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  • Beater reaches a milestone

    Well, my winter beater reached a milestone on the way to work this morning.

    "late" 1985 Thunderbird turbocoupe. Just rolled over 200k.

    Bought at a impound lot auction in the spring of 1998 for $450. Had been abandoned and towed
    due to a broken timing belt. Quite dirty and beat up with hail damage and rust with a few other
    dents for good measure. But, nearly new tires and battery. 117k miles on the OD.

    I'd have got it for less except someone else wanted the rims and was bidding against me. Rims
    are in my basement for years now and I have different ones on there with winter snow tires all
    around.

    Its been my winter car starting with winter of '99-'00. My old '79 mustang croaked the previous
    winter when the 4spd tranny got stuck in 2 gears.

    I've pumped a a fair amount of repairs into it over the years but its never left me stranded. Sadly, its
    days are numbered as the rust is getting really bad. I've got another body shell in
    better shape and had been thinking of a rebuild but dunno if that will ever happen. No space to do anything
    like that.





    I reached something of a milestone too I guess. I've never had a vehicle crack 200k before either. Right
    now the runner up is my '86 Tbird with ~175k that only gets driven in the summer. That mustang went about
    156k if I recall and '87 Ranger 135k before I parked it (both in cold storage).

    I think its the last one around these parts as I've not seen another for several years now. Too bad
    there is no equivelent car sold anymore. I love the 5spd and RWD with the turbo even if its not
    exactly a powerhouse. Not sure what can replace it that is not something lame. I really don't want
    any FWD 4dr car with a AT, ugh.

    Jeff in ND

  • #2
    Congrats!!!! I have owned many Fords. The trick with them is to change the oil every 3,000 miles or 3 months.
    1957 Studebaker Champion 2 door. Staten Island, New York.

    "Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think." -Albert Einstein

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    • #3
      I had a '74 Torino that finally died at 276,000. I had to take my bowling ball bag out of the trunk because it kept falling out the rust hole in the left fender every time I turned right!

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      • #4
        Shoot,that has less miles than my Suburban or Grand Caravan and those are my daily drivers/good cars.
        Why worry about rust? There is 5-10 winters left in it.
        Mono mind in a stereo world

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        • #5
          My 1988 Turbo Coupe, 5 Speed was the BEST car (for the money) I ever had. I got it in '93 when the going rate was about $6,000. Mine was a salvaged vehicle that cost me $1,500. $300 got the car on the road and that included all the certifications etc..

          I drove the car for 10 years. At some point my wife was hit while driving it and I got $1,400 from the faulting parties insurance. I waited a few years and found a color matching door for $30 at Pick A Part. Eventually at the tenth year it failed the smog test. The drivetrain (149,000 miles and running strong) was removed and installed in a '73 Pinto wagon (no smog test in Calif. for '75 and older). The rest I sold for $250.

          So, ultimately the car cost me NOTHING (it actually made a few bucks), it provided about $600 in donor parts for the Turbo Pinto and gave me 10 years of abundant power, handling and style.

          "Bang for the Buck" it was the best car I ever owned. Hope you get the most out of yours.

          Tom
          Last edited by wittsend; 02-06-2013, 08:25 AM.
          '64 Lark Type, powered by '85 Corvette L-98 (carburetor), 700R4, - CASO to the Max.

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          • #6
            I have to in my day, a 2001 chevy truck with the 5.3 V-8 has been as good a truck as one could ever expect I got it in 2003 with 20,000 miles and now it is just under 213,00 same engine 3 rd set of plugs, The 700R4 went until 196,00 miles and most of that was pulling my trailer with either a car or a load of parts on it, been across the country many times and never once without pulling the trailer, always changed the oil about 3-4 K and the trans fluid when ever I was going to make a trip, I still drive it every day and still pull with it for short trip 500 miles or so, many Studebaker people have seen this set up going across the country loaded, going to get a 53 Starliner tomorrow and plan on using it and not the big Dodge.

            On our way to Reedsville a few years back.



            Picked this little puppy up in Texas on our way back form Reedsville.



            Hell of a load on this trip with a 54 coupe on the trailer behind.



            Candbstudebakers
            Castro Valley,
            California


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            • #7
              @Jeff_H- Run it till it dies!

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              • #8
                I dont need rear wheel drive or a manual transmission for a daily driver (I currently drive a rusty 1998 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP coupe with 180,000 miles). I've been looking into newer model cars as I would like a late model two-door coupe....but the only models available are the rear-wheel drive Mustang, Camaro and Challenger sport cars (not good for snow covered roads). Every other U.S. badged car is a four door! Two-door cars are nearly extinct! Is the demand for a two-door car really that low? I would like a new Ford Fusion coupe....too bad they dont exist.
                sigpic
                In the middle of MinneSTUDEa.

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                • #9
                  I've been happy with my 94 Ford. It hit 1/4 million miles on New Year's Eve. Inline 6 with a 5 speed, and I go 7-10K miles between oil changes (synthetic oil). Not only a daily driver, but it's hauled Studebaker parts up and down the country quite a few times. The only thing it's hauled lately is the old Schwinn.

                  Last edited by mbstude; 02-06-2013, 05:06 PM.

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                  • #10
                    My father stopped driving a 1980 F150 in 2003 when the head gasket finally started leaking. Had 290,000 miles on it and he still only had to add 1/2 quart of oil in 3000 miles - 300 I6. He is pretty good with taking care of things - his '53 Starliner had 370,000 miles on it when he decided to retire it from daily duties in 1988...

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                    • #11
                      1994 Gmc Sierra 4.3 v6 5 speed 329,000 stock untouched engine still tow with it
                      sigpic 1947 M15A-20 M15C2 11650

                      1953 Commander Coupe 4H-C5 675

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                      • #12
                        My daily drive is a 1994 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight with the supercharged 3800. It has 266,000 on the clock right now The 4T60E automatic took a dump at 135K, like most of them do. I had it rebuilt and had a Transgo shift kit installed to eliminate the oiling/heat problems that kill those units. It shifts just as firm as the day it was installed. I do about 40,000/year driving. It uses no oil between 6k oil change intervals. And it clicks off 30MPG. I've had 6 1991-1995 Olds Ninety-Eights over the years and this is the second supercharged one, they are relatively rare, unlike the Buick Park Avenue Ultras. These cars are drying up, I don't know what I'll do when she gives it up.

                        Mike

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                        • #13
                          My friend used to drive a 97 olds 98 3800, she got from her dad, he's bed salesman who drives all over the country selling adjustable beds, when she sold it, it had 472,000 miles on it that was 4 years ago, and I still see the stupid thing tooling around town. at 300k The trany took a dump, and right before she got the heads where rebuilt, but still that's pretty good. My brother's daily a 1983 subaru 4WD wagon, has 215,000 on it and all it need's is a good carb and it'd run like a top. He bought with 185,000 on it hasn't needed anything other than front CV's. It's a rust free car, we just scavaged a new interior for out of a parts car in Des Moines just the other day. he also had 79 caddy deville that had 376,000 on it when it was wrecked by someone who was borrowing it, poor thing drove itself to the scrap yard. It was a sad day for him.

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                          • #14
                            Closing in on 300K on my '93 Jeep Grand Cherokee (150K+ put on since I bought it between me and my two sons). At $1800 purchase price I can leave it by the side of the road if it quits and it owes me nothing. Paint looks like crap but no use driving a nice vehicle everyday to a power plant (coal dust, flyash, cooling tower chemicals, etc).

                            Next big decision is whether I purchase a new set of tires for it. The Michelin LTX radials last around 70K on this thing, so I would be committing to driving it for a while longer if I get new tires.
                            Paul
                            Winston-Salem, NC
                            Visit The Studebaker Skytop Registry website at: www.studebakerskytop.com

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