Car has more than 1.2M km on it – and it's still going strong

How impressive is 1.2M km if most parts are replaced?

• Many see the feat as more about the owner than the car: persistent maintenance, parts sourcing, and DIY work over 40 years.
• Others argue the headline is misleading: if engine, transmission, and most components have been swapped, it’s not strong evidence of original Toyota durability.
• A minority counters that keeping any cheap 80s econobox alive that long, especially in a salty climate, is still remarkable.

Ship of Theseus / “same car” debate

• Long subthread on identity: if nearly every part is replaced, is it still the same car?
• Comparisons to classic philosophical puzzles (Ship of Theseus, “grandfather’s axe,” “Trigger’s broom”), plus to human bodies where cells are constantly renewed.
• Ideas range from “VIN/body defines the car” to “it becomes a new object after each major rebuild” to “identity is just a convention tied to history and continuity, not parts.”

Comparisons to other high‑milers

• Multiple anecdotes of Volvos, Mercedes W123/W124 diesels, Crown Vics, Saabs, Toyotas, and trucks with 500k–1M+ km or miles, sometimes on original engines.
• Semis and taxis routinely hit such distances with scheduled overhauls.
• Some feel the bar for “impressive” is higher: original drivetrain with minimal major work.

ICE vs EV longevity and repairability

• Optimistic view: EV drivetrains and LFP batteries could reach million‑mile lifetimes; current examples exist with 200–400k miles and modest degradation.
• Skeptical view: modern cars (ICE and EV) are over‑electronicized, software‑dependent, and not designed for 30‑year service; inverters, ECUs, infotainment, and battery packs may fail first or become unobtainable.
• Discussion of charging infrastructure bottlenecks, battery aging factors (heat, fast charging, high SOC), and whether third‑party battery rebuilders will fill the gap.

Environment, economics, and policy

• Debate over whether keeping an old ICE vs buying a new EV is greener; break‑even estimates around tens of thousands of km, heavily dependent on grid cleanliness and annual mileage.
• Some argue for regulating minimum vehicle lifespans; others note low‑mileage, old cars may still be environmentally reasonable.
• Note that older cars often pollute far more per mile even if their embedded carbon is “already spent.”

Old simple cars vs modern complexity

• Many praise 80s–90s designs for mechanical simplicity and DIY‑friendliness; “lifetime” parts on modern cars can be far harder and costlier to replace.
• Counterpoint: modern engines with ECUs can be just as maintainable in principle; tools and manuals exist, though cost and complexity raise the bar.

Units, commuting, and culture

• Tangents on km vs miles and misuse of metric prefixes (calls for “gigametres”).
• 120 km/day commute seems extreme to some, but is reported as normal in low‑density countries.
• Several see the story as a celebration of idiosyncratic dedication: continuing a “pointless” but personally meaningful engineering project for decades.