Yes, how you take car of stuff makes a huge difference.

Here is someone that I know nothing about that just put a million miles on an old Saturn s series.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJnxnWcJVVk

I changed the oil on my sons Saturn over the weekend. He has put on over 20K miles on the rebuilt motor.
The other day we did replace the passenger window motor it stopped working. I had a replacement on the shelf just waiting to go in. Now both window motors are new.

He drives his car everyday. Our friends have a daughter same age as my son. She just totaled her car everyone was ok. The car was given to her and she really wanted a different car.

I am glad we went with the Sweat Equity route and he takes care of his car.

Short update.

A couple years later his OEM radiator went bad. I took his very nice all aluminum radiator off the shelf and installed it. ( I ordered another all aluminum radiator for my other son's 99 SC2 just incase.)

He has now put 35,790 miles on his motor rebuild. I just ordered a windows regulator for the passenger door.

The driver’s door had a new motor but has quit working. I need to determine if it was the switch or something else.
Other than that, it has been working well for him. Gas Mileage has even gotten better.

Someone hit my sons SC2 we were able to fix it for $200. Self-serve junk yard.
https://ecorenovator.org/forum/attac...1&d=1674000377

https://ecorenovator.org/forum/attac...1&d=1673999943
My son put on 55,000 miles on his SC2. It was a very good run.

We got my son a car for Xmas/collage graduation a 2018 Toyota corolla SE 75K miles on it.
It has a salvage title. We had to do a few things to it. New wheels and tires. It would not pass a wheel alinement.
We went to junk yard a got a subframe for $51 and put on new lower control arms. The transmission pan needed to be straightened out.
We changed the filter and new fluid. All is good now it even has adaptive cruise control. The interior looks new. The car runs like new. 35 miles to gallon mixed driving.

The insurance company gave us $1500 to repair his car SC2. That covered everything we had to do to his new car.
We will keep the SC2 for my other son if his 99 SC2 has an issue he can switch to 96 SC2.

https://ecorenovator.org/forum/attac...1&d=1673999943

https://ecorenovator.org/forum/attac...1&d=1673999943

That Orange and Red is snazzy!
 

I like the look of that combo for some reason..
Are you going to leave it like that are paint it?

I have not decided yet. Right now we will only use it if my other son needs it.
But when he graduates college we may sell it then. At the time I might paint it.

If you did not get the parts at the junk yard they would have totaled it.