Re: Million mile Honda

[C. E. White]

"Elmo P. Shagnasty" <el...@nastydesigns.com> wrote in message
news:<elmop-591F83....@news.eternal-september.org>...
> http://www.pressherald.com/news/Honda-goes-the-distance-1-million-miles_2
> 011-10-24.html?searchterm=million+miles
>
> Joe is an ex-mechanic and he did most of the work on it. His secret to
> keeping the car alive so long? Following regular maintenance schedules,
> using only good parts, and obeying the rules for safe driving....
>
>
> ....not to mention starting with a 1990 Accord.
>
> Good luck translating that to a new Honda.

I think this is more tribute to the guys ability and patience than to the
vehicle.

I've never owned a car I wanted to drive for 20 years. Longest ever for me
was an F150, 14 years. I had nowhere near a million miles on it, but then I
never took the engine apart and put it back together either.

I believe if you drive a lot and keep up with maintenance, almost any
vehicle could do a million miles, but I still wonder why you would want to.

The most surpring thing to me is that Joe's Honda wasn't a rust riddled
hulk. The older Honda that my sister owned had multiple rust holes after 6
years and it was mostly driven in NC, where rust is not a major problem (at
least compared to the NE USA).

I don't see why a new Honda would be much different than a 1990. Just fix
what breaks and keep going.

Ed

[jim beam]

On 10/25/2011 08:25 AM, C. E. White wrote:
> "Elmo P. Shagnasty"<el...@nastydesigns.com> wrote in message
> news:<elmop-591F83....@news.eternal-september.org>...
>> http://www.pressherald.com/news/Honda-goes-the-distance-1-million-miles_2
>> 011-10-24.html?searchterm=million+miles
>>
>> Joe is an ex-mechanic and he did most of the work on it. His secret to
>> keeping the car alive so long? Following regular maintenance schedules,
>> using only good parts, and obeying the rules for safe driving....
>>
>>
>> ....not to mention starting with a 1990 Accord.
>>
>> Good luck translating that to a new Honda.
>
> I think this is more tribute to the guys ability and patience than to the
> vehicle.
>
> I've never owned a car I wanted to drive for 20 years. Longest ever for me
> was an F150, 14 years. I had nowhere near a million miles on it, but then I
> never took the engine apart and put it back together either.
>
> I believe if you drive a lot and keep up with maintenance, almost any
> vehicle could do a million miles

not true. if you test the materials on these things, you'll find that
there are deep and fundamental differences that determine the potential
of a vehicle to last. crappy liners and crappy rings will never get
there. same with cheapo cams and followers - soft metal ground with
poor precision is just not capable of lasting. they'll both get you to
100k, and the cheap one, with anal maintenance maybe 300k, but a
million? never.

take the head off a 100k frod and feel the ridge on the liner where the
rings top out because the metal has worn away. this is a known wear
rate, and the tolerances on the rings are such that the projected
mileage is determined by how much ring/liner is left. just like wear on
a brake pad. take the head off the same mileage 1990 honda and not only
is there no ridge, it's still got the original cross-hatching on it.
that is a /significantly/ different wear rate. you can see this in oil
analysis numbers with the iron content too.

bottom line, only a few vehicles are built such that they can get to a
million miles, and it costs money to do that. that expenditure is not
considered "a good investment in building brand loyalty" these days.

>, but I still wonder why you would want to.
>
> The most surpring thing to me is that Joe's Honda wasn't a rust riddled
> hulk. The older Honda that my sister owned had multiple rust holes after 6
> years and it was mostly driven in NC, where rust is not a major problem (at
> least compared to the NE USA).
>
> I don't see why a new Honda would be much different than a 1990. Just fix
> what breaks and keep going.

most unlikely. honda have been cutting back on things like transmission
longevity, so it is most unlikely they're not also cutting back on
engine longevity too. it's part of the reason to move to cam chains
instead of belts - belts presume scheduled changes and continuing
operation. chains are "lasts the life of the engine", which is code for
"we've pre-determined the life, so you'd be wasting your time".


>
> Ed
>
>
>
>


--
nomina rutrum rutrum

[Jim Yanik]

"Elmo P. Shagnasty" <el...@nastydesigns.com> wrote in news:elmop-
591F83.110...@news.eternal-september.org:

> http://www.pressherald.com/news/Honda-goes-the-distance-1-million-miles_2
> 011-10-24.html?searchterm=million+miles
>
> Joe is an ex-mechanic and he did most of the work on it. His secret to
> keeping the car alive so long? Following regular maintenance schedules,
> using only good parts, and obeying the rules for safe driving....
>
>
> ....not to mention starting with a 1990 Accord.

A -USED- Accord,it had 77K on it when he bought it.

>
> Good luck translating that to a new Honda.
>

--
Jim Yanik
jyanik
at
localnet
dot com

[do...@89.usenet.us.com]

In rec.autos.makers.honda C. E. White <cewh...@mindspring.com> wrote:
> I've never owned a car I wanted to drive for 20 years. Longest ever for me
> was an F150, 14 years. I had nowhere near a million miles on it, but then I
> never took the engine apart and put it back together either.

My next door neighbor had a used Honda Civic of unknown vintage.
Right after he had to change the thermostat at 350,000 miles, he sold the
car and got another used Honda Civic.
He felt that once parts started breaking, it was all downhill.



I'm trying to decide if I should do valves or something on my poorly
maintained 1988 Dodge Dakota. It has 235,000 miles on it, and I can't decide
if it leaks or burns more oil, but it's around 500 miles/quart.
I bought it new, so I still have that initial depreciation to overcome.

The Dakota is still around, because it has its place. It has been second
fiddle to a few different motorcycles, and a Honda Civic that has 135,000
miles.


I'm trying to catch up to my son's 64 Chevy II that my dad gave to him. We
think it has about 450,000 miles, but there aren't enough digits on the
odometer, and the pages in the log book aren't all that trustworthy. The
Powerglide was rebuilt at 64,000 miles, and I remember changing the water
pump once.

--
Clarence A Dold - Hidden Valley Lake, CA, USA GPS: 38.8,-122.5

[Mathu]

On Oct 25, 11:05 am, "Elmo P. Shagnasty" <el...@nastydesigns.com>
wrote:
> http://www.pressherald.com/news/Honda-goes-the-distance-1-million-mil...

> 011-10-24.html?searchterm=million+miles
>
> Joe is an ex-mechanic and he did most of the work on it. His secret to
> keeping the car alive so long? Following regular maintenance schedules,
> using only good parts, and obeying the rules for safe driving....
>
> ....not to mention starting with a 1990 Accord.
>

> Good luck translating that to a new Honda.

There was a million mile Honda Accord reported almost 10 years
ago...... seems even Honda has forgotten about that car/owner??
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Man Puts 1 Million Miles On Accord In 10 Years

MARYSVILLE, Ohio -- Gordon Bearrs of Ottawa, Kan., figures he's spent
$70,000 in gasoline, maintenance and repairs on his Honda Accord.

But he says it was still cheaper than buying a new one. He's got 1
million miles on the car -- and counting.

Bearss and his Accord were guests of honor Sunday at the 20th
anniversary of a Honda assembly plant in Marysville. He was also at
the plant a decade ago for the 10th anniversary and was given the car
for free -- as a reward for putting 615,000 miles on his previous
Accord.

The 48-year-old Kansan drives up to 750 miles a day for his job as a
document courier.
__________________________________________________________________________________________

[Boomer]

On 10/25/2011 10:53 AM, Elmo P. Shagnasty wrote:
> In article<j86khl$4f7$1...@dont-email.me>,

> "C. E. White"<cewh...@mindspring.com> wrote:
>

>> I think this is more tribute to the guys ability and patience than to the
>> vehicle.
>>
>> I've never owned a car I wanted to drive for 20 years.
>

> Bah. Impatience costs money.
>
> For those who need transportation, it doesn't matter. For those who
> need toys, it does.

I have a 1998 Honda CRV. I keep up the maintenance as per my mechanic's
instructions. I live where they salt the roads. Yuk. The first rust
appeared at the body next to the rear wheels a year ago. I took it into
a body shop to have those metal parts replaced and repainted. It cost
400 bucks. This is still way cheaper than buying a new car. I need good
reliable 4 wheel drive transportation.

Even If I had to do 400 dollars worth of body work every year it would
still be a lot cheaper than buying a new Honda.

I don't own my vehicle as a toy just transportation. I have absolutely
no prejudice against those who do like their vehicles to be toys. I love
looking at beautifully modified cars. I cannot afford one, but I can
still look.

Michael

[David E. Powell]

Agreed with the testament to his ability and willingness ot tough it
out.

I owned a 1994 Dodge Intrepid for about 15 years. What did it in was
something I couldn't fix, electrical system problems. If I didn't live
at the Jersey Shore (big if!) I probably would still be driving it now
as the wiring would likely still be holding out. Oh well!