high mileage club?

Soldato
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We had an old '98 P reg Previa (was on less than 10k when bought) that was used by my dad to chauffer guests (was upgraded on the inside) for around 15 years. The true mileage is unknown due to the fact the speedo stopped working for about 4 years in between.

When we eventually sold it the clock was almost at 500k. The car had probably done around 600k miles. The only thing that was replaced, other than maintenance, was a radiator after a branch nailed it on the motorway.

Epic machine it was
 
Soldato
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aKM6Z65_d.webp


2007 Skoda Octavia with the world famous 1.9 TDi. Owned since 2013 on ~173k and just ticked over ~274k. Original engine, clutch, exhaust and gearbox! Absolutely brilliant car that’s comfortable, plenty of space and exceptionally good on fuel. Plus I’ve modernised it with a VW RCD330 headunit featuring Apple CarPlay & Android Auto plus a hardwired reversing camera integrated boot switch. Safe to say it’s difficult to consider changing so will probably keep it for 300k and beyond
 
Soldato
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Original clutch at 274k- surely not?

Easily done if used properly. Especially when doing motorway miles the clutch is doing bugger all work. Changed a DMF on an Insignia with 220k on it, changed the clutch too but the old one wasn't even half way down to the rivets.

Highest mileage I've owned is about 172k, was my first car, a '97 Astra. Oil pump died about a mile from home. Changed the oil pump and it started knocking. That was the end of that.
 
Associate
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About ten years back I had a Peugeot Expert van, S432 DAA, with the naturally aspirated DW8 engine with around 230k on the clock when I sold it to a farmer who said he would use it as a barrier to block one of the entrances of his farm.

About 15 years back I had a Mondeo mk1, 1.8 petrol, N694 JOU which I bought on 270k miles and gave it away at 290k miles a couple of years later with the engine soundling like a bag of bricks when cold (tappets?). Seller had told me it had a new clock at around 100k miles so the odometer was reading 170k or so. That car surprised me as it didn't give me any grief apart from a sudden starter motor death which was easily sorted out with some ramps by the side of the road.

Meanwhile, this W211 Merc has surpassed 1 million kms just the other day - apparently original engine, exhaust and battery... just a refurb gearbox at some point:
https://www.autobild.de/artikel/mer...uerlaeufer-gebrauchtwagen-motor-18381441.html

And the famous W115 in the Mercedes museum with 4.6 million kms, albeit on several engines:

https://www.expatica.com/de/uncateg...xi-with46-million-kilometres-on-clock-102348/
 
Soldato
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I doubt it works harder than a car clutch... its probably designed for that size engine, high loads up hills of a fully loaded trailer, loads of meat for long life.

I bet if you could find some data, at maybe 224k miles it would suggest its maybe still got 90% of its life left cos the reality most the miles were done on the motorway. Probably just guessing at that though.
 
Caporegime
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On the road....
I doubt it works harder than a car clutch... its probably designed for that size engine, high loads up hills of a fully loaded trailer, loads of meat for long life.

I bet if you could find some data, at maybe 224k miles it would suggest its maybe still got 90% of its life left cos the reality most the miles were done on the motorway. Probably just guessing at that though.
It leads a varied life, some days it’ll be indeed up & down the motorway just cruising and on other days it’ll be full of heavy pallets doing multiple drops to builders merchants in and around London.

As for longevity, just like a car clutch you can kill it within a few miles if your particularly dumb (seen it done a few times!) equally with sympathetic use, they will often last the life of the vehicle. :)
 
Soldato
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My old MK3 Mondeo TDCi was on a figure in the high 200k range, it was still running great however the mileage made it worth about £300 despite it being immaculate so I stripped it for parts & made about £1500 on it. It's the most reliable thing i've ever owned, in fact the only engine fault it ever had was a split boost hose.

The father in law has a few cars as he runs a taxi business, i know one of the retired MK3 Mondeos sat at the back of the yard has about 500k on the clock, they used to run it on Tesco fuel though and it ended up going through about 8 sets of injectors, i don't think I ever saw the car without the EML on lol.
 
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