What do i need to do to insure my Monte with 153K will last?

[xminnis]

Its an 86 with the 4.3 V6. I need it to last me for the last 2 years of college, what do i need to do to improve the chances of this happening, besides not missing oil changes. I drive about 15,000 mi. a year so it will be about 180K on the clock when im done with school. I haven't heard of many old chevy's lasting that long.

 

[SLICK79WGN]

I have had all my old my old chevys last way past that just keep up with the maint and I would say check your hoses and belts often and use good parts when you have to replace the old ones. My first car was a 78 4dr malibu with a 305/200m and when I pulled it to put in my 355 it had 358k on it and still it still was running, and I am driving a s-10 daily with 295k on it so if you take care of it it will take care of you!

 

[85GPLef41]

Not a g-body but.... my 87 Astro with the 4.3 had 294k before i killed it by shoving it up a hondas a** . :lol: I wasn't nice to it either. The van was kept in good condition except the engine leaked oil quite a bit from the oil cooler adapter. I did regular maintenance to it and fixed issues as they came up. Overall it was a excellent vehicle oh yeah and my 96 Astro had 230k when i sold it. I traveled quite a bit in both of them so just do the maintenance and drive it sensibly. I use BG MOA about every other oil change along with synthetic blend oil on my vehicles..

 

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

I got over 200k out of my Buick 231 while it was a pizza delivery car, and people used to say those engines wouldn't last more than 100k. The 4.3 is a vastly superior engine to the 3.8 in terms of internals for longevity with minimal maintenance, so I think it will do just fine. The oil pump in the Chevy is better than the Buick, so I don't think 200k will be an issue if you take care of it. Remember that half of the battle of getting a car to last is the design, but half is also maintenance. That's why I have 311,000 miles on my Nissan. Yes, it gets regular oil changes, but the drivetrain and wiring is also cleaned and leaks are fixed on a regular basis so that little problems don't turn into big ones. Case in point: I have a leaky steering box that takes ATF as it's fluid. I did not repair it for a few years and the detergents in the ATF stripped the grease from the center drag link pitman arm joint and killed it, necessitating a $160 new center drag link. Had I fixed it in time it probably would not have failed.

 

[jrm81bu]

Just drive it like you stole it. It'll be alright. :lol:

 

[kustomkyle]

Keep your eye on the front suspension/steering components for wear. I think the key is to keep driving it and use everything on it. What I mean is keep using stufff like the HVAC system (AC/heat/vent) as that stuff can freeze up and not work properly if it is neglected. I'm pretty sure you'll have to tear the whole dash apart to try and fix anything if something does go wrong.

As long as the engine is in good shape after 20+ years and 100,000+ miles, there isn't any reason why it won't last 100,000 more. A lot of people say you have to replace timing chains at around 100,000 miles, as a failure would pretty much kill the engine. I've been trying to find out more about timing chain wear so I don't end up getting mine replaced for no reason, but I haven't had much luck. I guess there aren't any symptoms of wear.

Never let the car sit for extended periods of time without running it. I don't know a whole lot about engines, but from experience with similar cars, it is one of the worst things you can do. The fluids get gunky, etc. Plus, moisture gets into a dormant engine through the carburetor and exhaust and causes problems. Rings will get stuck, etc. The engine will start smoking/running rough and get bad gas mileage among other things.

Also, highway driving tends to be better for the car as well from what I have heard. Overall, DON'T beat on it, but don't putt around and carbon up the engine either.

 

[pontiacgp]

Just drive it like you stole it. It'll be alright. :lol:

you do have a point....every car I babied died on me...the cars I beat the crap out of just keep on going... :lol:

 

[srercrcr]

Don't let repairs slip. If they pile up and don't get done it'll be on here for sale as rolling stock.

 

[srercrcr]

Verify with your professor...it's ensure, not insure.

 

[xminnis]

thanks everyone, but that does worry me about not having it sit for a long time, the guy i bought it from had it sitting in the garage for a year and a half....yikes