How many miles can you get out of an engine?

Answer 1

I bought a 1965 Ford Falcon station wagon in California with about a reported 227,000 miles from the mechanic I got it from, a 289 c.i. engine with caked on Mojave Desert sand. Since I was in the military at the time and married, we went everywhere she wanted on my days off. My only concern was the points, plugs, filters, plug wires, hoses, tires and other minor needs. At the end of my hitch I took it home with family 1,320 miles east. When the engine finally expired on the second trip to California after the service time, my "autopsy" discovered a busted timing chain. I retired her with 342,000 miles after 31 months of ownership. I could have fixed the engine but since I opened her up and removed the outer "insulating" sand cover, the leaks began.