Bored with brand new cars that cost a lot of money and lack character. Us too, which is why we cracked open this random video about a really old Skoda Octavia from Car Throttle.
Chances are you too have a mate who won't shut up about the 1.9 TDI and how reliable it is compared to modern engines. But it sounds so rough and can't possibly be as good as something made in 2018, right? We have lots of those mates, and it seems they were all right.
This Octavia is the most important car that Skoda built after being bought by Volkswagen. The outside looks like a 20-year old Czech car should, decrepit and boring. However, the 1.9 TDI is one of the most over-engineered engines around.
We won't re-do the maths because CT tells us how many trips around the world fit into 432,000 miles. A specialist mechanic opens up the 1.9-liter and is impressed with everything he sees.
For starters, the cams are in great condition, while the cylinder sleeves still have the original tooling marks on them. The mechanic says that while not excessive, carbon buildup may have saved the gasket by standing between it and the detonations. The valves also seem as if they've been frozen in a time capsule.
The mechanic says that after cleaning it up, he may have shortened the life of the engine.
The turbo has some play, but it's believed that this component may have been changed. What's really amazing is 20-year old Skoda still has its rear silencer, assembled in July 1998. What more could you want?
The engine has been well maintained and serviced at regular intervals, which kept it in such good condition. However, the underfloor didn't receive such treatment and looked like it belongs to a "100,000-mile car."
So, there you go. If you want a car that will last forever, buy a Skoda Octavia diesel!
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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