Even better a LS1 I miss my ol LS1 Z but I will get another!!

 

Jimmy17, I'm not sure what experiences with either rice or american you have had but you MUST realize this. The owners of Camry's and Accords will most likely NEVER push their cars in any way like f body owners would. Drive an LT1 like a Camry and sure that thing will go WELL past 200k miles. Look at all of the trucks with Chevy small blocks in them that are past 200k and into 300k and still going strong. Also I'm not sure if you're aware of this but alot of Toyota 4's and V6's used in Camry's and other of their cars have a rather bad sludging problem because they're hard on oil, unlike the average small block. My high school cross country coach has an 88 4Runner 4x4 with a 4cyl. At 120k miles the engine was complete toast and that was with regular oil changes. He did drive it a bit hard though but how else would you get that thing up to speed? Now at 50k miles on the new 4cyl, the lifters are already noisy. A friend of mine just got a 98 Camry 4cyl from his mom who gave it to him with 115kon it. At idle that car along with alot of other 4cyl Camry's have some sort of rattle thats pretty obvious. Another friend of mine drives the 3rd vehicle of the family to and back from college, a 98 RAV4 with 57k on it and it burns quite a bit of oil. My dad's 94 Accord busted the rear main seal at 85k and for the 2nd time the temperature control **** has seized and the AC compressor always feels like its low in freon. The shifter on my mom's 90 Maxima she used to have would cease to engage into Drive half of the time and required jiggling to get it to engage. I've also heard that Integras even with all forged bottom end can't handle anymore than a 75hp of NOS compared to 150hp shot stock LT1's can take.

My old S10 Blazer 4.3 I had use to get the **** ran out of it and before I wrecked it at 139k it was running like new and burned no oil between oil changes. It got manual shifted to somewhere above 5k several times and a few top speed runs in 3rd gear (700R4's in these don't shift out of 3rd when floored) and was floored hundreds of times when I had it for 40k miles. My friend's 79 Camaro 350 with 225+ total miles and 60k on a cheap stock rebuild saw well over 6k rpm several times doing donuts and burnouts with the shifter in 1 in addition to absolute hell miles. He just keeps up on oil changes and lets it warm up before driving and thats it. The 318 in my Jeep with 118k had severe sludge problems when I bought it from severe lack of oil changes. After a good engine flush it's running good and still makes 60psi of oil pressure when warm. Another guy I know had a 93 Lumina 3.1 with 186k hard miles from day 1 that he used to sometimes tow his 18ft boat. That car gave him no problems and sold it to a teenager with 186k on it and it was still running great.
Jason

True there are some things such as fewer rattles and maybe little stuff like sensors going bad that imports don't have as much of, but there are alot of American cars that can do the same and I would like to see the average import car, even say a 300ZX survive the abuse that 79 Camaro has gone through and still will. ok think i've said enough but i just had to say it

Jason

 

oh yeah i forgot to mention earlier when i said that my friends 91 camaro rs has 250,000 miles on it................he has only change the water pump, fuel pump, and a couple of other minor electrical things.............6 things total (EVER).........that was a well built car...........he had it up to 137mph the other night too.........so they arent pampered miles either...............a hard 250,000 miles............long live american muscle cars!!!!!!



Scott


p.s. -- it has the 305 H.O. engine in it (personally i think those engines are poo...........high output my butt.....they're slow)........but i was still impressed with the quarter of a million miles it has on it and that it is capable of 137mph easy.

 

Here is the link to the post about the 99 C5 with 250k on it!

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/zerothread?id=434648

 

172k on my '94. Only trouble was a worn out opti at 160k, which trashed the CAT. Car runs great, doesn't burn oil, and I still get approx 22mpg average.

I've had more trouble with Toyotas with lower milage - failed water pumps, thermostats, distributor caps, worn out ignition cylinders, boken door hardware. If it wasn't for the Opti, the LT1 would have an excellent reliability record.

 

The Camry is crap and I think that is just a marketing gimmick. I think it was for 3 years in a row then they had some small print on the bottom of the screen. Anyway there is also a reason GM sells over 190,000 Cavaliers and Sunfires and about 200,000 Grand Ams.

 

Hmm I guess a 1994 Chevy Astro with the Vortech 4.3 V6 that went 289,000 VERY HARD miles is not that good for "American push rod" huh? This little V6 spent its life towing trailers, hauling elevator tools and parts and only died because I did not keep an eye ont the oil lever. DOH! Anyway if it had the life of the average 'yota or Honda, going back and forth to the store and not hauling heavy loads I am sure it would have gone 400k with no problem.

 

My best friend's dad back home has a '95 Z28 that is over 180,000 (just talked to him - it is 189,000 now). Most of these are highway miles. Only things that went bad were the water pump, alternator, and optispark (40,000 miles). Still has never gotten a tune up. Blows a little smoke on start up - only thing wrong with it.

 

lets see your epidamy (sp?) of build quality run 12s

mine had 109k on the clock.
Unfortunatly, I had to RIP the tranny from OD to 1st to save, my car and life. 2 weeks later it started to slip and just for ****s and giggles I dd a 383 and new trans.

I wish i never would have touched that motor.

106mph traps on 2.0 60fts with full exhuat and gears

didn't burn a drop of oil or leak it. took it apart and almost no sludge.
man - I love the Lt1/L98

 

I have 116K on my 93Z auto - does not burn oil. I have only replaced the belt, opti, and plugs and wires. original alt., starter, water pump, and hoses, sensors, etc. And I beat the holy he!! out of the car. I took the motor apart for a build-up. still have hatchmarks and the bearings look like they are reusable. Thank god for mobil one.

 

well, my girlfriend has a 95 civic, and she had 133K on it....that car still going strong....but comparing it to my Z, that is different.....racing engine compare to economical small size sedan?? you cant really compare those two.....sure my GF civic runs great, but the power just isn't there....different case with my Z, it runs strong all day, beat all the 98-above mustangs, all the civics/integras i could find, all i beat a 3000GT VR4 by 3-4 cars....the only problems i could find right till now is the cooling fans, and now the ignition coil wire....but hey, it's a wore and tear parts right , well there's no use of comparing a small engine japanese car to a big V8 high in power american muscle....

 

All I have to say is that if you think that our cars aren't made as good as the *** POS's then look at it like this. I'll take my 94 Z. Drive the **** out of it for what? 100, 200, or even 300,000 miles (ok thats stretching it). Now take your POS 4 banger Integra, Civic, or whatever. Make it as powerful as an LT1, LS1 or the car just as fast and lets see how many HARD drivin miles those ****ing POS 4 bangers can do. I see a brand new Integra with a stage 2 turbo kit that ran high 12's in the 1/4 and it only went for about 17,000 miles then it blew up! Not running high boost either. Sure the civic with 220,000 miles is good, but imagine that if a LT1 or LS1 would only put out 160 HP how many miles would it last? Exactly!

 

My Impala SS was sold a year and a half ago with 226,000 miles. Yep that's right! The only thing done to the engine was the front and rear seals. I did have to replace the water pump, spark plugs, serpentine belt and an alternator. The incredible thing was the optispark. Never replaced it or the spark plug wires That car was my daily driver with many long distance trips as well as dragstrip and street action. I miss that car..... My T/A now has 112,000 and have only replaced the opti and plugs. Still has all the original accessories.

My 88 Chevy Dually has 158,000 of hard hauling with a 3 speed auto and a 4:10 gear. That HAS to be equivilant to double that mileage with a 4 speed and normal rear.

Mobile one synthetic changed every 3K miles.

 

I have had great luck with both my small block Chevys -- 71 Rally Nova and 95 Z28 and my Honda Accords. I firmly believe that he key to longevity is regular PM. I have had several bone stock hondas well over 200k. Granted there were the usual maintenance items and issues but nothing major. I expect the same from my 95 although I have an inventory of spare parts such as a new Delco waterpump, new cat and Y-pipe onhand if and when they are needed. It's all in how you drive and maintain them. I expect more things to go wrong on the Z28 because I drag race it a little. Nothing really abusive, just some Bracket action but, it all takes wear and tear on the drivetrain.
My $ 0.02 Happy Holidays.

 

Awesome to hear all of you with the higher mileage Z's. I really need to get out and drive mine more, its got 51,000! Only had to replace the EGR vavle...