I'm up to 315K miles on mine. yes over 300. lol. Of course i've had the starter, alternator, transmission (I drive it hard) and smaller issues, but the engine has always been great and nothing has ever needed work. Doesn't leak or burn anything either. Just now having fuel pump issues, but I've owned the car since it was only 4 years old, so it is the original one and expected. It's a true testemant to the longevity of our vehicles because I've never driven this thing soft and have had many many "tests" at the light and strip.

So far I think you have the most miles but I only went back 1 page on this thread...315,000 miles is incredible!

ive got just over 120,000 on mine, nothing has been replaced but the plugs and wires

245k same engine just got a new transmission v6 tho 1991

Got an 1989 camaro RS with minor engine work (spark plugs, fan motor, wires, coolant resivor, some other little odds and ends of things) sold it with 269,XXX on odometer.

"Nellie", my 86 bird, has 230.000 miles and counting without any engine work. The oil stays clean and is changed every 3000 miles.

Pulled mine running at 296k for a LS1 swap, still got it too

Changed the oil on schedule but gave it hell everywhere I went

My 91 Camaro RS went 312K miles on the original engine, it was still running when it was pulled out, just ended up having shop time so it worked out. Just replaced the u joints yesterday, only to find out that they are the original u joints, now at 330K miles. Needless to say the car rides better now, lol.

Oh car has new GM crate engine in it (figured if I can get 312k miles out of the first one, I hope to get the same out of the next) and this is my daily 100 mile a day driver. Just put in the new tranny (700R4 with 2k stall, shift kit, and corvette servo).

My 1990 Firebird has about 250,000 miles on it. The 3.1 and base transmission are original. I have not had any major engine work done to it. It has been a daily driver since 1998. It still runs pretty good.

l03 hit 232k and just died

My last Iroc I swapped in a 305 motor that had 230k on it then beat the **** out of it for 2 years until I sold it.
My k1500 with 350 tbi had 160k when I sold it 4 months ago. Ran like it was brand new. My current Vette has 105k on it also runs smooth as ****.

Other than the 2.2L Hondas I have owned nothing has beat the small block in reliability to never leave me stranded anywhere. They always start and never die for me.

My 89 v6 has 116,849.3 on it as we speak

[quote=Vader;189490]9,365,043,000,000 miles, give or take a few...

O.K. Follow me on this one and I think I've got you all beat.

Considering that on average all of my miles are away from home then back to it, the total mileage traveled east and west are about equal. Realizing that the earth is 22,700 miles in diameter, and that is rotates 365.24 times a year, and the car is almost 15 years old, it would have traveled 124,364,220 miles in that time. Add to this the fact that the earth travels around the sun in an eliptical orbit with a circumference of 585 million miles, and that has happened 15 times (so far), the total mileage is approaching 8.76 trillion miles. Add this to the 40 billion miles that our solar system travels around the center of the Milky Way every year, and the total mileage is really closer to 9.365 trillion miles. Never mind the 47,000 miles on the odometer - that is basically insignificant by comparison.

Even solid nickel/titanium asteroids start to wear out after that many miles - it's no wonder I need new front tires! endqoute]

THIS MAN WORKS FOR NASA!!!!!

The Z has around 156k on it right now....

My 1990 Camaro RS V6 3.1 has 244,772 miles on it, and that was as of 2004 or so when my mom stopped driving it, and it had been sitting since, till recently in which it has become my car, and me and my grandpa have fixed it up and are close to getting it to daily driver status, no rebuilds (though we've gone through a few fuel pumps, which sucks with them being in the fuel tank ) but yeah, I'm gonna do my best to get her to 300,000 miles, though, I'm not sure if that'll happen. But, what the hell, right?

Ive got 304k on my 1991 V-6 Firebird! catching up to the leader here! just rebuilt the tranny at 302K, had to do alternator, fuel injectors, timing chain etc, but have never had the valve covers, oil pan,
or heads off!

Boy, this thread goes back 10 years. I have 152,000 on my L03 and it runs like new. No oil burning, oil stays clean. The engine runs strong, and the 700r4 is still good. The gen 1 small block was one of the best engines ever built.

I've heard of several people who have gotten over 250k on their third gens.I bet you could get 300k if you drove carefully,changed your oil and filter regularly and didnt do burnouts or get on it at the light.

Whats the most miles you've gotten on the automatic trans before it went out? Ive heard they really improved them from '89 on.

The plastic timing chain gear was a moronic idea and whoever though of it should be horsewhipped.
I think they started that crap in the late 60's.I have had to replace the lower timing gear on a second generation Firebird once when the plastic on the lower gear broke,I installed an all metal one and it performed as good as the new.
Gm claims the plastic gear was to make the engine quieter,but thats complete B.S. as the replacement all metal gear was just as quiet.

just baby it, hell it'll get 60k more

I drive mine hard, oil changes are consistently over 6k apart(expensive when you drive it as much as I do...), been off road in places that ppl with jeeps asked how I got it there. I drive it through the winding mountain roads around northern CA and NV daily, and aggressively at that.. These cars are beasts if you take care of them and do the maintenance. Engine still strong with 304K on it!

I saw a 305 Formula on craigslist with a hair over 300 on it...

i for one can say the v6 takes some abuse, i ran the hell out of it for a year, got on it at the lights, did burnouts, raced it, took it on some less than smooth roads that guys in trucks didn't dare, and after a scare and what i thought was a busted oil pan, i stopped beating on it, i run premium gas now, and good Valvoline oil,i washed it at least 2 times a week, waxed too, i ease onto the gas, i don't abuse it anymore, and wouldn't you know it thats when everything went wrong lol, my belt snapped, my stationary pulley (no smog pump) is bad, my tensioner is gone, lol and I'm starting to think i need to replace the drivers side head gasket, (P.O did the passenger side one) cars only at about 120,000.........tranny shifts hard but it needs some fluid, good old 700r4

correction on that sorry my birds almost at 130,000......although the p.o. did replace the head gaskets

Only 194,000. I figure at least another 100k.

182 k on mine...still doing 8.8 times in the 1/8th drag strip(drag radials)

172,500 when the motor blew...almost 10 years ago. In midst of a total rebuild from tires up.

1989 RS 353,000 miles before the trani gave out!

Most I ever saw was 412k miles on a 305 TPI 5 speed...nothing, not even head gaskets were done. Car was rotting around it, but the engine ran like a top.

I'd be worried about flogging a car like that. I'd be worried the mains would knock, rod bearings would spin, head gaskets would blow, water pump would fall off and transmission would jump out of the hood if I put my foot in it.

I thought I was special for having a 152K and 6#'s of boost...way to make me feel not so special guys...

Could this be the oldest thread on thirdgen.org?

Anyways, my 91 T/A has been stuck at 167,999 miles since the previous owner decided they weren't ever going to check the oil level. I'll bet it would have ran longer with oil in it.

290,xxx until i spun a bearing last night.

How were you driving it when the bearing spun?

Just normally. And I dont know for sure thats what happened. I was driving home from the GF's house (about a 4 mi drive) Horrendous sreeching, squealling noise from the engine, got it home it was dark. Went out this morning to start it to see what was wrong, and the engine wont turn over. all i get is a crank. Either way its up on Craigslist and i will sell it whole or part it out. I have not the money, the know how, nor the means to fix it. If someone wants to come help me in person, then i might change my mind. I need a local mechanic friend.

So you THINK you spun a bearing last night and its already for sale? Lol! That was quick!! Have you had a mechanic look at it? Granted, with 290,000 miles the engine is probably shot but you never know...

I have no money to have a mechanic look at it. Winter time has really cut my hours working at a restaurant. I think I found a 350 short block that my uncle seems to think will bolt up to my trans. take my manifold and rigging, etc and slap it onto the 350, and good to go.

You will need new (different) heads, but I wouldn't get pessimistic yet. There are many small blocks out there on the cheap needing a home.

I got close to 400,000 miles on my L69 before the oil pressure sending unit cracked and dumped all the oil out of it. I did have to replace the timing chain and cam around 200,000. The 700R4 transmission lasted 200,000 miles before I replaced that.

my rs has a 3.1 v6 with 137 thousand miles got a minor tick so its getting rebuild soon

Good time to drop in a 5.7

I am more concerned with my r4 going out than the engine.

84,000 and some change, ran the last 3,000 on a bent rod, or a couple spun bearings. still got 18 mpg at 90 mph on the highway.

My 91.formula had 326,000 when I got it the the factory Lo3 clutch was slipping bad. But that's it still had some power now has l82 350

My '83 LG4/700-R4 combo went 245,000 before blowing...a head gasket. TRANS still worked.

Know this: I towed an 18' boat regularly with that car. The PO had towed a 22' Aquasport with the thing. I drag raced it as much as I could at Epping. I beat the snot out of it everywhere I went. My biggest amazment was that the trans NEVER failed. Unbelievable, IMO.

The head gasket likely blew due to the many, severe, and long running overheating eposides that I put that poor car though. Once, I overheated it so bad it siezed up. Cooled down, fixed the problem, and kept going to 245k when the aforementioned gasket blew Another time, I drove it from Colorado to Massachusettes with the temp gauge off the scale to the right (300+*F?). Didn't phaze it. Thing impressed me.

Pulled a boat with a Camaro? Anyway, they don't call sbc's bullet proof for nothiing.

Pulled a boat with a Camaro?? Heck no!


I pulled my boat with my '83 TRANS AM!!

no engine work and only 53k on mine

spun a rod bearing just before 200,000 on the 3.1. And then the timing chain around 205,000. currently sitting at 218,000 and some change. those are the only times i have opened the engine since i bought back on September 11 2001, with 124,xxx or 142,xxx on it (cant remember which but i know it was those numbers). was thinking it was getting time for a rebuild, but seeing that there are some out there with way more than mine, I am going to keep going.

307k. Now I need it to pass smog !

UPDATE
Just about to roll over 250,000 miles and still going strong. Still no burnt oil, Lucas stop slip seems to have fixed the trans. Still no rebuild on motor or trans; I beat on it from time to time, and since my last post, I started delivering pizza for Pizza Hut. Worked there for about 9 months. Only major thing to happen working there, the rad drain plug blew out and I didnt realize it till the temp gauge was pinned past 300. The car never even missed a beat without coolant. Replaced the rad and still going strong.

Still using lucas every oil change, only difference now is I switched to semi-synthetic Castrol GTX high mileage.

So nothing major and the car keeps going strong. Shes my daily driver and only car and now I treat her as such. Many many many miles left in this car. Hell as long as you take care of the V6 cars, they seem to last forever.


See you at 300,000 miles guys