Most reliable cars/trucks ever manufactured?

[compos mentis]

Saw this over on corvetteforum.com. Interested in what people with metal cars think about the topic. :)

[dropit69]

the older Toyotas..i have had 2 trucks the smaller ones and never had to do anything but change oil and reg maintence..loved the truck just outgrew it..and any honda car..lol..

[LateNight72]

Depends on your definition of reliable.

[Lowend]

I had a 83 VW GTI with almost 400K miles on it. Just wouldn't die

[compos mentis]

I had a 83 VW GTI with almost 400K miles on it. Just wouldn't die

I never had one but it seems the old Volvo's were like that....tough to kill.

[Jim Nilsen]

My 77 C10 pickup with a 75 Impala 350 in it just keeps going. I treat it like I don't care and it just keeps going. The Edelbrock carb I put on it with the Holley 28Z manifold really woke it up and it has started in the worst weather no problems. The only thing I have had to replace is the exhaust. It is rusted over the years and is still holding together somehow.

I can't decide to sell it away or rebuild it. I can buy a lot better truck for 2k but 2k would fix it too. so it is about the mileage and it gets 17mpg for what it is.

[dropit69]

oh that reminds me of my dads old ford Jim..had the 300 straight six in it ..that truck would start when the new ones wouldnt..truck literally rusted its way out around the motor..still ran like a top with over 200k on it when my dad sold it..

[Dstoltenberg]

My old 97 GMC was probably the most reliable vehicle i ever drove, drove it for 2 years. 170k when I bought it, about 200k when i sold it, still had a lot of life left in her, and i beat the hell out of that thing. Never broke down or got stuck once

[megaladon6]

older VW diesels, 80's and earlier M/Benz diesels, mopar slant 6,

[dadto2jays]

1991 toyota truck 5spd with a 22re that little sob went over 250k miles then my brother put another 100k on it then my technician bought it and last I remember he still has it as a weekend garbage hauler. The only thing that we did to it was change the timing chain and timing cover thats it...and it had a throttle cable:1st:

[Iamtheonlyreal1]

World record is a 1966 Volvo P1800...

[Scott Parkhurst]

I had a 73 LeMans- 2bbl 400. It was ultra reliable. Always started easily, ran well, and never gave me any trouble. I sold it to a guy who enjoyed it the same way for over a year before it got t-boned and totaled out. But it was rock solid reliable at 150K...

[Rod]

I had a 1981 Toyota truck with 300,000 when i sold it, and my 1985 Ford 250 Diesel has about 225,000 on it now

[PT Sportwagon]

The VW beetle, you cannot kill them I had a 68 started in any weather. Even ran with the crank broke in two. I have heard of one running with a hole in the piston the size of a quarter. Plus you only need 2 wrenches to take it 90% apart. 10mm, and a 13mm

Tim

[Lowend]

You do still see A LOT of those late 70's Mercedes 300D's
Big heavy diesels - just can't be stopped

I had a '78 Volvo 265GL that was unstoppable. My family bought that car new, and beat on it until ~2003. Sold it still running

[mc84_zz4]

I have had great experience w several of mine so far:

84 Monte Carlo SS, 175K on original engine/tranny, only replaced alternator, H2O pump, fan clutch, starter, rebuilt carb, PS hose.
Bought it with 17K miles, drove it hard for 20 yrs.

98 Dodge Ram pickup, 166K miles, all original, replaced water pump, starter, radiator, PS hose.

My wifes 80 Monte Carlo outlasted all her friends cars, drove it 14 yrs until 110K miles and it was stolen. The AC always blew cold (rare in TX), nothing ever broke on it.

[elitecustombody]

there were many cars made that were dependable, mid-80's-early 90's mercedes,toyota cressida,supra,avalon,corolla,their older trucks jeeps,bmw 3 series, honda civic just to name a few

[moreHP]

I had a 95 full size chevy truck with the 4.3V6 and it had 292K mles on it when I finally retired it. And it never had a major breakdown, just normal stuff...radiators, alternators, brakes.

[shortrack]

I know a guy who has a 90s chevy/gmc full size
Savanah white delivery van....thing has over 700 000 km on the original Vortec 4.3...he's going for a million

I used to have a 86 Astro van service truck with the tbi 4.3.....got it rust checked every year body & paint was quite good sold it with 385000 km on it, ran great......used to see it driving around years later

[68nate]

My 99 GMC Yukon Denali is about 80 miles short of 200,000. Bought it with 116,000 on it. Original Engine and Transmission. Still running the original plug wires. Never let me down. Just typical repairs- Intake gaskets, water pump, one tune -up, radiator, u joints. It's had Mobil 1 in it from day one, changed every 5,000 miles and transmission flushed and filter changed on a regular basis.

I'm a firm believer in synthetic oil. When I did the intake gaskets at 180,000 the inside of the engine was absolutely spotless. Did a compression test just out of curiosity- all perfect.

And the best part- IT'S PAID FOR! Gonna see just how many miles you can get out of a small block and 4L60E.

[shmoov69]

My story is my old 90 chevy truck that I bought from my dad. I bought it with around 400k on it and sold it about 5 years ago when I had 450k on it. I just saw it driving down the road last week! Let's see here, he got it hot and drove it home approx 9 hours one 4th of July weekend with the temp guage pegged. No place was open so he said screw it! It had 250k on it at that point. Turns out the thermostat was stuck shut. When I got it, the EGR was bad and it rattled a bit and I wasn't pAying attention and puked a head gasket on the interstate. I had to drive it a few more miles to the next exit.....with now water. It seized up while running, went back the next day and it started up and I pulled it on the trailer. At this point it was a science project! I yanked the head, and stuck a new gasket on there. It had approx 410k on it then! It had never had a valve cover off it till then! A couple trannys tho. It would still yank a 2nd gear chirp tho! Lol. Oh, and to the naysayers, it had always run the yellow stuff.......penzoil! Lol
350 BTW

[Tom Welch]

97 crown vic, 263000 mi when a guy offered to buy it. 91 explorer, 250000 mi, sold, reposessed, sold again at 300000plus. synthetic oil in both all the time. working on a 2000 f150 now, just 79000 on it, going for 300000 plus

[68nate]

My story is my old 90 chevy truck that I bought from my dad. I bought it with around 400k on it and sold it about 5 years ago when I had 450k on it. I just saw it driving down the road last week! Let's see here, he got it hot and drove it home approx 9 hours one 4th of July weekend with the temp guage pegged. No place was open so he said screw it! It had 250k on it at that point. Turns out the thermostat was stuck shut. When I got it, the EGR was bad and it rattled a bit and I wasn't pAying attention and puked a head gasket on the interstate. I had to drive it a few more miles to the next exit.....with now water. It seized up while running, went back the next day and it started up and I pulled it on the trailer. At this point it was a science project! I yanked the head, and stuck a new gasket on there. It had approx 410k on it then! It had never had a valve cover off it till then! A couple trannys tho. It would still yank a 2nd gear chirp tho! Lol. Oh, and to the naysayers, it had always run the yellow stuff.......penzoil! Lol
350 BTW


My dad had a 78 chevy van with a 350 that he always ran Pennzoil in. Only thing we ever did to it was a camshaft at about 220,000 miles (to be expected). Still ran great when I junked it a few years back at about 260,000 but the body was absolutely shot. I cut the motor and transmission out of it ( yes, cut the front clip off, cut the windshield out, cut the motor mounts, floor, trans mount, hoses, wiring all with a sawzall- never touched a tool other than the engine hoist) and sent the body to the junkyard. The motor and tranny are still sitting in the back room of my shop.

[wmhjr]

Some ideas....

Older VW bugs. Other than a synchro ring in the tranny and poor heaters, pretty much bulletproof.

Older MB diesels. 250k miles is the break-in period :)

Other than rust, some of the older GM C/K trucks

[2ndgenhunter]

I think the most reliable vehicles I've ever owned are my 83 toyota 4x4 truck and my 94 Z28.

I got the toy when I was 14. It had 155k on it. Now it has 480k. I've only replaced the alt,starter,the timing set(twice)and the clutch (twice). Not to bad for 20 years of service.

I got the Z28 in 95 from a repo sale. It had 24k miles on it. It now has 290k. I've only changed the opti and water pump, and the clutch twice.

I've beat the snot out of both these and they keep going.

[class67]

I just got rid of a 94 Corolla with 300k on it and it still ran like a top (without any maint.) and coooold A/C. The only reason that I sold it is that I was tired of to small a car to commute in. I upgraded to a newer Acura RL and this thing is awsome as well.

[79-TA]

Without a doubt the XJ Cherokee is a wonderfully simple and reliable vehicle.


My uncle's '94 GMC 2500 has been ridiculously reliable as always has a literal ton (or more) of tools in the back and is on its way to 300k miles. It just never needs anything done to it.


Late 80's Oldsmobiles. Get rid of the plastic timing chain. Otherwise it'll self destruct at about 75k miles. Avoid that pitfall and it shouldn't have much trouble eclipsing 300k, like my family's two previously owned 1986 88's did. I currently have an '88 Cutlass Ciera with only 110k.


My Mustang just turned its 200kth mile and I had been pretty impressed by how it handled all of the abuse I threw at it (idling without any kind of heating at the drag strip, Fontana track days, generally hard street driving) but it's had a couple of problems recently. Not long ago i changed the starter and ignition and then the master cylinder decided to die in recognition of the 200004th mile driven. I also replaced the power steering rack as it had had some play in it. I'm pretty sure this car had "spirited" drivers in its past life so I'm still happy with how it's held up, but I don't know that I can list it among the "really reliable."

[compos mentis]

This '64 Mercury http://growingbolder.com/media/technology/vehicles/romancing-the-road-259598.html#content_tabs has over 557K on the original motor. The 91+ yr old female owner took a 3200 mile trip in it 2 years ago. By herself.

Funny story how she always bought parts with lifetime guarantee knowing she was going to keep the car a long time. She has gotten a lot of replacement parts on those deals.

[wmhjr]

Without a doubt the XJ Cherokee is a wonderfully simple and reliable vehicle.


Gotta disagree with that one. A very close friend and his company used those things as company vehicles. Nothing but maintenance nightmares, rust, water leaks, failed trannies, electricsl problems, etc.

He called them "mechanics dreams" because they needed so much maintenance to keep them happy that a mechanic could easily put his kids through college on a couple. Said that of all the vehicles he's ever owned or used, it was the worst - except for a '91 Chevy Lumina.

[surlyjoe]

I'm gonna throw the the b-body in the ring. When they stopped making the caprice in 96 there were police officers that would not give them up. Some over 400k. No idea how many repairs but 400k on a police car is pretty impressive.

I am a bit partial as I think my 94 fleetwood is a great car. Only 130k though so can't really say how it will last. So far it has been good. I drive it hard and tow a car hauler with it when I need to.