How long before needing to replace- a new '25

[BuicksBuicks]

My father's first car was a 1925 Maxwell coach. After that he became a DeSoto fan.  Its always been a question in my mind- how long would someone with a typical new '25 hold on to it? How many miles could be accumulated before the engine just wore out?  I don't mean rugged use, but regular street driving on paved roads. Did the flimsy bodies on this and similar cars contribute to replacing?

[hddennis]

Mechanically I'd say it would depend on how hard the car was used and how well it was maintained. Personally I think you are mistaken in calling these cars bodies "flimsy". I can see where a person unfamiliar with the construction techniques of this period could get the idea that survivors are fewer from this period and many need total re-wooding to be restored. In my mind the use of wood was well suited to the construction techniques of that time and were well suited to the roads as the bodies were more flexible than later solid steel bodies. Maintenance was the problem with these early bodies  because once the fabric tops started leaking the wooden frame work started to deteriorate. Many well maintained cars from this period survive with original wooden framework still intact and usable so wood framing wasn't flimsy  it just needed to be well maintained.  

 

Howard Dennis

[Guest]

Howard

It is there, the thumbs up in the lower right corner.

Reid

[28 Chrysler]

Depending on the location many of the cars were stored inside out of the weather for 4 - 6 months of the year.

These cars would become unfashionable long before they "wore out".

Early 1920s cars would go around 35,000 - 45,000 miles before major work, by the late 30s it was closer to 75 - 80,000

[mrcvs]

A lot of these cars would have lasted a lot longer if they weren't victims of WWII steel drives.