High mileage classics: good, bad or ugly?
Poll: High mileage classics: good, bad or ugly?
Total Members Polled: 40
Discussion
I’m interested in the PH view of high mileage classics.
For context, I’m potentially interested in selling my Triumph GT6 and replacing it with something a little bigger and more modern: not really modern, mind, but newer than the 53 year old Triumph. As I’m just looking at this stage I won’t go into specific details of potential options, but this will be something sporting and fun, not an old Volvo
I have, previously, owned a Saab 900 T16S which I bought at 210,000 miles and ran until 246,000 without much bother. That set the template for “well-engineered car, properly looked after” which is a mantra I’ve followed for years now. My daily is a 7 year old E220d Estate with 115,000 miles and a full service history, so I’m not afraid of mileage.
My question would be this: which would you rather have:
- a high mileage example of a well-engineered car that was expensive in its day and only really in your price range now because of the mileage, but with evidence of good maintenance, or
- a lower mileage example of something less prestigious that matches your budget?
For clarity, my idea of high mileage is probably over 200,000 miles (certainly no less than 150,000). The car will be used as a weekend toy and occasional commute, so won’t accumulate many more miles quickly, but it would be beneficial if it was reliable enough to undertake longer journeys with minimal bother.
Do you perceive any tangible decrease in reliability with a high mileage car, assuming it’s properly maintained? I mean, if it's made it to 200,000 miles it'll keep going, right?
Any experiences similar to my Saab, with a high mileage car that just “felt right”?
Any horror stories of low mileage cars that you wish you hadn’t bought?
What do you think? High risk, high reward? Or play it safe? Over to you. Please vote and comment.
For context, I’m potentially interested in selling my Triumph GT6 and replacing it with something a little bigger and more modern: not really modern, mind, but newer than the 53 year old Triumph. As I’m just looking at this stage I won’t go into specific details of potential options, but this will be something sporting and fun, not an old Volvo
I have, previously, owned a Saab 900 T16S which I bought at 210,000 miles and ran until 246,000 without much bother. That set the template for “well-engineered car, properly looked after” which is a mantra I’ve followed for years now. My daily is a 7 year old E220d Estate with 115,000 miles and a full service history, so I’m not afraid of mileage.
My question would be this: which would you rather have:
- a high mileage example of a well-engineered car that was expensive in its day and only really in your price range now because of the mileage, but with evidence of good maintenance, or
- a lower mileage example of something less prestigious that matches your budget?
For clarity, my idea of high mileage is probably over 200,000 miles (certainly no less than 150,000). The car will be used as a weekend toy and occasional commute, so won’t accumulate many more miles quickly, but it would be beneficial if it was reliable enough to undertake longer journeys with minimal bother.
Do you perceive any tangible decrease in reliability with a high mileage car, assuming it’s properly maintained? I mean, if it's made it to 200,000 miles it'll keep going, right?
Any experiences similar to my Saab, with a high mileage car that just “felt right”?
Any horror stories of low mileage cars that you wish you hadn’t bought?
What do you think? High risk, high reward? Or play it safe? Over to you. Please vote and comment.
There are plenty of tales of high mileage E39 M5s.
Some of the US ones are well over 200k I think and as far as I know they haven't necessarily had an engine rebuild to get to that.
It probably helps that they're large engined and although you can thrash them that does lead to some licence jeopardy so the chances are the engine will have spent a lot of its time in a low stress environment. Unless its been tracked....
The same sort of thing would apply to all sorts of large engined stuff.
Some of the US ones are well over 200k I think and as far as I know they haven't necessarily had an engine rebuild to get to that.
It probably helps that they're large engined and although you can thrash them that does lead to some licence jeopardy so the chances are the engine will have spent a lot of its time in a low stress environment. Unless its been tracked....
The same sort of thing would apply to all sorts of large engined stuff.
tom77 said:
In terms of classic cars, high mileage is irrelevant. It's all about the rust - buy the least rusty car you can afford as addressing corrosion can be financially crippling.
Fixing the oily bits and getting it running nicely can be done cheaply in comparison
^^This^^ plus buy the car you want unless there's more than one identical option, then choose by spec., colour, interior condition. Don't under-estimate how much redoing an interior can cost.Fixing the oily bits and getting it running nicely can be done cheaply in comparison
I don't think high mileage matters much to be honest, particularly if you regard it as something to be used and enjoyed as intended i.e. not cossetted in a carcoon for 98% of the time in an attempt to maintain its value.
Higher mileage classics may be a bit 'Trigger's broom' but that's not a bad thing if it shows evidence that previous owners kept on top of things.
My only counterpoint to the above and it's brand specific, was my TVR Chimaera - I bought it with 60000 miles on the clock and sold it 4 years later with 96000 miles. That's a high p.a. mileage for a TVR and from about 80000 onwards there was a definitive step change in expenditure - nothing which spoilt the ownership experience, but a constant list of mechanical items to fettle and replace.
Anyway....that's a sample of 1 which is by no means a trend and other owners will have different experiences.
To echo others on here, all of the above is minor detail compared to chasing down rust, unless you go down the Scimitar route or similar (which would be in line with your desire for something a bit bigger and slightly more modern
)
Higher mileage classics may be a bit 'Trigger's broom' but that's not a bad thing if it shows evidence that previous owners kept on top of things.
My only counterpoint to the above and it's brand specific, was my TVR Chimaera - I bought it with 60000 miles on the clock and sold it 4 years later with 96000 miles. That's a high p.a. mileage for a TVR and from about 80000 onwards there was a definitive step change in expenditure - nothing which spoilt the ownership experience, but a constant list of mechanical items to fettle and replace.
Anyway....that's a sample of 1 which is by no means a trend and other owners will have different experiences.
To echo others on here, all of the above is minor detail compared to chasing down rust, unless you go down the Scimitar route or similar (which would be in line with your desire for something a bit bigger and slightly more modern
)This is very much car specific IMHO. There are plenty of classics that can wear significant mileages without drama. There are also plenty that will be pretty much at the end of their mechanical design life by 100k miles... It really depends on the manufacturer and model. I wouldn't think twice about buying a 100k mile '70s Merc, but I would think twice about a 100k mile '70s Triumph 1300 for example....
larrylamb11 said:
This is very much car specific IMHO. There are plenty of classics that can wear significant mileages without drama. There are also plenty that will be pretty much at the end of their mechanical design life by 100k miles... It really depends on the manufacturer and model. I wouldn't think twice about buying a 100k mile '70s Merc, but I would think twice about a 100k mile '70s Triumph 1300 for example....
That sums things up pretty well. 
Unless you have really solid paperwork to back it up (e.g original service book or MOTs), I wouldn't believe anything the odometer indicates on an older car. Clocking was rife in the 20th century. Even with the paperwork there's no guarantee; I knew somebody who used to clock his R5 GT Turbo every year, it was that easy to do; the car had done almost twice what the MOT & service book showed.
On an older car, it really is just a number.
On an older car, it really is just a number.
Mileage (warranted) is everything if you want an eventual return on your investment. Years ago I did some light recommisioning work on a 1970 Mini Clubman with 11,000 miles. Steam cleaning, Waxoyling and a wake from its long slumber.
The thing looked and drove like new, as tight as a drum. From the gearshift to the window winders the whole car had no wear, play or slack. The seats were still firm and the Hydrolastic still felt like it should. There was no way you could recreate that car.
I've looked at some of the crap posted up here from RS2000's to Jaguars. Rubbish panel fit, filler, dubious history. You either pay full whack for a proper car or buy an unrestored example that was stored for years and renovate it properly.
You will occasionally find a high mileage car that has been meticulously maintained but such cars are rare. The middle ground is overpriced s
te - 'useable', 'good for the year' and similar nonsense.
The thing looked and drove like new, as tight as a drum. From the gearshift to the window winders the whole car had no wear, play or slack. The seats were still firm and the Hydrolastic still felt like it should. There was no way you could recreate that car.
I've looked at some of the crap posted up here from RS2000's to Jaguars. Rubbish panel fit, filler, dubious history. You either pay full whack for a proper car or buy an unrestored example that was stored for years and renovate it properly.
You will occasionally find a high mileage car that has been meticulously maintained but such cars are rare. The middle ground is overpriced s
te - 'useable', 'good for the year' and similar nonsense.I've never worried about mileage, just condition.
My 38 year old MR2 has somewhere north of 150,000 miles on the clock and it's fine.
Of course it's had new springs / dampers / bushes / brakes / bearings, but that's par for the course on almost any old car.
The engine was fine when I replaced it with something more powerful, and I sold it to someone who was fitting it into a clubman.
And as far as wanting a "return" on my "investment" - bah humbug. I bought it to use, and have drive thousands of miles in it.
Things wear out, you rebuild / replace them.
The Herald I once had was knackered, but that wasn't mileage - they came from the factory like that.
My 38 year old MR2 has somewhere north of 150,000 miles on the clock and it's fine.
Of course it's had new springs / dampers / bushes / brakes / bearings, but that's par for the course on almost any old car.
The engine was fine when I replaced it with something more powerful, and I sold it to someone who was fitting it into a clubman.
And as far as wanting a "return" on my "investment" - bah humbug. I bought it to use, and have drive thousands of miles in it.
Things wear out, you rebuild / replace them.
The Herald I once had was knackered, but that wasn't mileage - they came from the factory like that.
AW111 said:
And as far as wanting a "return" on my "investment" - bah humbug. I bought it to use, and have drive thousands of miles in it.
Things wear out, you rebuild / replace them.
Hence 'Mileage (warranted) is everything IF you want an eventual return on your investment.'Things wear out, you rebuild / replace them.
Not cast in stone!
Mellow Yellow said:
Unless you have really solid paperwork to back it up (e.g original service book or MOTs), I wouldn't believe anything the odometer indicates on an older car. Clocking was rife in the 20th century. Even with the paperwork there's no guarantee; I knew somebody who used to clock his R5 GT Turbo every year, it was that easy to do; the car had done almost twice what the MOT & service book showed.
On an older car, it really is just a number.
This, btw I read a few weeks ago an article that the most clocked? car are FerrariOn an older car, it really is just a number.
I thought really? then I thought ah, makes sense, (most) people don't dare to buy a high mileage Ferrari because of high reparation cost and big lost in value (same for many other cars)
same as cars out bigger country's most of those drive longer distances, say Germany compared to the Netherlands, if you go from west to east for example or north to south, in say Germany you drive say double the distance, so say in NL its 100k over some period, but many in DLD almost double that for example in some cases.
But you can't see it in many of good, say German cars, so if one from just a few years old made 200k/km they (people outside such country buying those to scam others) can make it to say 100k/km or 120k/km and it looks the same as a car say in a small country did that 100-120k/km so they can get away with it.
Ofcourse its not fair for the buyers or the brand/make of the car's, because say it brakes down at 160k/km (for real say 260k/km) people can say ow its a bad brand...
the wear and tear seems the same, say the person in NL and DLD got in and out of the car the same number of times, but the person in DLD, for example, made twice as long distances and the wear and tear on the interior, for example, is often not visible in terms of difference if it is taken care of properly. dealt with.
Edited by GTRene on Tuesday 16th January 15:23
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