Does mileage really matter?
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 390
Likes: 1
From: Pittsburgh PA
Does mileage really matter?
Question about Corvettes and their engines, does mileage really matter? I am looking mostly at LT1 engines.
I know that Chevy 350's could last forever in trucks even when not being taken care of. I know people that would simply replace the oil filter every year and fill the oil when it "got low" but that was it. These engines had over 250K on them and they kept going.
I am not dumb enough to think that the LT1 and the bulletproof 350 in trucks are the same... but are high miles on a LT1 really a bad thing?
I know that Chevy 350's could last forever in trucks even when not being taken care of. I know people that would simply replace the oil filter every year and fill the oil when it "got low" but that was it. These engines had over 250K on them and they kept going.
I am not dumb enough to think that the LT1 and the bulletproof 350 in trucks are the same... but are high miles on a LT1 really a bad thing?
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 3,385
Likes: 4
From: King George VA
I don't think of it as a bad thing but my take on it is, the better you treat your car the better it will serve you. If you drive it "Good" than I think it will last into the 160k-190k easy.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 892
Likes: 1
From: New Smyrna Beach Florida
Low miles = more $. Most people want a low mi. car. High performance engines tend not to last as long just due to the added stress on them.
It's nice to have service records of any used car you buy. At least you can do a carfax. It helps. Good luck!!
It's nice to have service records of any used car you buy. At least you can do a carfax. It helps. Good luck!!
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 10,383
Likes: 4
Mileage is less important than health.
If the owner stuck to synthetic oil and did normal maintenance and preventative maintenance then the engine will last a very long time. I would much rather set off on a cross-country trip in a healthy daily driver than a seasonal weekender.
So what actually wears out in an engine? Bearings, rings, valve guides, gaskets?
If the engine has a good and even compression and leak down test result, proper oil pressure, and only minor or no oil leaks then I’d feel confident with it.
For me, the mechanical side is much easier than the cosmetic. One big plus to the low mileage cars should be great paint and interior. Weather-strip, for example, seems to cost 10 times more than it should. (BTW why can’t they cut the hatch pieces an inch longer than they do? They cost enough!)
I’ve spent way too many hours removing failed window tint but can do most of the common repairs that we read about here in the forum in an afternoon or less. I would rather replace the sparkplugs on 10 cars than have to fiddle inside the doors once more.
No amount of wrenching will repair the hole in my driver side front speaker carpet and I dread spending the bucks for new carpet and even more dread the pulling the sport seats and the rocker panel cover to replace it.
So for me at least I don’t sweat the mechanical side of a running car, just the cosmetics.
If the owner stuck to synthetic oil and did normal maintenance and preventative maintenance then the engine will last a very long time. I would much rather set off on a cross-country trip in a healthy daily driver than a seasonal weekender.
So what actually wears out in an engine? Bearings, rings, valve guides, gaskets?
If the engine has a good and even compression and leak down test result, proper oil pressure, and only minor or no oil leaks then I’d feel confident with it.
For me, the mechanical side is much easier than the cosmetic. One big plus to the low mileage cars should be great paint and interior. Weather-strip, for example, seems to cost 10 times more than it should. (BTW why can’t they cut the hatch pieces an inch longer than they do? They cost enough!)
I’ve spent way too many hours removing failed window tint but can do most of the common repairs that we read about here in the forum in an afternoon or less. I would rather replace the sparkplugs on 10 cars than have to fiddle inside the doors once more.
No amount of wrenching will repair the hole in my driver side front speaker carpet and I dread spending the bucks for new carpet and even more dread the pulling the sport seats and the rocker panel cover to replace it.
So for me at least I don’t sweat the mechanical side of a running car, just the cosmetics.
