300,000 km coming up on my Swedish Beauty :)

Forums › Transport (cars, bikes and boats) › 300,000 km coming up on my Swedish Beauty :)

freemark

99 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 11

Topic # 160619 13-Jan-2015 20:23

One person supports this post

..how should I celebrate?
She is a Saab 9000 Aero, was $97,000 new here in 1996, cost me $4000 in 2011 and about the same since (all up excluding petrol.)
I've owned new cars, other Euro cars, 3 other Saabs as well, but as a testament to good design & engineering nothing has come even close.
I drive Akl-Wgtn 3-4 times per year, my body & soul feels better when I get out of the car than when I got in...we'll average 91kmh & 33.6mpg (excuse the mixed units)
Any required parts come via the Interweb & Fedex from the USA at 1 week & 1/3 of local cost (when they're available here).
Who else has a good old car story?

blakamin

Aussie
4232 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1203

Trusted

Subscriber

Reply # 1213383 13-Jan-2015 20:45

2 people support this post

I daily a 95 BMW 740iL. Love it. Soooo comfortable. Was $200k new and I paid $5k. 230000kms on it now.

And before that was the 93 730i. (since gone to a new home)

Before that was the 89 and 92 5-series.
And before that was a 71 mercedes.
I have an addiction to older german cars.

Batman

Mad Scientist
18927 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2460

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

Reply # 1213385 13-Jan-2015 20:52

where do u guys learn how to fix cars? tempted to start "servicing" me nissan something something ...

blakamin

Aussie
4232 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1203

Trusted

Subscriber

Reply # 1213389 13-Jan-2015 21:00

I've done it since I was about 9... my brother was 9 years older than me.
The only time I've ever been to a mechanic was last year... I'm over the smell of transmission fluid and the 93 needed a trans service. I could've done it, but YUK, that stuff stinks for days, so I got lazy:)

freemark

99 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 11

Reply # 1213392 13-Jan-2015 21:07

I don't even bother to try much fixing, although I did replace the ignition barrel/switch ($64 landed part & 20 mins vs $450 quoted repair)
What I do is research the problem, print out the repair method, & source the bits.
For next WOF I've been quoted $550 or so for repair/splice of one leakingh PS Hose...I've already imported both of them for $146 landed..worse case scenario I'll do it myself but I'm guessing maybe $160 for labour from the pro's...

blakamin

Aussie
4232 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1203

Trusted

Subscriber

Reply # 1213393 13-Jan-2015 21:11

Power steering is the other smelly fluid :) (most cars, it's just transmission fluid... mine has something different due to self levelling suspension)

jpoc

755 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 169

Reply # 1218774 21-Jan-2015 07:36

In the ten years that I owned my first Toyota Celica, I put 440,000 km on it. I'd often do 2,000 km in a weekend and for several years I had a 180km daily commute in the UK.

Apart from the regular cam belt changes, the engine was untouched.

The last time that I drove it was on a drive from Germany to the UK. On the autobahn, I got it up to an indicated 245kph and it was still accelerating but I decided that was enough for me.

Great car and I am sure that I would have had it well past 500,000 but I had no need of a right hand drive car in Germany so it had to go.

Batman

Mad Scientist
18927 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2460

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

Reply # 1218775 21-Jan-2015 07:38

i wonder if your driving habit had something to do with it.

sounds like the perfect way a car should be driven. long haul, and one or two gunning the engine to burn off the carbon deposits once in a while.

stop start brake potholes cold start - ie city driving, they kill cars!

MikeB4

12900 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 6082

Trusted

Subscriber

Reply # 1218780 21-Jan-2015 07:43

One person supports this post

blakamin: I've done it since I was about 9... my brother was 9 years older than me.
The only time I've ever been to a mechanic was last year... I'm over the smell of transmission fluid and the 93 needed a trans service. I could've done it, but YUK, that stuff stinks for days, so I got lazy:)

When young and broke I did my own repairs including engine rebuilds (my father was a motor engineer) but now all I do it check the fluids and there pressure etc and get the service done by the dealer.

Mike
Retired IT Manager.
The views stated in my posts are my personal views and not that of any other organisation.

Mac user, Windows curser, Chrome OS desired.

The great divide is the lies from both sides.

DravidDavid

1888 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 316

Reply # 1219034 21-Jan-2015 12:50

My parents have a cheap run around 1997 Toyota Corolla SE which I ran out of oil many a time when I was younger. Those engines are bullet proof.

Apart from that, no awesome car stories. I'm trying to find a car that I can do up myself. We will see. :)

Sometimes what you don't get is a blessing in disguise!

wasabi2k

2091 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 848

Reply # 1219044 21-Jan-2015 13:08

2000 Caldina GT-T (not very old I guess) is around 275,000kms - had 105 when I got it.

No major repairs required so far - just regular servicing. Still goes like the clappers when you plant it.

Think I will upgrade when it hits 300 though.

DravidDavid

1888 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 316

Reply # 1219372 21-Jan-2015 18:22

wasabi2k: 2000 Caldina GT-T (not very old I guess) is around 275,000kms - had 105 when I got it.

No major repairs required so far - just regular servicing. Still goes like the clappers when you plant it.

Think I will upgrade when it hits 300 though.

OH! I have a GT-T ST215 too! Ours is a '97 sitting on 196XXX. It's so much fun to drive. It surprises a lot of Mitsubishi owners that think they have fast wagons at the lights. ;)

Next time it goes for a WOF, get the mechanic to check wheel bearings, CV joints and boots. They split, piss grease everywhere and the bearings start developing high points. :( It was a $1200.00 fix for me. :(
I'm patiently waiting for the dreaded tractor noise.

Sometimes what you don't get is a blessing in disguise!

blakamin

Aussie
4232 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1203

Trusted

Subscriber

Reply # 1219428 21-Jan-2015 19:58

KiwiNZ:
When young and broke I did my own repairs including engine rebuilds (my father was a motor engineer) but now all I do it check the fluids and there pressure etc and get the service done by the dealer.

I used to do silly things like change cam/heads/crank/timing gear/occasional full respray after work in the middle of the week and still manage to drive to work the next day :)
I did an engine swap from 6 to V8 one night and had to ring a mate from 200ks away to bring me a waterpump pulley... Still drove it to work the next morning.

I'd love to have a car that was young enough to go to a dealer, but my 95 is the youngest ever (I did own a 97 Ducati, but serviced it myself and it doesn't count as it isn't a car)

After soooo many transmission swaps and rebuilds, they're the only thing I wont touch any more. Not because I can't, but because I hate the smell, and it lingers for aaages!

My last full engine swap was my E34 BMW just over 3 years ago... from M20B25 to M30B35... needed everything from wiring, mounts, radiator, tail shafts, battery relocation and transmission bellhousing (Had to split 2 different trannys because of the computer system!)
All because the head was warped and I got scammed on TM.
That was a fun 2 days. Only because I had to split the 2-piece tail shafts & trans and swap bits around, and didn't know before I started.

Batman

Mad Scientist
18927 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2460

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

Reply # 1219438 21-Jan-2015 20:14

ah, so Frankenstein really exists!

blakamin

Aussie
4232 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1203

Trusted

Subscriber

Reply # 1219445 21-Jan-2015 20:26

I couldn't bottle the lightning tho.

Everything was actually out of the same model, just 3 years later. BMW are good like that :/

Smithy100

151 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 30

Reply # 1219737 22-Jan-2015 08:45

One person supports this post

Reading this thread is making me reconsider my decision to upgrade my '99 A4 2.4 Avant Quattro (260km) over the next couple of months as it's a bluddy good wagon and I've loved driving & owning it... then I remember I have the mechanical aptitude of a toothbrush and realise it's probably for the best!