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Cleaned the heck outta a fairly grimy throttle-body/IAC and intake air-plenum. Mainly used a
spray-bottle with water and blasted the throttle-body with soapy-water, then straight-water. The improvement in idle is significant and the engine runs about 10% cooler.
In July of this year I had had my shop do a transmission fluid flush (6 speed automatic) on my 2010 Camaro. It had about 57,000 miles on it, at the time, which is a little past the manufacturer's recommended change at 50,000 miles.
Use the both book and the supplementary stuff as well. I'd like to see the overall response to this question. Also I like to see how much additional maintenance is required on cars beyond the owners manual recommendations. Any addition information relating to cause (such as a pothole damaged tire and rim but my alignment never had any issues) would also help in the understanding of abnormal circumstances.
With city and rural people responding there should be a pretty clear picture of car maintenance overall. Thanks for responding.
Few Detroit manufacturers recommend a brake fluid change/flush, but it is worthwhile to do this about every 2 years. More often in humid climates. I need to do that on the old Cougar.
Scirocco needs rear brake shoes. Water pump is leaking slightly. May do that soon or put it off.
In July of this year I had had my shop do a transmission fluid flush (6 speed automatic) on my 2010 Camaro. It had about 57,000 miles on it, at the time, which is a little past the manufacturer's recommended change at 50,000 miles.
I don't know if most people follow up on the transmission maintenance, That is definitely an example of hundreds saving thousands. thanks for responding
Few Detroit manufacturers recommend a brake fluid change/flush, but it is worthwhile to do this about every 2 years. More often in humid climates. I need to do that on the old Cougar.
Scirocco needs rear brake shoes. Water pump is leaking slightly. May do that soon or put it off.
Rear shoes, Brake fluid change and water pump. The cars are in good hands. Also both of those cars are classics in their own right.
I rarely even change the oil. Brake fluid or tranny fluid? Fuhgeddaboutit. I drive 'em 'til they rot out from under me. Fix something if it breaks. Got a '96 Jeep Cherokee Sport, cost a princely $800 more than 10 years ago, never had an oil change, let alone brake or tranny fluid- over 250k on it now...made the mistake of flushing the radiator once, it got gummed up and failed immediately after and I had to put a new one in, should have left it alone.
Blew a head gasket in my Dodge Ram, oil looked like a chocolate milkshake and the coolant looked like thin oil, drove it for 7 more years until it finally quit running. I buy 'em cheap, put as little as possible in, and drive 'em 'til they're worth a couple hundred as scrap metal.
Rear shoes, Brake fluid change and water pump. The cars are in good hands. Also both of those cars are classics in their own right.
Well, I don't know about that Cougar - it's a 95, and it is an XR-7, but these are not nearly as collectable as the older cars. The paint is flaking off the galvanized panels, apparently they didn't get the metal treatment right at the factory. The exterior plastic parts like bumper covers are sunburned to death. That and the car was run a lot on dirt roads, it is unbelievably dirty. But it runs great, A/C works. No leaks in the rain, outside of someone took the driver's door weatherstripping off, so I get an occasional drip on my left leg. It rains so seldom here I'm not that concerned, but if I can find the weatherstrip - probably have to settle for a used part - I will replace it.
Although. The eponymous M3, an E30, was not all that collectible when I bought it, but is now. But it's in much better condition, cosmetically.
The 'roc, though, yeah, semi-collectible although this one is not all that straight, and is in rat-rod primer "livery".
I forgot to mention, the Cougar uses about a quart of oil in roughly 400 miles of driving per week, so I have to keep that topped up. And the transmission, a Ford AOD, leaks a bit out the tailshaft seal. Add about 4 ounces per week. To take the driveshaft out, due to clever design, you have to remove the gas tank. So I intend, have not done it yet, but intend to make up a little "unplanned outage" box of parts, the seal, the bushing behind that seal because it's worn too no doubt, some upgraded U-joints, and a fuel pump. Fuel pump will be original FoMoCo if I can get that, or else something very reputable like Bosch if they make one. When the fuel pump eventually goes out, either I or my favorite shop will pull the fuel tank for that, and do the trans seal and U-joints while the tank is out. This is sounding more and more like a job to farm out to a shop, if I don't want the car out of service for a month's worth of weekends.
But the oil consumption and tranny fluid leak are examples of small problems that, for now, I find it more practical to just live with than to try to fix. Well, and for all I know that 4.6L Modular burnt a quart every 1500 or 1000 miles when it was new. A lot of people who are accustomed to Japanese engines that are typically "tight as a bull's bum in fly time" think any oil consumption or small external leaks are just the end of the world. They ain't.
But, and I have said this before, never loan out a car that uses oil, the nitwit will run it out of oil, they won't add till the light comes on. Well, actually, my stern advice is to not loan out anything with an engine or a cutting edge - ever, to anyone. "Just say No!" Knives, axes, saws, chainsaws, mowers, tractors, cars, trucks, outboard motors - "I done told you twice - Hell, No!"
Cleaned the heck outta a fairly grimy throttle-body/IAC and intake air-plenum. Mainly used a
spray-bottle with water and blasted the throttle-body with soapy-water, then straight-water. The improvement in idle is significant and the engine runs about 10% cooler.
I would guess the car has seen some dirt roads, or high mileage. But it sounds as if you have things back in order. thanks for replying
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That's money and time well spent.
But it's in much better condition, cosmetically. 
So I intend, have not done it yet, but intend to make up a little "unplanned outage" box of parts, the seal, the bushing behind that seal because it's worn too no doubt, some upgraded U-joints, and a fuel pump. Fuel pump will be original FoMoCo if I can get that, or else something very reputable like Bosch if they make one. When the fuel pump eventually goes out, either I or my favorite shop will pull the fuel tank for that, and do the trans seal and U-joints while the tank is out. This is sounding more and more like a job to farm out to a shop, if I don't want the car out of service for a month's worth of weekends. 
