What is the longest highway run you have done in a 15-year plus old car?

jonesanto · 21st November 2022, 14:15

Last week my cousin took my 17-year-old Elantra from Kerala to Bangalore and came back. I do not have the courage to take such an old car for a long highway run anymore. I am using the car very rarely and I thought if he is willing to accept what he’s getting into, let him take the car and the car did not disappoint. It did a 1800KM up and down highway run without a hiccup in two days.

This makes me ask the question, “What is the longest highway run BHPians have done in a 15 year plus old car? Because, I recently remember reading someone did a long highway run in an old Merc for FC purpose.

To be eligible, you need to check certain criteria’s.

Car has to be 15+ years old

It has to be a majority portion of highway run. (Doing 100+ or whatnot is left to the driver)

Not a full mix of city, tier two, tier three towns, village, where you can actually find a mechanic and parts if something goes wrong.

Cleaning the car stretching her legs after a long time.

What is the longest highway run you have done in a 15-year plus old car?-1669018696410.jpg

SS-Traveller · 21st November 2022, 14:22

I had a 1972 Ambassador Mark II, in which I have travelled at least 10 round trips between Kolkata and Delhi (over 3000 km for each round trip) between 1988 and 1996. I don't see why the age of a car being >15 years should be a criterion to avoid highway runs, provided the car is well taken care of.

jonesanto · 21st November 2022, 14:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

I had a 1972 Ambassador Mark II, in which I have travelled at least 10 round trips between Kolkata and Delhi (over 3000 km for each round trip) between 1988 and 1996. I don't see why the age of a car being >15 years should be a criterion to avoid highway runs, provided the car is well taken care of.

I just could not do it, not in 2022, where I can hardly find parts for that car if something goes wrong.

Superleggera · 21st November 2022, 14:48

Drove my 2005 Maruti 800 (90K Plus Km son the Odo) Multiple times between Bangalore and Kerala ~300 Kms one way which includes one ghat section as well, last one being in June 2022.

Will do it any day if am not in a hurry, as can't cross 70 KMPH

Kosfactor · 21st November 2022, 15:16

My ex - 97 Esteem will qualify. I think it was 16 years old at that time.

~1200 Kms with a few hours of break. Its engine was running happily at full chat. I guess it was more about the endurance of my body than the vehicle itself.

saket77 · 21st November 2022, 15:42

At the fag end of 2017, I took my humble Maruti Zen, exactly after 15 years we brought it home, for a 1800+ km journey, into the Himalayas to freezing Sikkim, at some good elevations & bad roads- behold your breath, with my wife and a 2.5 year old daughter. Good friend and BHPian Swapnil also joined us. Here's a detailed log of the tour:
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/trave...route-zen.html (Our Tryst with the hills: West Sikkim (Pelling), Kalimpong and the Old Silk Route in a Zen)

If a plan for Sikkim or any hilly area in North-East India materializes today, I won't hesitate to take the same car again (20 year old now) and come back unsurprised.

Edit: Also to add, my other car, Honda Civic, also 15+ years old now- completed another 1800 km tour previously this month (2 back to back tours)

Regards,
Saket

SS-Traveller · 21st November 2022, 15:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by jonesanto

I just could not do it, not in 2022, where I can hardly find parts for that car if something goes wrong.

Which parts would you consider likely to fail and need replacement on a long drive?

pkulkarni.2106 · 21st November 2022, 16:04

If the car is maintained well, there should be no fear of taking it out on highways.
I have a Santro Xing (2005) - recently I took it to Goa, which is ~500 km from my place. It covered the distance in ~9 hours.

Also did few trips to my native place last year (~450 km one way). No problems whatsoever.

MK11 · 21st November 2022, 16:16

I had taken my 2006 Toyota Innova to Goa in June this year and from there we also drove to Murudeshwar, Karnataka. It was one last ride with her which I wanted to cherish as it has served us well during 17 years of ownership.

jonesanto · 21st November 2022, 17:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

Which parts would you consider likely to fail and need replacement on a long drive?

Ah, you're right SS-Traveller, it could just be my OCD. My last yearly service in May 2022, I had to wait for a month just to procure original filters alone. But the purpose of this thread is to hear the stories and good old memories from BHPians who has taken their trusty old cars on the highways and made it back without cease to function.

Happy reading.

narayans80 · 21st November 2022, 17:11

I don't think modern day cars, especially those that have been owned and maintained by the same owner since day 1 should have any trouble.

We (my parents) owned a 1970 Ambassador, brought in 1986 after it was diesel converted. Had done quite a few 300-600 km runs between 1987 and 1995. It had to be stopped once in 2 hours to cool it down.

aim120 · 21st November 2022, 17:12

87 Gypsy, dad did 700kms in 2013 and the odo reading at that time was about 65k and even today is less then 68k, probably the lowest run gypsy vs the age of the vehicle and yes the vehicle was driven by my dad since the day it was got from the showroom in 87.

tharian · 21st November 2022, 17:19

There is a 72' FIAT 1100D that I run and maintain belonging to member SandeepMohan. It is nearing a lakh kms on the odo and although the last full highway trip it did was from Calicut to Bangalore I guess in 2016, I take it out once in a few months on the highway towards the airport and once up to Chikkaballapur which was a round trip of 130-140 kms.
The car performed flawlessly at speeds of 60-70 kmph.

GForceEnjoyer · 21st November 2022, 18:39

2006 Ford Fiesta 1.6 SXI here. The longest highway run run after its turning 15 has been roughly 450 km in total; Hyderabad to Nagarjuna Sagar and back. Most of the drive consisted of triple-digit speeds. The car in question has been driven in over 10 states until the time of writing (north as well as south India), so taking it on this trip was really nothing out of the ordinary, since it is very well taken care of and has also been reliable.

Its last trip before this was from Hyderabad to Gandikota, over 800 km in total! This drive was also almost exclusively consisted of triple-digit speeds.

Aditya · 21st November 2022, 19:41

My Toyota Corolla is in its 17th year. It does 1,200 - 1,500 km round trips on weekends regularly. Mumbai - Hyderabad - Mumbai, Mumbai - Goa - Mumbai are regular routes. While the last Hyderabad trip was in February, the latest Goa trip was just last month, during Diwali. The car ran as well as anything out there. This car is as trustworthy as a faithful Labrador.

21st November 2022, 14:15	#1
jonesanto BHPian Join Date: Feb 2018 Location: Bangalore Posts: 149 Thanked: 1,713 Times View My Garage	What is the longest highway run you have done in a 15-year plus old car? Last week my cousin took my 17-year-old Elantra from Kerala to Bangalore and came back. I do not have the courage to take such an old car for a long highway run anymore. I am using the car very rarely and I thought if he is willing to accept what he’s getting into, let him take the car and the car did not disappoint. It did a 1800KM up and down highway run without a hiccup in two days. This makes me ask the question, “What is the longest highway run BHPians have done in a 15 year plus old car? Because, I recently remember reading someone did a long highway run in an old Merc for FC purpose. To be eligible, you need to check certain criteria’s. Car has to be 15+ years old It has to be a majority portion of highway run. (Doing 100+ or whatnot is left to the driver) Not a full mix of city, tier two, tier three towns, village, where you can actually find a mechanic and parts if something goes wrong. Cleaning the car stretching her legs after a long time. Last edited by jonesanto : 21st November 2022 at 14:30.
	(26) Thanks

21st November 2022, 14:22	#2
SS-Traveller Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: New Delhi Posts: 8,276 Thanked: 28,716 Times View My Garage	re: What is the longest highway run you have done in a 15-year plus old car? I had a 1972 Ambassador Mark II, in which I have travelled at least 10 round trips between Kolkata and Delhi (over 3000 km for each round trip) between 1988 and 1996. I don't see why the age of a car being >15 years should be a criterion to avoid highway runs, provided the car is well taken care of.
	(29) Thanks

21st November 2022, 14:48	#4
Superleggera BHPian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Kannur/Boston Posts: 533 Thanked: 819 Times View My Garage	re: What is the longest highway run you have done in a 15-year plus old car? Drove my 2005 Maruti 800 (90K Plus Km son the Odo) Multiple times between Bangalore and Kerala ~300 Kms one way which includes one ghat section as well, last one being in June 2022. Will do it any day if am not in a hurry, as can't cross 70 KMPH
	(8) Thanks

21st November 2022, 15:16	#5
Kosfactor Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2018 Location: COK\BLR\MYS Posts: 3,860 Thanked: 11,213 Times	re: What is the longest highway run you have done in a 15-year plus old car? My ex - 97 Esteem will qualify. I think it was 16 years old at that time. ~1200 Kms with a few hours of break. Its engine was running happily at full chat. I guess it was more about the endurance of my body than the vehicle itself.
	(7) Thanks

21st November 2022, 15:42	#6
saket77 Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: India Posts: 4,839 Thanked: 14,735 Times	re: What is the longest highway run you have done in a 15-year plus old car? At the fag end of 2017, I took my humble Maruti Zen, exactly after 15 years we brought it home, for a 1800+ km journey, into the Himalayas to freezing Sikkim, at some good elevations & bad roads- behold your breath, with my wife and a 2.5 year old daughter. Good friend and BHPian Swapnil also joined us. Here's a detailed log of the tour: https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/trave...route-zen.html (Our Tryst with the hills: West Sikkim (Pelling), Kalimpong and the Old Silk Route in a Zen) If a plan for Sikkim or any hilly area in North-East India materializes today, I won't hesitate to take the same car again (20 year old now) and come back unsurprised. Edit: Also to add, my other car, Honda Civic, also 15+ years old now- completed another 1800 km tour previously this month (2 back to back tours) Regards, Saket Last edited by saket77 : 21st November 2022 at 15:47.
	(13) Thanks

21st November 2022, 16:04	#8
pkulkarni.2106 BHPian Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Pune Posts: 311 Thanked: 627 Times	re: What is the longest highway run you have done in a 15-year plus old car? If the car is maintained well, there should be no fear of taking it out on highways. I have a Santro Xing (2005) - recently I took it to Goa, which is ~500 km from my place. It covered the distance in ~9 hours. Also did few trips to my native place last year (~450 km one way). No problems whatsoever.
	(3) Thanks

21st November 2022, 16:16	#9
MK11 Newbie Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Mumbai Posts: 11 Thanked: 15 Times	re: What is the longest highway run you have done in a 15-year plus old car? I had taken my 2006 Toyota Innova to Goa in June this year and from there we also drove to Murudeshwar, Karnataka. It was one last ride with her which I wanted to cherish as it has served us well during 17 years of ownership.
	(6) Thanks

21st November 2022, 17:11	#11
narayans80 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Madras Posts: 3,469 Thanked: 5,254 Times	re: What is the longest highway run you have done in a 15-year plus old car? I don't think modern day cars, especially those that have been owned and maintained by the same owner since day 1 should have any trouble. We (my parents) owned a 1970 Ambassador, brought in 1986 after it was diesel converted. Had done quite a few 300-600 km runs between 1987 and 1995. It had to be stopped once in 2 hours to cool it down.
	() Thanks

21st November 2022, 17:12	#12
aim120 BHPian Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: bangalore Posts: 791 Thanked: 2,513 Times	re: What is the longest highway run you have done in a 15-year plus old car? 87 Gypsy, dad did 700kms in 2013 and the odo reading at that time was about 65k and even today is less then 68k, probably the lowest run gypsy vs the age of the vehicle and yes the vehicle was driven by my dad since the day it was got from the showroom in 87.
	(4) Thanks

21st November 2022, 17:19	#13
tharian Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: SBC Posts: 4,157 Thanked: 8,628 Times View My Garage	re: What is the longest highway run you have done in a 15-year plus old car? There is a 72' FIAT 1100D that I run and maintain belonging to member SandeepMohan. It is nearing a lakh kms on the odo and although the last full highway trip it did was from Calicut to Bangalore I guess in 2016, I take it out once in a few months on the highway towards the airport and once up to Chikkaballapur which was a round trip of 130-140 kms. The car performed flawlessly at speeds of 60-70 kmph. Last edited by tharian : 21st November 2022 at 17:40.
	(10) Thanks

21st November 2022, 18:39	#14
GForceEnjoyer BHPian Join Date: May 2022 Location: TS 07 <-> HR 10 Posts: 493 Thanked: 3,505 Times View My Garage	re: What is the longest highway run you have done in a 15-year plus old car? 2006 Ford Fiesta 1.6 SXI here. The longest highway run run after its turning 15 has been roughly 450 km in total; Hyderabad to Nagarjuna Sagar and back. Most of the drive consisted of triple-digit speeds. The car in question has been driven in over 10 states until the time of writing (north as well as south India), so taking it on this trip was really nothing out of the ordinary, since it is very well taken care of and has also been reliable. Its last trip before this was from Hyderabad to Gandikota, over 800 km in total! This drive was also almost exclusively consisted of triple-digit speeds. Last edited by GForceEnjoyer : 21st November 2022 at 18:45.
	(8) Thanks

21st November 2022, 19:41	#15
Aditya Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 20,031 Thanked: 86,447 Times View My Garage	re: What is the longest highway run you have done in a 15-year plus old car? My Toyota Corolla is in its 17th year. It does 1,200 - 1,500 km round trips on weekends regularly. Mumbai - Hyderabad - Mumbai, Mumbai - Goa - Mumbai are regular routes. While the last Hyderabad trip was in February, the latest Goa trip was just last month, during Diwali. The car ran as well as anything out there. This car is as trustworthy as a faithful Labrador.
	(24) Thanks