Whats the longest you've had a car?

[chadders]

8 hours ago, Scruffy Bodger said:

@chadders 

Chrome bumper MGB roadster, 1st October 1976, although used every couple of weeks now rather than a daily. The camper, one of the first RHD T2a s, has now been with us some 18 years.

[sierraman]

19 hours ago, Split_Pin said:

I bought this on 17th September 2005 from a main dealer with 26,888 miles, completely standard.

Over the 13 years I owned it, it was only off the road for 1 year after my son was born and we were really skint.

I did everything to that car and it had some really expensive extras like a full Irmscher body kit, genuine Morette headlights, a Remus exhaust and KW coilovers.

I sold it in September 2018 to someone who promised to keep it and love it forever. It was on about 70,000 miles then, FSH and absolutely split mint. They got bored after 6 months, sold it to a clueless moron who rather than fix a slight running issue that arose, advertised it for £600. Before I noticed it, some potless desperado swooped in and broke it for the nice bits that were on it and scrapped the remains.

That would have been quite a rare car now, especially in that condition.

Since then I have cared not one iota what happens to a car after I sell it and if I do, I will keep it.

That's the story with this car, now the longest- term resident on my fleet, coming up to 5 years in May.

Ironically the previous owner refused to sell it to someone that came to view it before my virtual Covid- friendly tour of the car, because he was just looking for a big cheap motor. He wanted it to go to someone who would appreciate it and unusually, I have kept up that mantra. I have tried to sell it in the past but as was pointed out to me, I am the best custodian for it. Countless other cars have been and gone but this has remained. One thing that hits me is when someone says "I never thought you'd sell that one" and I definitely dont want that said to me about this car.

It’s funny you say that because those Astra Coupes have become quite a rare sight now, you see the odd convertible but the Coupes have just disappeared off the face of the earth. 

[Yoss]

I'll have had my Triumph 30 years this November. It was a standard 1300 TC when I bought it. Did a lot of work to it in the early days with quite a few modifications but once I got it to the point that I felt it was just right I have pretty much left it alone. 

These are the earliest electronic pictures I have from 2010, the rest are physical photos in boxes upstairs. 

The dog is Brindle, now long gone but this shows the interior pretty much how it still is. 

Like other people have said there is an element of triggers broom to it and I know the car literally inside out. Whilst I have a proper Triumph workshop manual it rarely gets used as there is barely any job I haven't done on it. I'll admit I used it when I did the gearbox rebuild last year but most jobs are stuck in my head. 

[neil1971]

9 hours ago, Wibble said:

I followed what looked like a mint Uno in the same blue out of Sainsburys Basingstoke last week. Couldn’t take a pic as I was driving but it looked immaculate.

I can't remember the last time I saw one in the flesh, crazy to think that the oldest ones are over 40 years old now!

[Six-cylinder]

The longest I have owned a car is 42 years and still own it.  1966 Jaguar E-Type 4.2 FHC. It was bought as a rusty shell and box of bits in May 1982 and MOTed Aug 1988, after a huge amount of work and money.

In spite of the appearance that we are always getting new cars because that is what I talk about, the core of the collection is pretty stable with 12 cars we have owns for 20+ years and another 11 we have owned for 10+ years.

[St.Jude]

My little Peugeot 107, bought brand new in September 2010 with 15 miles on the clock. Now (I think) just a little shy away from 90,000 miles. Been as far west as Oban, Scotland and as far east as Budapest.

It's day are numbered with me though, but then when I come to the point where I go to move it on I hear of the horror stories of other 107s/C1s about galloping rust and I remember mine is really clean. Well maintained. I wouldn't get as good as car again. And it's in this limbo it exists right now.

[MorrisItalSLX]

I will have had my Jaguar for 9 years this year, even if it has not moved a wheel in 6 years.

[Stinkwheel]

23 feet, Oh, not the longest car you've had (Dodge Coronet Wagon BTW)

I owned my first car from age of 16 until i was 42. So whats that, 26 years. Very much not my normal form, I've been known to keep some things less than a week.

[hennabm]

I’ve had the 323i since 1987. 
It has stayed with me because I like the look of it and the way it drives as well as the noise of the six pot up front. Being an E30 it is still of a quality little seen now a days.

Since 1990 it has been used only for shows and dry days. This makes even more of a pleasure when I do get to drive it out. Last year it was granted free road tax and it was used more than many years previous. I’m hoping to do the same this year.

[MJK 24]

25 years

And MOT’d all that time apart from a two week gap.

[MJK 24]

16 minutes ago, hennabm said:

I’ve had the 323i since 1987. 
It has stayed with me because I like the look of it and the way it drives as well as the noise of the six pot up front. Being an E30 it is still of a quality little seen now a days.

Since 1990 it has been used only for shows and dry days. This makes even more of a pleasure when I do get to drive it out. Last year it was granted free road tax and it was used more than many years previous. I’m hoping to do the same this year.

That’s lovely.  I’d like to buy it.  But you wouldn’t sell it and I doubt I could afford it.

[bunglebus]

This year will be the 12th I've owned the Passat, the longest I've had one car continuously on the road, I've had a few others longer but projects that never got completed. Think I had my MK2 Escort nearly 20 years before I sold it on 

[sierraman]

38 minutes ago, hennabm said:

I’ve had the 323i since 1987. 
It has stayed with me because I like the look of it and the way it drives as well as the noise of the six pot up front. Being an E30 it is still of a quality little seen now a days.

Since 1990 it has been used only for shows and dry days. This makes even more of a pleasure when I do get to drive it out. Last year it was granted free road tax and it was used more than many years previous. I’m hoping to do the same this year.

That really is lovely - best era and colour of those E30 with the chrome bumper tops. As you say so few of them left that haven’t been bastardised with aftermarket tat or garish modifications. 

[cort16]

My Dad and step mum had a Celica of this variety they bought in 2003 (21 years) and was continuously in use until 2024 when rust got the better of it.  

They both loved the car and before my Dad passed away he told my step mum it was £800 to get a new subframe and rust fixed for the mot but later admitted to me it was more like double that. 

It passed in 2023 but the rust had caught up with it and it was going to be around 2 grand to get it fixed so my step Mum very reluctantly let it go. It really needed restored the rust had gone so far into  and they're hard to get panels for. It had zero mechanical issues in the time they had it. 

[hennabm]

2 hours ago, MJK 24 said:

That’s lovely.  I’d like to buy it.  But you wouldn’t sell it and I doubt I could afford it.

Correct sir.

[junkyarddog]

My next long term car is this,bought around 1993 ish if I recall.

1978 Toyota Corolla KE35.

Another scrapyard refugee.

[straightSix]

This thread has definitely made me feel better about the amount of shit I've got sitting that hasn't moved for years.

My longest was my Daimler xj40, owned Jan 2016 to Mar 2023 I think although it was probably only on the road and useable for 2 of those years

[Urko]

My old Chevy 210 I had from 2000 until last year without ever making significant progress to getting it back on the road - my AMC I've had for 19 years and the Disco 3 has been mine and/or my ex's for 15 years and about 100k miles.

[carlo]

Will have had this twelve years in April.  Daily driver for ten of those, now more of an occasional car when I need to remind myself what a proper suspension feels like.  It drives better than the Xsara Picasso and 206 in the family (both thoroughly decent machines).

Will probably never sell it, just keep until it eventually falls apart.  I have a sort of perverse wish to keep it roadworthy but fairly scruffy as it is now, I'm sure if I did respray it I'd become too precious and worry about taking it anywhere!

[brownnova]

The 9000 is now at 7 1/2 years which has overtaken the previous holder which was the white MX5. 

 

Saab will be with me forever I think… but the problem is I end up with more and more keepers! 

[sheffcortinacentre]

Problem 🤔🤔🤔

[mat_the_cat]

28 years for the Stellar, bought the week after passing my driving test.

Followed by the BX at a mere 21 years...

...then the recent addition of the LT 19 years ago.

[Banger Kenny]

22 years in May.  And I'm not even Scottish.

The Disastra for two years too many,  and the Meriva has been around in the Banger Kenny Verse for longer than the Volvo, Dad owned it from new, then it went to a relation for nearly 18 years. It was then gifted to me, and my name has been on the logbook twice. (It went on a long term loan to my brother after his Insignia diesel digested it's oil pump)

I've only had nine cars in my name in 34 years of driving, I still own car number four.  Number eight and nine are the same car!  When they arrive, they usually stay.. 

[sierraman]

2006-2013 took a £500 1996 Mondeo from 60k to 130k. Took the now wife out in it on our first date, brought our eldest home from hospital in it, shagged in it, pulled a greenhouse down with it, crashed it, fixed it. Obviously not all in that order. What broke the camels back was the manifold went for the second time after having it welded once, on those 1.8 silver tops for a time they had this really shit restrictive manifold, prone to cracking in the inner side. Couldn’t find a good used one, the only people the could supply another new one wanted £300. Then I saw a lovely Mk3 2.0 Zetec for sale at a Ford Dealers, so I sold it for £300 (£200 loss over 7 years… still haven’t got over that…😂) to a mate. Top end was rattling as well quite bad, I’d hammered it remorselessly so it was starting to pale a bit. 
 

In fairness good riddance to old rubbish, the Mk3 pissed all over it in every respect. Quicker, safer, better on fuel etc 

[Captain Mainwaring]

I've had my Mazda 2 since 2012, I bought it nearly-new with just short of 3k on it, and I've had 12 years and 103k miles of trouble free motoring. Never given me a minute's trouble. Booooring!

[lisbon_road]

On 17/01/2025 at 06:58, chadders said:

Chrome bumper MGB roadster, 1st October 1976, although used every couple of weeks now rather than a daily. The camper, one of the first RHD T2a s, has now been with us some 18 years.

That's 49 years.  I've owned the Vauxhall Viva since 1984, and I thought that was (almost) a record. And it hasn't been out for a while, though I really think I should get it out with @Yoss's Triumph which looks good and is local. 

My Sierra was 1996-2022, rebuilt completely with new shell.  My red Astra is 2007-current and the Silver @RobT Astra is about seven years now. 

Where does the time go?  Good thread idea by the way. 

[dollywobbler]

This summer will mark 25 years of owning my 2CV. Covered about 135,000 miles in that time, though only putting on about 2000 per year at the moment. Rebuilt twice, quite a few engines though the original did 170,000 miles and the last one was hurled together in a panic from other engines the day before driving to Croatia.

Oddly though, every car on the fleet has been owned for over 6 months, and most for over 2 years! Most unlike me.

[horriblemercedes]

On 17/01/2025 at 09:58, chadders said:

Chrome bumper MGB roadster, 1st October 1976, although used every couple of weeks now rather than a daily. The camper, one of the first RHD T2a s, has now been with us some 18 years.

At the time, was the chrome bumper considered a bit dated compared to the rubber bumper ones? Just curious as obviously now the chrome ones are far more desirable 

[junkyarddog]

My next long term car,1990 VW Golf GTI,owned since 1997.

[alcyonecorporation]

This fucking thing. 
Bought in 2006.