why are low k's so important?

[phaseautos]

Wasn't me Frank.

Spoke about it with the wife and the high Km's was the decider.

ok question for all why are low k's more important than the car's condition?

ok in the cast iron heads you had induction hardened seats that wore away by 200-300k but most alloy headded engines these days go 500k before needing a rebuild if correctly serviced

your thoughts on this and please spit it out this is just a i want to see the psyche out there? the general consensus

me personally i buy a car according to value for money and condition regardless of k's

[ponyride]

I don't think the k's were such an issue with that car, the ad stated it was a one owner and they were highway miles. I've had some very good cars that had high "hot miles" on them, and never had any issues. They're better than cars with probably 30-40% less city miles, especially if it's manual.

But in answer to your question I guess with modern cars they can be horrendously expensive to fix, not just in the engine department so people are a bit wary. I don't know how reliable those particular cars are so I would have needed to do a fair bit of research if I was interested. Regardless, I think someone got a great buy, even factoring in $5-7k worst case scenario for some major mechanical repairs in the next few years. And that may not even happen.

Great looking Mustang.

[Frank70]

The highish Ks were not really an issue for me.

I came pretty close to getting you to drive over to Melb.

But really I just couldn't justify another car.

Cheers,
Frank.

[GLENN 70]

It doesnt make sense most  people want low klms ,but i was selling a vs commodore 1 owner grampars car 80 ,000 klms with books  like new  last month asking 3750 not one call ,sold to a friend 2900 ,yet sold plenty with 220,000 klms  plus for 2700 dollars . But newer cars that i buy nothing over 160 klms and sell before 195 klms ,harder to sell over 200,000klms ,so its in there heads . Years ago a aussie car 6 cyl would blow smoke after 120,000 miles 200,000 klms worn out but now 300,000 no problems ,mainly rings,valve guids and seals would go 1 st , the new world says no smoking engines .

[phaseautos]

guys the reason for this thread is to separate it from the other car

it has nothing to do with it just made me think of it

so its all about understanding the psyche of low k's

i'd much rather have a well maintained hi k car than a poor low k one

[mwizz]

I think its a perception thing as I have spoken to many people that seem to have the opinion that picking up a car that has done less than 100K is the way to go if you are looking to buy one. The prices on car sale seem to differ quite a bit depending on whether the car is under or over 100K. I recently bought a VX Commodore for my daughter that was one owner, really well maintained, had LPG fitted recently but had 190K on the clock.

[phaseautos]

i find the best bargains at that range but sorry no com v6's post ecotec for me

[malscar]

I look at a near new car - 1 to 2 years old with less than 30k on it. Why? First you have already had the major price depreciation on it. A $40k car is about $20-$25k. Second, I usually keep the car until it is nearly dead - 300K plus. The VZ I bought in Feb 2005 with $6k on it. Now has 120k plus. I also have a 2004 Mitsu Mirage I bought to teach my daughter on and use that to run around town in. That had about 110k on it when I bought it 12 months ago.

I have found over many years that with most cars, around the 150 - 180k mark you will have fuel pump, steering pump, alternator and a few other problems. Maybe that is why people buy low km or 190km cars as long as you can see they have been looked after.

As with others, if a car has done 6/7k a year, why? short trips etc? Would rather a 40K car in a year on the highway.

[chopmgw]

I have found over many years that with most cars, around the 150 - 180k mark you will have fuel pump, steering pump, alternator and a few other problems.

Not to mention trans, suspension,brake system, etc.
Its not just the motor.
Everything else is going to need replacing sooner.
Thats my way of thinking about it.

By the way, I would have been on that stang like a fat chick on a mars bar if I had been in the market for another car, because the price was right. Even if it did need a few refurbishments.

[phaseautos]

chop the car i was told was still immac.

yes things wear with k's but wear more with poor service and short trips

[Ash]

poor service and short trips

I buy quite a few cars and this here I think is the problem with most. They aren't serviced or looked after and when they get on in the k's, it is just more work on the car without the care that is required.

Yes, some cars with high k's have full service history or at least records of what has been done. But the majority of the time, IF they even come with service books, they are not complete and usually stop around the 100-150k mark.

Unfortunately for a lot of car owners, a car is just a method of transport and a tool that is used to get through life. They get in, turn the key, drive it, park it, turn it off and forget about it. If something goes wrong it is an expense they don't want. In the mean time, the thing drives so there is no need to spend money on it.

[StephenSLR]

It's totally perception, more miles = more wear & tear.  

On a resto-mod or restored car it doesn't make a difference to me as long as the components are all in good condition and mechanically A1.

Another one you may want to throw out there - matching numbers.  It's a very big issue in the US, a lot of old cars had their motor replaced a few times over, it's only a collector thing but some people are pedantic on it.

s

[Dad]

Wasn't me Frank.

Spoke about it with the wife and the high Km's was the decider.

ok question for all why are low k's more important than the car's condition?

ok in the cast iron heads you had induction hardened seats that wore away by 200-300k but most alloy headded engines these days go 500k before needing a rebuild if correctly serviced

your thoughts on this and please spit it out this is just a i want to see the psyche out there? the general consensus

me personally i buy a car according to value for money and condition regardless of k's

The Km's versus price is always a trade-off.

My attitude is the higher the km's the higher the possibility and closer in time it is that something may go wrong.

As mentioned above, if you have knowledge then you can be more prepared.

I know of another similar Cobra that had about the same km's and it had issues. Just didnt want to face that.

Also, think if the vehicle is going to be a daly driver, the km's can stack up quickly and if you start from a high base to begin with, you may end up with taxi km's on the clock.

[phaseautos]

It's totally perception, more miles = more wear & tear.  

On a resto-mod or restored car it doesn't make a difference to me as long as the components are all in good condition and mechanically A1.

Another one you may want to throw out there - matching numbers.  It's a very big issue in the US, a lot of old cars had their motor replaced a few times over, it's only a collector thing but some people are pedantic on it.

s

yes see i'm the same as long as all is in good condition then why not? that both on new and old

matching numbers are of importance for 100% resto cars that are popular or rare for the collector factor

matching numbers on mass produced imho who cares?

[phaseautos]

Wasn't me Frank.

Spoke about it with the wife and the high Km's was the decider.

ok question for all why are low k's more important than the car's condition?

ok in the cast iron heads you had induction hardened seats that wore away by 200-300k but most alloy headded engines these days go 500k before needing a rebuild if correctly serviced

your thoughts on this and please spit it out this is just a i want to see the psyche out there? the general consensus

me personally i buy a car according to value for money and condition regardless of k's

The Km's versus price is always a trade-off.

My attitude is the higher the km's the higher the possibility and closer in time it is that something may go wrong.

As mentioned above, if you have knowledge then you can be more prepared.

I know of another similar Cobra that had about the same km's and it had issues. Just didnt want to face that.

Also, think if the vehicle is going to be a daly driver, the km's can stack up quickly and if you start from a high base to begin with, you may end up with taxi km's on the clock.

again this was just an example sorry to use you to make the point just thought it would help explain my question

i suppose its my mechanics way of thinking check it coz i can if good alls good if it breaks cheap for me to fix with my contacts?

[StephenSLR]

Unfortunately for a lot of car owners, a car is just a method of transport and a tool that is used to get through life. They get in, turn the key, drive it, park it, turn it off and forget about it.

Sadly they view everyone else's car in the same way and don't care if they slam their door into it, throw a shopping trolley at it, turn a blind eye to their kids throwing rocks near it, etc.

:soap:

s

[Dad]

No worries Nick.

[phaseautos]

good to hear dad

[j1autotech]

I don't mind buying high Klm's cars as I am not worried about the resale value.

I think that is always a thought in peoples heads as well... How much will I get for it if I sell it with TAXI Klm's...:hope:

My last purchase was a BA RTV with a 5.4l  8 in it. It had high Klm's (highway Klm's) it was from Dubbo and the guy did Sydney trips in it with work. I figured it should have been on LPG for those numbers being an 8 but apparently he had money...

I checked over the car and was very happy with what I saw. I then had it independantly checked over as well as I didn't have the tools to do a full check. The report came up better than I expected. The ute looks like new for the Klm's it has done. All the ussual replaceable parts have been done already - brakes/shocks/ alternator / starter... all those things that ussualy start to p#ss you off when things keep going wrong.

Now the reason I don't mind buying high Klm cars is that a few of you would know that I'm hardly ever in Melbourne let alone being in Australia. Every year I'm not home is a suposed saving of 10-35K saving on the clock if you get my drift. So when I do come home and drive it, everyone else has caught up Klm wise.

That's my train of thought anyway

J1

I picked this one up in mid 2010 for 7.5k with 12 month reg 04 model with 210 Klm on the clock. The only thing I was worried about was the plugs and the heads as they can be an issue when removing from a 3V head. That checked out all good.

So far there has been no issues with the ute and it's done some good heavy towing which is why I purchased it.