Can You Improve an Old Car's Performance by Servicing It?

[MattFarah]

Part 1 of 3

+ YouTube Video

[Matt of East]

Loved it, this is the Smoking Tire I want to see. Good job on the voice dubbing as well, it's getting better and better.

[Nabster]

2001 is an old car?

Should be interesting to see how this turns out.

[Spectre]

<looks at video title>
<looks at 2001 car in video>
<looks at signature>
<shakes head, wanders off>

[Posmo]

2001 is NOT an old car. That's newer than most cars on the road here..

EDIT: I actually checked, and the average age of a car in Finland is 10.4 years..

[Vette Boss]

Anything newer than mid-80s is considered a modern car. This Jetta is just a little baby. I'll bet it has another 100k in it, easily.

[Differential]

Originally Posted by Posmo

2001 is NOT an old car. That's newer than most cars on the road here..

EDIT: I actually checked, and the average age of a car in Finland is 10.4 years..

Ummm, when it comes to "how cars age", it's not as much about time as it is about mileage. 160,000 miles is a lot, makes the car old.

[Posmo]

Originally Posted by Differential

Ummm, when it comes to "how cars age", it's not as much about time as it is about mileage. 160,000 miles is a lot, makes the car old.

160k in 8 years is far less wearing on the engine than 160k miles in, say 20 years. That Jetta has almost certainly racked most of it's miles in highway cruising, which is not very hard on the engine.

[Turboman]

Originally Posted by Posmo

160k in 8 years is far less wearing on the engine than 160k miles in, say 20 years. That Jetta has almost certainly racked most of it's miles in highway cruising, which is not very hard on the engine.

I agree on that statement!
But nevertheless an interesting topic, and a well produced show Matt!

[Nabster]

Originally Posted by Differential

Ummm, when it comes to "how cars age", it's not as much about time as it is about mileage. 160,000 miles is a lot, makes the car old.

I think "high mileage" or "tired" would have been a better choice than "old" as far as this particular series of videos is concerned, seeing as the word "old" refers directly to age, not use.

We get what it's conveying though, we're just saying, lots of us here have actual older cars (in my case, 5 times as old) and got a laugh at calling a 2001 car old.

[MattFarah]

I hear all you guys, that calling a 2001 car "old" is a bit of a stretch. But the bottom line is this:

1) I know this car well and it's had the crap kicked out of it for a few years now, and not been maintained all that well.

2) Compared to all the (brand) new cars we test, 2001 is old. It's nearly two generations ago at this point. In LA, where I live, I didn't know anyone with a really old shitbox car, all the old cars I know of are nice, and not only do they run great, but also I wouldn't want to risk someone's classic like that for an episode. Jason said we could hammer the car on the track.

3) The dyno pull shows that even though the car may not be old by your standards, it has lost power over time, which is more than enough for our purposes.

4) Jason (the car's owner) is a good friend who has suffered some misfortune recently, and I saw this show as a great opportunity to help someone out who needs his car and really didn't have the money or access to have it properly serviced on his own.

Points taken on all accounts, and I'm glad you like the idea for the show though.

[narf]

Can't wait to see if you can out-service James on the Avantime that had lost about a quarter if my memory still works.

[nammedijus]

Originally Posted by Posmo

2001 is NOT an old car. That's newer than most cars on the road here..

EDIT: I actually checked, and the average age of a car in Finland is 10.4 years..

they should try a realy old one like i duno 1984-1995 year car because 2001 ou for god sake thats near brand new

[AudiV6]

8 years is halfway thru a car's life, the average carlife is only 15 years.

[Posmo]

Originally Posted by AudiV6

8 years is halfway thru a car's life, the average carlife is only 15 years.

Tell that to someone who drives a 23- year old car, which apart from a bit of top end wear (which will be fixed this week) and worn front struts, drives very nicely still

[MattFarah]

jesus you guys are harsh. nowhere else on the internet has anyone given me crap about the car's age except here. I guess you guys all drive some old ass shitboxes huh?

Oh wait, you do. I've read the "post your ride" thread.

[MattFarah]

Originally Posted by narf

Can't wait to see if you can out-service James on the Avantime that had lost about a quarter if my memory still works.

that thing had lost a lot more of its stock power than our car did, and I'm guessing James is a much better mechanic than I am, he probably knows some good tricks, I just did what the owners manual said was in the regular service. But you'll have to wait and see

[WillDAQ]

Originally Posted by MattFarah

Oh wait, you do. I've read the "post your ride" thread.

Think of us as connoisseurs for the classics. You'll find far more technical know how here than the typical post 90s shitbox owners forum that the net has so many of.

It is any interesting point though, a 2000s car is going to vary in performance less than a 1980s or 1990s car not just because it's newer but due to the differences in the drive train technology. Twenty years of advancements in reliability engineering are going to make a big difference.

[Nabster]

Originally Posted by MattFarah

jesus you guys are harsh. nowhere else on the internet has anyone given me crap about the car's age except here. I guess you guys all drive some old ass shitboxes huh?

Oh wait, you do. I've read the "post your ride" thread.

Or you know, some of us actually drive old cars and found it funny a 2001 was referred to as old. My second car is a 2001, some 115k miles, I don't really call it old.

I guess I'll just go back to my Ye Olde Horseless Carriage.

[adaptech]

Originally Posted by Posmo

2001 is NOT an old car. That's newer than most cars on the road here..

EDIT: I actually checked, and the average age of a car in Finland is 10.4 years..

Thats nothing in Norway its 17