Oldest cars still common on the roads in your area?
- Thread starter GranTurNismo
- 58 comments
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- 5,069
- Panama City, FL
There are three Saab 93 convertibles within a couple of miles of my house, and I've seen one on a lot nearby that is in questionable condition. That one has been "customized" with blue lenses on the headlights, among other things. The ones around the neighborhood look really nice, the one on the lot is diseased; I couldn't be given enough money to take it for even a single test drive.
- 40,757
The problem with Benzes made before the 90s dark times came for the brand is that they are tanks, but when tanks break they are extremely expensive and require special parts; whereas some clapped out Cavalier is always a trip to Autozone and a couple hundred bucks away from running basically indefinitely.
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- 3,726
- Elizabeth, New Jersey, USA
- 5,069
- Panama City, FL
Speaking of clapped-out Cavaliers...
We have a 2000 Cav as a tech's drive-around car at work. The interior plastic dashboard trim is all completely trashed, billions of pieces of ultra-brittle stuff that you can break with two fingers like a cheap pencil. The gauges work but all the warning lights are always on, and the odometer is gibberish random segments, different every time you turn the car on. The radio works if you can get it turned on, but the volume control is pretty much random as you spin the knob... too quiet, full blast, OK, then full blast again. So leave the radio off. Clock works, though, but you can't see it in bright sun. Exterior, the paint is shot, with clearcoat having bubbled up years and years ago. The basecoat is intact, just not very shiny! The trunk gets wet when it rains, but spraying the car with a hose to find where it comes in results in nothing.
All that said, it starts instantly, every time, stone cold or mid-summer hot... touch the key to start and it's running, no crank crank crank and hope. Transmission is smooth, and the A/C blows cold air! No idea of the mileage... it was approaching 140,000 several years ago when the dash went futzy. Odometer isn't necessary, as Florida has no vehicle inspection, and a ten-year-old or older car doesn't have to keep mileage anyway, you just see "Exempt" on the title, and if sold, no mileage has to be recorded.
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What I find wierd is that there aren't any euro cars in general. they're not that bad
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W123 was overengineered and decent number are rust free, but I noticed the huge drop in their numbers in 2nd half of 00s, at least in my area.
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There are multiple reasons why you can't easily find, say a Peugeot 505 or Chrysler New Yorker in Kuwait than a Toyota Crown from the same period. Everything from Dealerships, build quality, sales figure and repair parts to harsh environment, car tastes, owners negligence, current economy, policies and such. It's not necessarily that x car is terrible or anything.
Volvo for example used to be pretty common back in the day but nowadays, it's hard to find a 240 on the road, heck any modern volvo for the matter. Older european cars do exists, mostly german cars tho.
Just a general rule of thumb, most daily driven cars rarely survive beyond 20-30 years of abuse here. If you spot an 80s 560 SL or Datsun 280ZX in clean condition, it's likely a low mileage example imported from the States, Europe or Japan.
Volvo for example used to be pretty common back in the day but nowadays, it's hard to find a 240 on the road, heck any modern volvo for the matter. Older european cars do exists, mostly german cars tho.
Just a general rule of thumb, most daily driven cars rarely survive beyond 20-30 years of abuse here. If you spot an 80s 560 SL or Datsun 280ZX in clean condition, it's likely a low mileage example imported from the States, Europe or Japan.
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- 3,726
- Elizabeth, New Jersey, USA
- 19,627
- Alabamamania
Besides the loads of pre-2000 pickups, SUVs, Camrys/Accords/Altimas, Corollas/Civics/Sentras, A-bodies, et cetera...there's not a lot of common-but-unusual old vehicles in Northern Alabama. Pre-1980 US pickups are not rare sights, but not super common on weekdays, they seem to be rolled out on the weekends along with pre-OPEC-age Mustangs and Camaros.
One exception seems to the first-gen Ford Festiva. I'm not sure why, but I feel like I've seen 6-7 different examples in the area. It just makes no sense compared to the usual vehicle-buying habits typical of the region.
Courtesy of Wikipedia: IFCAR, public domain
One exception seems to the first-gen Ford Festiva. I'm not sure why, but I feel like I've seen 6-7 different examples in the area. It just makes no sense compared to the usual vehicle-buying habits typical of the region.
Courtesy of Wikipedia: IFCAR, public domain
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ROAD_DOGG33J
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- 14,217
- IL, USA
- holyc0w1
- holyc0w
They wouldn't survive here because of the rust.
- 2,833
- Colorado
- GTP_Cyborg
The SN95 Mustang might be the only old-ish car I can think of that I'd remotely single out as common on the road in my area, as far as what I notice. That, and maybe fifth gen ('94-'97) Accords. My next car is very likely to be a '98 Cobra, so I read up on that generation of Mustang every now and then, and it does sound like they're incredibly reliable. Cosmetically the build quality is typical '90s American garbage, but it seems Ford just stuck with a tried-and-true recipe for the engine, be it the V6 or V8.
*Ed. - now that I see RVDNuT374's post on the Explorer, I do see those a lot, which also reminds me of all the XJ ('84-'01) Jeep Cherokees I see running around.
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- 50,844
- Australia
- SpacedustDaddy
- 3,726
- Elizabeth, New Jersey, USA
Here's another one I forgot to mention. 1984-1996 Jeep Cherokees (the four-door ones only) are still pretty common. Though, there's not a whole bunch of stock ones around. Despite NJ having very few dirt roads and does not allow vehicles to drive on its sand dunes, off-road modified Jeeps, Cherokees included, are quite common. It's mostly an image thing I guess.
- 4,837
- Connecticut
- Ridley-X4
Maybe because I live in New England, but the popularity of Subaru models extends to how often I see models from the 1990s, whether it's an older iteration of the Forester or the Impreza. Those are likely the oldest cars that I see relatively often, and in the summer, I see plenty of Mazda Miata variants, whether it's the new ND, or the original NA. Plus, I do see plenty of Mustang Mk.IV models around that same time, and funny enough, it's almost always the "New Edge" facelift ones. That said, I do occasionally see much older cars, like the first-generation Mustang, various MG models, and even an Austin-Healy Sprite from the 1950s!
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ROAD_DOGG33J
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- 14,217
- IL, USA
- holyc0w1
- holyc0w
After some observing, I can confirm the NA Miata is the most common old sports car. I haven't seen any NB Miatas.
One car I didn't list before is the 1st gen CRV. I would say that these 2 qualify to be common in the area. There were also a handful of 1st gen RAV4s.
Though overall, I would say pre-2000s cars are pretty uncommon. I'm guessing most people move on after 10 years max, and if they haven't the cars disintegrate due to rust.
One car I didn't list before is the 1st gen CRV. I would say that these 2 qualify to be common in the area. There were also a handful of 1st gen RAV4s.
Though overall, I would say pre-2000s cars are pretty uncommon. I'm guessing most people move on after 10 years max, and if they haven't the cars disintegrate due to rust.
- 3,726
- Elizabeth, New Jersey, USA
I second that. NA Miatas and 1st-gen RAV4s/CRVs are still quite common near me.
I don't remember the source, but a couple months back I saw a headline that the average age of cars that are driven in the US is 13 years old, and the trend is that the number keeps growing larger.
MedigoFlame
Premium
- 6,213
- Maine
- MedigoFlameX
I remember seeing these as a kid and yet they still show up on the road. 1989-1996 Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera, still seem to be on the roads in Maine.
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- 3,726
- Elizabeth, New Jersey, USA
