Testiment to Honda engineering..

[NuTTs]

We finally sold our Toyota Landcruiser this spring.. we bought it with 132,000km and sold it with 240-250,000km if i remember correctly. All we gave it was an oil change every 10,000km and gearbox and rear diff fluid change once a year. Basic servicing. It could tow anything, my wife never washed the damn thing - I used to do it out of pity.

I wish we had never sold it.

Want another one!! 

[NeufUnSix]

Shifting into reverse would either blow the tranny and disconnect the engine, overrev the motor to destruction, or blow the tranny and the engine simultaneously. Only one way to find out for sure!

[Vindingo]

Shifting into reverse would either blow the tranny and disconnect the engine, overrev the motor to destruction, or blow the tranny and the engine simultaneously. Only one way to find out for sure!

I did this by accident once on my old Alfa.  It made a really nasty grinding noise, but it didn't go into gear.  Nothing blew up or broke, so I would imagine you would have to try really hard to get it in reverse gear.   

[NeufUnSix]

Failing reverse, you could always get it to highway speed and then drop it into first. That would have a similar effect.

[lethe]

Failing reverse, you could always get it to highway speed and then drop it into first. That would have a similar effect.

I can tell you that on a '75 Dodge van, putting it into park at 40mph by mistake just gives you another neutral. which means if the parking brake doesn't work it means that you must now carry a brick.

[Speedbag]

Another vote for virtually any old domestic inline six. The ones I've had took a thrashing and lasted forever.

but fords 4.6L v8 and chevys smallblock v8 beats that honda engine and then some.

I have to agree on the 4.6 also. They are actually more robust in stock form than the venerable 5.0, and a bone stock 4.6 bottom end will withstand power adders up to 500 crankshaft HP reliably.

[NeufUnSix]

I can tell you that on a '75 Dodge van, putting it into park at 40mph by mistake just gives you another neutral. which means if the parking brake doesn't work it means that you must now carry a brick.

Autos usually have a safety feature where it won't downshift when it shouldn't. I'm talking manual - freedom to shift as you please, and blow your drivetrain at your leisure.

[superjohn]

Shifting into reverse would either blow the tranny and disconnect the engine, overrev the motor to destruction, or blow the tranny and the engine simultaneously. Only one way to find out for sure!

My friend in high school did this in his '69 cougar convertible. The entire drivetrain locked up and the engine died, but he was able to start it and drive away.all the other gears

A week later the linkage fell out of it and it went forward in reverse, reverse was gone and all the other gears appeared to be neutrals.

[Big Troubled Bear]

My 2000 model Alfa Romeo has 270 000 km hassle free