DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER
We set out to break the magic 250,000-mile barrier – in an old saloon snapped up for just £900
THE STORY SO FAR Miles driven 186 Total mileage 227,694 What’s gone wrong Nothing yet, but there’s a list of stuff to sort out Every classic car buying guide worth its salt advises ‘ buy on condition, not mileage’, but there’s still a point (I reckon about 150,000 miles) at which most people get nervous about mileage. But are these cars really on borrowed time? We’re going to try to prove that, with proper maintenance, this is far from the case.
That’s how we’ve arrived at this Mitsubishi Galant. Ordered by the Derby Daily Telegraph as a company vehicle in September 1991, the car had already covered 88,000 miles by its first MoT. The car was serviced religiously, which continued with the new owner, Andy Swift – the employee who’d been driving the car. He owned it until mid-2018 and clocked over 227,000 miles – just 11,000 short of the distance from the Earth to the Moon. To prove that this car has plenty to give, we’re not only going to drive those 11,000 miles, but we’re aiming for it to hit 250,000 miles over the coming year.
Editor David and I found the Galant in the care of Nick Aitkin, a Japanese car fan in Bournemouth who bought it from Swift earlier in the year, but was moving abroad. Nick said: ‘I couldn’t believe the mileage when I saw the interior. I think it’s done 30,000 miles, it’s ridiculous.’
The way the interior has aged is a real tribute to its long-term owner. The seats are perfect and there’s not a mark or scratch anywhere. The only faults were the cruise control not working ( yes, a 1991 UK car has it) and the driver’s floor mat is worn.
The bodywork isn’t as perfect, but it’s very good for a near-30-year-old Japanese car. There’s superficial corrosion creeping in on a few edges that will be very easy to sort, but the rust on the windscreen surround
– a structural area – will have to be sorted or at least halted sooner rather than later.
The Galant once again completely surprised us by the way it drives. The engine fired instantly and ran without issue, while the steering and suspension seemed to be fine. What’s more, the slick gearshift for which this car was praised back in its heyday had not suffered over its 227,000 miles of use.
While it took us at least 20 minutes to read the car’s history, negotiations were short and we bought the Galant for £900 – now we just had to get it the 180-odd miles home. This wouldn’t normally be a cause for concern, but our inspection revealed that the tyres needed replacing ASAP – their tread depth was fine, but the youngest were 13 years old. Oh, and it just started raining.
We also noticed that the heater wasn’t working properly – normally a sign of a dodgy thermostat, but the car kept itself cool, so we suspect that the valve is the issue. As I set off gingerly, I had the demist on most of the time to keep the windscreen clear. For whatever reason, this made the footwell freezing and once it got dark and the temperature dropped, I had to drive with my coat over my legs.
The M25 gods are a pernicious bunch, however, and as soon as the Galant pulled onto London’s ringroad the traffic stopped. After 40 minutes of little progress it became clear that there was something bad going on. Eventually, my phone’s sat nav said that it would be quicker to get off, turn around and go the long way around London’s orbital motorway.
On initial impressions, the Galant seems the consummate motorway cruiser, which you’d expect, as no-one would do 227k miles in a buzz-box. The car is quiet, comfortable and the power is enough to reach motorway speeds effortlessly. This GLSi was the luxury model in the line-up – the most expensive non-sporty version Mitsubishi offered – so its 2.0 litre, OHC fuel-injected engine is punchy, with a relaxed state of tune.
I got the Galant home – after nearly five hours – without any dramas. We’ve got a list of things to sort, from urgent to nice. With more than 22,000 miles to cover, however, we’d better get started!