Man's '91 pickup passes the 1M-mile mark

[austin552]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080212/ap_on_fe_st/odd_million_mile_truck

Mon Feb 11, 11:08 PM ET



GRESHAM, Wis. - Frank Oresnik's trusty pickup truck — he calls it "the old girl" — passed the 1 million-mile mark with a camera crew filming the event and a public-radio audience listening in. "I can't tell you how much fun it was," he said. "It was really humbling, all this interest."

Recent news stories told how Oresnik had just 1,200 miles to go before reaching the milestone in the 1991 Chevrolet Silverado that he bought with 41,000 miles on it in 1996 and used in his business, distributing seafood and steaks in the upper Midwest.

At the time, he was getting his latest oil change — the kind of regular maintenance he credits with helping to keep the truck going so long.

He said he's had the truck's oil changed more than 300 times. It's had so many changes that the oil pan drain plug had to be rethreaded several times, he said, and "you never hear of that."

He passed the million-mile mark Friday in southeastern Wisconsin while on his way back home to Catawba, located in the north in Price County, about an hour west of Rhinelander. He was on County Highway V southeast of Fond du Lac.

On hand was a film crew from Chevrolet's public relations and advertising company, and he was speaking live to Robert Siegel, host of National Public Radio's "All Things Considered."

A news crew from CBS had been with him earlier in the day.

"I wont say it was relief ... it was exhilarating," Oresnik said later during a stop in Gresham where he has one of his longtime customers. "This truck has been so dependable over the years." Now that it's made history, the truck could be headed back to the automaker or Shell Oil. Oresnik said there's been some interested in GM or Shell Oil buying it.

[legion]

I hope my Silverado makes it that long...

[Bill Douglas]

He says much the same as we do - oil changes.

[mattdavis11]

He's had to replace the transmission four or five times.

[Scuba Steve]

I could swear I've seen a 944 close to halfway there.

[URY914]

My '89 Silverado made it to 211K before I got tired of it.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Million mile, original owner '89 Saab 900 SPG. Only major replacement listed is a tranny overhaul at 200k.
http://www.autoblog.com/2006/12/06/saab-900-passes-one-million-mile-mark/

If you're the original owner of a Saab that hits 1M miles in 2008, you win a free Aero!
http://www.autoblog.com/2006/12/18/saab-offering-free-car-to-members-of-the-million-mile-club/

[dd74]

Originally Posted by austin552

At the time, he was getting his latest oil change — the kind of regular maintenance he credits with helping to keep the truck going so long.

That, and removal of the thermal reactors and five-blade fan...

[Tobra]

Originally Posted by mattdavis11

He's had to replace the transmission four or five times.

if that is true I can tell you without looking it is an automatic. My father in law has a '92 Chevy Truck with somewhere north of 600K on it, 2nd clutch. He routinely overloads that truck, but does the maint

[Tim Hancock]

Hmmm, maybe I should think about eventually doing a repaint on my E36 325i BMW after all. It is approaching 300k on it's original engine, trans and clutch. I wonder if BMW would hook you up for hitting 500k or so?

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Originally Posted by Wayne at Pelican Parts

Hmm, I'd think that oil plug would last 300 removals...

-Wayne

If Jiffy Lube did it, it'd be lucky to last three. Ever see one of those guys use an IMPACT DRIVER on the oil drain plug? I have.

Never, ever, EVER, E-V-E-R go there. Ever.

[island911]

c'mon, Jeff, they don't always over tighten ...sometimes Jiffy Lube will screw the plug in only finger tight. (ask me how I know)

[SLO-BOB]

Pretty amazing. Not so much because it went 1 mil miles, but because it survived that many Wisconsin winters. Because of the salt, one doesn't see many cars around here made before 1995.

[peppy]

My 82 Chevette diesel has 320+, but the speedometer stopped working so it is no fun to drive any more.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

There was someone on here a while back with a 951 - 350k+ original miles, original engine, head gasket and supposedly clutch (!)

I forget who though.

[mattdavis11]

Pulled this from an earlier article about the milestone:

While the engine has never been overhauled, it has had three gas tanks, five transmissions, four radiators and six water pumps. Oresnik used it to deliver seafood across three states.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080201/ap_on_fe_st/odd_million_mile_truck;_ylt=Athsyjj6EU1p6CHdbHylMz vtiBIF

[pwd72s]

The small block Chevrolet V-8...probably the best engine design of all time, as far as long life is concerned. My nomination for 2nd place? The Mopar slant 6...

3rd place? The Saab V-4...which was really a Ford Industrial engine...designed to run conveyor belts for countless hours.

I'd place the 911SC engine in there somewhere...in the top 25?

[tcar]

That's NOTHING!

2.6 MILLION MILES in a Volvo P1800 Trying to do 3 MILLION.

http://carscoop.blogspot.com/2007/10/volvo-p1800-clocks-26-million-miles.html

[cashflyer]

Originally Posted by pwd72s

The small block Chevrolet V-8...probably the best consumer engine design of all time, as far as long life is concerned.

Fixed.
Commercial engines routinely go over the 1M mark.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by mattdavis11

Pulled this from an earlier article about the milestone:

While the engine has never been overhauled, it has had three gas tanks, five transmissions, four radiators and six water pumps. Oresnik used it to deliver seafood across three states.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080201/ap_on_fe_st/odd_million_mile_truck;_ylt=Athsyjj6EU1p6CHdbHylMz vtiBIF

Booo, weak. The Saab only had a rebuild transmission at 200k, and body repairs from hitting 8 deer. From what I've read, it still had the original turbo and the engine had never been opened.