have to be a rust heap any more, they can be quite presentable cars just needing a certain attitude and a new lease of life.
All the above does assume a reasonable standard of maintenence kept up in later life, failing to do this because "it's not worth it" aids the demise of otherwise decent vehicles.
David
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Have just replied to David Millar's "Clocked or not?" message above and, like him, really value what David Woolley has to say. If, indeed, David Woolley has anything to say with regard to my acquisition, I would be only to grateful to read.
Thanks
Andy
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Andy,
Perhaps you've just found my new login name for when the forum is updated, haven't been called that since I was 10!
Will reply about your car tonight, just doing some paperwork for today's Daewoo service but must get under it again.
David
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