High Mile VW and Vette Stories
Odometer (Legend): 532,340
Odometer (ILX): 109,814
I was fixing a salad in the cafeteria at work a few days ago and ran into my coworker Todd who’s been a long-time reader of the blog. He was excited to tell me about his high-mile acquisition: a 2003 Volkswagen Passat with 304,879 miles on it. The car has clearly been well-maintained to make it this far on its original 1.8 motor, manual transmission, and even clutch. Todd has only had to do a few small cosmetic repairs since taking delivery of the car. I will be staying in touch with him as he presses onward toward the 350,000 mile mark.
Shifting sights to the domestic car world, my friend Kyle (and later, my buddy Joe) recently clued me in on this awesome YouTube feature. Mark, the original owner of a red 2000 Chevy Corvette, has shared it with the world in a short 2-minute video. The special feature of this Corvette is its odometer which reads over 648,000 miles. Mark’s work commute has caused him to pack on the miles. This particular Corvette is his 5th – and each of his previous cars have also had high miles on them. I congratulate him on his achievement!
My own crusade on the mileage front continues. I recently had to replace the battery in my 2013 ILX for the first time. The original unit lasted me about 2.5 years and 109,499 miles. I ended up going with a $135 Duralast unit from Autozone with a 3-year warranty. Out with the old, and in with the new!
A few more pics for entertainment before closing. Back on Christmas Day, I took a drive through the Salt River Canyon in the ILX. I took this picture.
I sent it to my friend Kyle that day because I knew he’d be driving through the same area. Today, he surprised me by taking a photo in the same location, with his 2005 Pontiac GTO. Nicely done, Kyle!
And a very sweet Pontiac, I might add.
Today, the Legend came out to enjoy perfect temps. My mom and I are running the Rock & Roll Arizona Half-Marathon tomorrow morning, so we had to go to an exposition at the convention center downtown.
There’s a building on 7th Street & south of Jefferson that is absolutely covered in retired street signs.
We got our runner numbers & gear.
Then met another friend for brunch.
Happy driving, all!!!
drivetofive 
January 20, 2015 at 12:41 pm
curious why you went with the Duralast? That corvette has seen some miles! Nice write up.
January 20, 2015 at 1:26 pm
I knew the battery was going to keep leaving me stranded and I needed to drive the car that night, so I went to the only place that was open – Autozone – and grabbed what they had. We’ll see if it lasts at all.