Overhauling a high-mileage car

[bngl3rt]

Seems the consensus around here is, if you're looking for a daily driver, buy a well maintained high-mileage car as then you can daily-drive it without affecting its value too much (and without the guilt of wearing down a pristine example).

So, say you buy one with 150k miles on it. Daily drive it for a couple of years, then decide you want to return it to "like new" condition. Assuming SoS is still around and making their top-notch aftermarket replacement parts (including engines) long after Honda calls it quits...

At what mileage would you do a "full overhaul"?

What would that entail? New engine? Transmission? Suspension? Other bits?

I can see dropping $20k into an NSX every ten years or so to keep it on the road for the rest of time, rather than ever having to buy another car.

 

[jond]

Personally, I would like to hit the 1,000,000 mile mark before opening up the engine.
Kind of a bragging rights thing.

 

[NSX2398]

I'm north of 180k miles; on my third timing belt; and have been on the site about 12 years. I don't recall any specific guidance anyone has proposed for an engine rebuild, and tranny rebuilds seem to be either the result of snap-ring issues .. or conversions to different gear ratio sets, although synchros are a close third. And clutches are sort of a wear item that depends on individual owner abuse. I think mine survived 2 owners and about 90k miles on the first clutch .. and I'm at about that on the second.

As far as engines go, the major reason for rebuilds seems to be the guys who try forced injection and either lose a ring land; get the AFRs wrong; and/or have fuel pumps that are tired and can't keep up. I'm kind of with you in the sense that I'm thinking at some point after 200k miles, I'm probably due for an engine refresh and synchro rebuild and get them all done at the same time while the engine is out. Then it should be good for another 90k before the next major service (TB, etc)

 

[Meeyatch1]

Ummm....as the guy currently 6 months and counting into an 'every nut and bolt' refresh of a 182,000 miles and counting 1994 NSX, my suggestion is it is worth it.

 

[bngl3rt]

Ummm....as the guy currently 6 months and counting into an 'every nut and bolt' refresh of a 182,000 miles and counting 1994 NSX, my suggestion is it is worth it.

Following that one with interest. I would really love my NSX (which will be > 10 or 15 years old when I buy it) to be the last car I ever buy.

I know folks with old pickup trucks who are pushing 750k miles - they just keep running and running and running. I'd like to beat them. I suspect the biggest constraint will be parts availability, but let's hope SoS carries the torch long after Honda throws in the towel.

 

[R13]

Unless it's a tracked car, I don't think there'd be much reason to open-up a well-kept engine/trans (regular fluid changes/service) until it gives you a reason to...which could easily be twice your 150k purchase mileage.

I'd say the biggest things would be suspension bushings, ball joints, engine mounts, the lost-motion assy (on earlier cars in particular, and not really getting into engine internals), and other parts that aren't regular "wear items" but that do have a service life that's less than that of the chassis/engine/trans. That's in addition to the normal stuff you'd probably do around 100k-150k miles like coolant hoses, weather striping, balancer pulley (known failure point, add a shield while you're in there), cam plugs and so on.

Some of these things you may not notice actually going bad unless you track/autocross the car, but they do fatigue even under normal stresses of driving around town.

It took a 3-day track weekend at VIR before I finally had a head-gasket develop a pin-hole at 230,000 miles and that's with a more-or-less unknown history. The PO could have overheated it at some point for all I know and started the problem that way.

 

[Nefarious]

Following that one with interest. I would really love my NSX (which will be > 10 or 15 years old when I buy it) to be the last car I ever buy.

I know folks with old pickup trucks who are pushing 750k miles - they just keep running and running and running. I'd like to beat them. I suspect the biggest constraint will be parts availability, but let's hope SoS carries the torch long after Honda throws in the towel.

In the same boat. Hoping to always have my 05 Wrangler and an NSX till I'm no longer driving. We will of course always have new vehicles for my wife. I may look at a truck for towing eventually too, but that's a different purpose all together.

 

[bngl3rt]

Unless it's a tracked car, I don't think there'd be much reason to open-up a well-kept engine/trans (regular fluid changes/service) until it gives you a reason to...which could easily be twice your 150k purchase mileage.

So 300k mi minimum (on a well maintained car) before considering an engine/trans swap? In a mostly stock car where FI was never attempted, of course.

 

[R13]

So 300k mi minimum (on a well maintained car) before considering an engine/trans swap? In a mostly stock car where FI was never attempted, of course.

I'd say so. I mean there are several of the 200+k mile club still on the original engine build with no problems. There have been occasional reports of 300 & 400k mile cars running around out there as well, but I don't think they are on Prime to report (probably too busy driving).

I had to do head gaskets, and had the valvetrain refreshed (still original valves & springs, but guides & seals reaplaced) at the time, but the reciprocating assembly (crank,pistons, rods, etc.) and transmission haven't been touched and so far no ill effects even with track use.

 

[bngl3rt]

You know, Toyota was able to get (anonymized) car registration data from DMVs across the country - they used it in an advertising campaign about how many ancient Camrys and Corollas are still on the road.

Surely we could find out using that data, once and for all, what the highest mileage NSX in the country is, and then maybe try to find out what's been done to keep it going.

Anyone know how they did it?