Okay...my TJ Solara is running well, as is my TS V6 wagon. The wagon has just turned over 200,000Km. She's regularly serviced and she's had a new timing belt kit and water pump fitted recently. I get the occasional lifter ticking noise which disappears after thirty seconds or so after a cold start (common with this engine, I'm told).

The body is still sound with no apparent rust and the duco is okay.

Here comes the kooky question...

Given that she is still running smoothly should I hang on to her or should I be looking at buying another vehicle because she is getting long in the tooth? I'd rather hang on to my money if I can but I don't want to hang on to a money pit if the car starts to deteriorate rapidly in the next 100,000Km.

She's an old car...no airbags and no ABS but I'm told that the bodies on these Magnas are super-tough in accidents and the excellent handling makes for great proactive safety.

Okay...over to you guys for your candid opinions.

Oh...do I have the money for another car? Not really...I think I could muster up about 10 grand but that's it.

Easy answer keep driving it till it can be driven anymore :P

I drive a high mileage car as long you jump on the little problem early on doesn't cost to much for repairs.

No need to upgrade to another car if your happy with your current car.

The magna was a very safe and reliable car in its day. If its kept in good condition, it will go half a million k's no problem.

If you start feeling sick of your car, then give it a new set of rims or a new cd player. Then spend the rest of your spare cash on a nice long driving holiday in your safe and reliable magna.

Thanks to all who posted a reply. I must admit I was sorely tempted to trade the old girl in but she's still running and whilst her heart's beating she can stay with us.

Thanks to all who posted a reply. I must admit I was sorely tempted to trade the old girl in but she's still running and whilst her heart's beating she can stay with us.

Good on you. The V6 wagon is the most desirable of the TS range, got one myself. Mine has done 250,000 km and not much goes wrong in between 200,000 and 250,000 km. (You might want to check drive shaft and steering rack boots though . . . )
Mine still rattles (quiet ticks really) at startup even though it has new lifters. Nothing to worry about. Paint and roof liner are sad, but seeing it's worth very little as a trade-in, I will keep running it until it is 20 years old in 2 year's time. By then it will be worth absolutely nothing, and a third gen wagon or 380 should be cheaper.

Seeing I paid $1,200 for it 5 years ago, it has been cheap motoring indeed!

Good on you. The V6 wagon is the most desirable of the TS range, got one myself. Mine has done 250,000 km and not much goes wrong in between 200,000 and 250,000 km. (You might want to check drive shaft and steering rack boots though . . . )
Mine still rattles (quiet ticks really) at startup even though it has new lifters. Nothing to worry about. Paint and roof liner are sad, but seeing it's worth very little as a trade-in, I will keep running it until it is 20 years old in 2 year's time. By then it will be worth absolutely nothing, and a third gen wagon or 380 should be cheaper.

Seeing I paid $1,200 for it 5 years ago, it has been cheap motoring indeed!

Thanks for the reply and...I must say...you must be psychic! Just today I took my car in to my local mechanic for a standard service. When I picked the car up I received some bad news. All four discs need machining, the pads have to be changed and the drive shaft has to be changed with the steering rack being a bit suss as well. The cost? $420.00 Fearing the worst I took my car in for a valuation just to see what I'd get for a trade on a Suzuki Grand Vitara 4WD with 60-odd K on the odo. The dealer offered me $500 ! This is a car with near-new tyres, alloys, a full year's rego and a recently-changed timing belt, tensioners and water pump! The rego, alone, would nearly cover the offer made to me!

NOPE! I'll pay the $420 and keep her!

$500 as trade-in! How stingy is that!

I bet they would do some basic work on it, then put it in the yard for $2,500. Easy money for them. Dealers make me want to swear a lot. lol

(Forgot to mention I had the front rotors on my TS brakes skimmed. lol
And new ball joints too. Cured the low speed brake shimmy and steering wobble it would develop at 80 KPH.
If they replace the steering rack boots, get them to check the tie rod ends and the tie rod ball joints that sit inside the boots.)

$500 as trade-in! How stingy is that!

I bet they would do some basic work on it, then put it in the yard for $2,500. Easy money for them. Dealers make me want to swear a lot. lol

(Forgot to mention I had the front rotors on my TS brakes skimmed. lol
And new ball joints too. Cured the low speed brake shimmy and steering wobble it would develop at 80 KPH.
If they replace the steering rack boots, get them to check the tie rod ends and the tie rod ball joints that sit inside the boots.)

Car salesman, for the most part, fulfil the stereotypical image of themselves to a tee.

The one I visited did the "I'll have to ask the manager"/get up and walk around the corner for a few seconds trick...the old "we have to detail it...spend money on it" whine..."we won't get any money for her" jibe.

When I pointed out the value of the registration, tyres, wheels and new stereo system as being more than $1000 he just scoffed. Arsehole!

Nope...she's going to be staying. She's powerful, quiet and comfortable. Loads of room for the Staffy!

Max...any hints on how many Ks I might expect to get out of her (motor and transmission) if she's kept regularly serviced?

One last question... have you ever experienced the transmission changing down which a bit of clunk when coming to a stop with the auto choke still in operation? I find this when she's cold and, sometimes, when the air-con is on which, I know, elevates the idle when the car comes to a stop.

good to hear your keeping the car . where in vic are you if you are close i can help with the repiars

Max...any hints on how many Ks I might expect to get out of her (motor and transmission) if she's kept regularly serviced?

have you ever experienced the transmission changing down which a bit of clunk when coming to a stop with the auto choke still in operation? I find this when she's cold and, sometimes, when the air-con is on which, I know, elevates the idle when the car comes to a stop.

It will keep going however long you want. lol In practical terms though, there will come a problem that will be uneconomical to repair. For me the crunch time will come when the gearbox has a failure, or the car hits 20 years of age. (last one is my personal choice - I see a few first genners still going around and they are much older.)

lol I know about the "clunk when stopping", mine did that when I first got it. I probably got it cheap because the previous owner thought the gearbox was on it's last legs.
When hot, the car should NOT change down to first gear when you stop. The gearbox is supposed to change down to second, and stay there to avoid creep. It changes down to first as soon as you put your foot down again.
Simple fix (for me anyway) was to adjust the TPS. Now its behaving, sort of. Still has the following problems (that I can live with)
(a) Fourth gear won't engage when the car is cold, or just been started. It drops into a false neutral instead. I just switch fourth out, until the car has done 1 km or so, then it finds fourth gear ok.
(b) Occasionally it will take off in second, change its mind and clunk into first while it is moving. Might be able to tune that out with more TPS fiddling. If it starts to do that, I just up the stationary revs in drive with the right foot and put my left foot on the brake. I can feel it engage first, then when the light changes, foot off the brake and right foot down.

I can live with these little quirks, but it does mean I can't sell the car to anyone with a clear conscience, so it stays until it dies . . . . . . it doesn't owe me anything.

It will keep going however long you want. lol In practical terms though, there will come a problem that will be uneconomical to repair. For me the crunch time will come when the gearbox has a failure, or the car hits 20 years of age. (last one is my personal choice - I see a few first genners still going around and they are much older.)

lol I know about the "clunk when stopping", mine did that when I first got it. I probably got it cheap because the previous owner thought the gearbox was on it's last legs.
When hot, the car should NOT change down to first gear when you stop. The gearbox is supposed to change down to second, and stay there to avoid creep. It changes down to first as soon as you put your foot down again.
Simple fix (for me anyway) was to adjust the TPS. Now its behaving, sort of. Still has the following problems (that I can live with)
(a) Fourth gear won't engage when the car is cold, or just been started. It drops into a false neutral instead. I just switch fourth out, until the car has done 1 km or so, then it finds fourth gear ok.
(b) Occasionally it will take off in second, change its mind and clunk into first while it is moving. Might be able to tune that out with more TPS fiddling. If it starts to do that, I just up the stationary revs in drive with the right foot and put my left foot on the brake. I can feel it engage first, then when the light changes, foot off the brake and right foot down.

I can live with these little quirks, but it does mean I can't sell the car to anyone with a clear conscience, so it stays until it dies . . . . . . it doesn't owe me anything.

I haven't noticed any quirky gear changes like you describe...only the occasional down-change "boom" when the air-con is running or, as I said above, the choke is still on.

As to the longevity issue...yep...you have the same sort of attitude that I have...run as long as you can until it starts getting expensive and uneconomic to keep it running.

To MagnaMan...thanks for the offer. You are very kind.

My KS has just trickled over 200,000km and is as smooth and nice to drive as my Ralliart Magna with less than half the kms !!

I have had the car for nearly 7 years now and have no plans of selling it anytime soon, i can no longer afford to run both cars so the Ralliart went up for sale, not the KS !!