Really? I bought a 1985 Caprice with a 350 / 700r4 in 2000 with 80K on it. Paid $1000 to an elderly woman who's husband had died.
First thing I did was put Mobil 1 synthetic oil in the motor. Slowly changed the tranny oil a couple of quarts at a time, with a filter change once at 150K. 19 years later I still drive this car 40 miles a day to and from work, I have almost 350,000 miles on this ride today with absolutly no problems. I have changed 1 alternator, 1 mechanical fuel pump, 2 headlights, and 5 sets of tires. And oh, I rebuilt the Qudrajet carb once myself. Yes, it amazes me too. It still has ALL the original tail-light bulbs, side marker bulbs and every thing else it came with. The front power windows gave up the ghost, the A/C was gutted by me years ago, and the power seat adjustment motors quit long ago.
All the glass is perfect, I put Z28 wheels and big tires, and a Grant GT wheel on it in 2001. In 2017 I replaced the shocks with Police packge shocks, and new fan/drive belts for the first time since original. This was the only money I put into it in almost two decades. It has started right up in -20 degree winters in Utah, when my Tahoe, and my Silverado refused to start. Never serviced the diff. This damn car won't quit and is amazing.
She burns about a quart every 4 months, but everything that count's still works. All emission equip't I deleted when I got her. Kept stock iron manifolds, but deleted air injection and cat for a single flowmaster. She sounds awesome, hauls ass when I need her to, and gets thumbs up going down the road. Even the stock white paint finish and body is almost perfect to this day. That's 37 years of reliable service, with tires being the only major cost.
Old school yes, but she amazes me to this day. And she lets my Tahoe and my Silverado sit in the garage while she weathers the rain and snow sitting in the driveway, ready to take me to work 5 days a week without fail.
So my lesson learned here is to Run Synthetic oil, slowly change your tranny fluid here and there, and talk to your baby once in a while while driving down the highway. It took 500 men and women to carve bolts and sheet metal out of steel, to make your car or truck, they kinda have a soul. Not so different from how our Forefathers treated their Horses for thousands of years before Cars and Trucks were invented 120 years ago.
Oh, what were we talking about. Yea, and a small block Chevy is capable of doing 400K if you maintain it with modern chemicals, parts, and yes...love.
