Are you inplying these older cars weren’t intended to last longer than 100k because I’d wager most of the cars in the top image at least doubled that before going to scrap.
Curious how old you are, because until this century, a car with 100,000 on the odometer was considered a piece of crap no one in their right mind would buy. Powertrain warranties of 50,000 were pretty nice in the 90s and when 100,000 came out people were astounded. 3 years/36K was standard warranty for everything else.
Problem was mostly rust because they used unprotected steel without any zink coating. In a wet country that would damage the frame and chassis within a few years, and sooner or later you end up patching one hole after the other. It’s even worse when they use salt on the roads in winter.
I watch some car restoration channel on YouTube. Some old cars look excellent at first, untill they lift it up and the floor plate or any mounts crumble into dust because some water was leaking inside the door frame, into the trunk or some hidden corner.
Not OP, but most of those cars only had 5 digits on the odometer. It says something about how long the manufacturer expected them to last.
It’s important to remember how far we’ve come on longevity. 100k as the expected lifespan wasn’t common until the 90s. My grandmother once told me that 40k meant it was time to start looking for a new car. This probably would’ve been for cars in the 50s.
Obviously you can take any car to any mileage if you’re willing to sink the time and money into it. Many of these cars are prized by enthusiasts, and became project cars. But your standard utility cars of the 70s and 80s were probably not getting to 100k before needing a lot of repairs.
I park next to an 80s beetle with over 350k on the odometer. My own truck is from the 90s with 280k.
I work with a guy who daily drives his dad’s old Mercedes. While he inherited it, it wasn’t a “project car” or anything, it was a daily driver kept in good repair. Honestly, you put on a new clear coat, detail the interior? It feels no more than a few years old. 500k miles.
I owned 6 SAABs that were made from '82 - '90. I refused to touch a GM SAAB. Didn’t even buy them with less than 100,000 miles on the odometer. 1/6 died at ≈750,000 miles. That was my fault, found out about hydroplaning the hard way, on I-75. The other 5 died between 1.3-1.7 million miles. Never quite got one to 2,000,000. Several hundred people have, and despite SAAB not making a car since 2011, they still keep adding cars to the list of 2,000,000+
Are you inplying these older cars weren’t intended to last longer than 100k because I’d wager most of the cars in the top image at least doubled that before going to scrap.
Curious how old you are, because until this century, a car with 100,000 on the odometer was considered a piece of crap no one in their right mind would buy. Powertrain warranties of 50,000 were pretty nice in the 90s and when 100,000 came out people were astounded. 3 years/36K was standard warranty for everything else.
SOURCE: Worked Nissan consumer affairs, late 90s.
Problem was mostly rust because they used unprotected steel without any zink coating. In a wet country that would damage the frame and chassis within a few years, and sooner or later you end up patching one hole after the other. It’s even worse when they use salt on the roads in winter.
I watch some car restoration channel on YouTube. Some old cars look excellent at first, untill they lift it up and the floor plate or any mounts crumble into dust because some water was leaking inside the door frame, into the trunk or some hidden corner.
Not OP, but most of those cars only had 5 digits on the odometer. It says something about how long the manufacturer expected them to last.
It’s important to remember how far we’ve come on longevity. 100k as the expected lifespan wasn’t common until the 90s. My grandmother once told me that 40k meant it was time to start looking for a new car. This probably would’ve been for cars in the 50s.
Obviously you can take any car to any mileage if you’re willing to sink the time and money into it. Many of these cars are prized by enthusiasts, and became project cars. But your standard utility cars of the 70s and 80s were probably not getting to 100k before needing a lot of repairs.
I park next to an 80s beetle with over 350k on the odometer. My own truck is from the 90s with 280k.
I work with a guy who daily drives his dad’s old Mercedes. While he inherited it, it wasn’t a “project car” or anything, it was a daily driver kept in good repair. Honestly, you put on a new clear coat, detail the interior? It feels no more than a few years old. 500k miles.
I owned 6 SAABs that were made from '82 - '90. I refused to touch a GM SAAB. Didn’t even buy them with less than 100,000 miles on the odometer. 1/6 died at ≈750,000 miles. That was my fault, found out about hydroplaning the hard way, on I-75. The other 5 died between 1.3-1.7 million miles. Never quite got one to 2,000,000. Several hundred people have, and despite SAAB not making a car since 2011, they still keep adding cars to the list of 2,000,000+