Volvo - high mileage record

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Sat 21 Sep 2013 12:40
Volvo - high mileage record - barney100

A 'Saint' type Volvo has just clocked up three million miles in the USA. That is pretty incredible, the owner...Irv Gordon... has had it for 47 years. How many cars do we get throgh in 47 years. 15? 20? more?

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Sat 21 Sep 2013 12:57
Volvo - high mileage record - Cyd

Is there any kind of verification of this story and or documentary evidence for the mileage cited?

I ask because 3mil miles in 47 years is equivalent to driving 175 miles per day, for 364 days per year for those 47 years (I've given him Xmas day off each year). He'd hardly have had time to do anything else for 47 years!!!

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Sat 21 Sep 2013 13:11
Volvo - high mileage record - dan86

This car is well documented Google the man and the cat a p1800 I believe (built and discontinued long before I was born) volvo gave him a new car once he had done 1m miles I believe.

He does oil changes every 3k miles witch he says is the reason for the cars long service.

Edited by dan86 on 21/09/2013 at 13:13

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Sat 21 Sep 2013 13:35
Volvo - high mileage record - unthrottled

If you drive most cars 175 miles/day, they'd clock up Voyager 2 style mileages without many hiccups. He could probably extend his OCI to 20,000 miles without any poblems.

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Sat 21 Sep 2013 13:55
Volvo - high mileage record - craig-pd130

I do like the idea of finding a car that just suits your needs, and sticking with it long-term. I haven't yet found the car that does that for me, though.

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Sat 21 Sep 2013 14:16
Volvo - high mileage record - dan86

The owner of the car in question is American and for some strange reason they love to change there oil every 3k miles.

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Sat 21 Sep 2013 14:48
Volvo - high mileage record - bathtub tom

The owner of the car in question is American and for some strange reason they love to change there oil every 3k miles.

Perhaps this story tells you the reason why?

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Sat 21 Sep 2013 14:58
Volvo - high mileage record - dan86

Iv always believed that maintenance is key to long life cars but I still think 3k oil changes are OTT. I change my oil every 9k witch is in accordance to the manufacturers schedule and the oil is always still a nice hunney colour even tho most of my journeys are in town.

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Sat 21 Sep 2013 15:48
Volvo - high mileage record - Andrew-T

I've always believed that maintenance is key to long life cars but I still think 3k oil changes are OTT.

Very probably a 47-y-o Volvo handbook tells you to change oil every 3K. The instructions for my 20-y-o Pug 205 say just that. And in the USA oil used to be as cheap as water in some places, so no reason not to do it, at least for economy. Modern cars are (I presume and hope) designed for the less frequent changes we are told to do.

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Sat 21 Sep 2013 15:41
Volvo - high mileage record - brum

If you drive most cars 175 miles/day, they'd clock up Voyager 2 style mileages without many hiccups. He could probably extend his OCI to 20,000 miles without any poblems.

Engine wise unthrottled is correct.

As regards suspension components and bodywork, that is another matter.

The car still has the original engine, though it was rebuilt twice in the car's lifetime.



Edited by brum on 21/09/2013 at 15:43

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Sat 21 Sep 2013 15:40
Volvo - high mileage record - brum

Is there any kind of verification of this story and or documentary evidence for the mileage cited?

I ask because 3mil miles in 47 years is equivalent to driving 175 miles per day, for 364 days per year for those 47 years (I've given him Xmas day off each year). He'd hardly have had time to do anything else for 47 years!!!

I'd take anything an american says about cars, oil etc with a very large pinch of salt.

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Sat 21 Sep 2013 16:38
Volvo - high mileage record - Avant

This is a well-documented story, and seems to be genuine. But what we never get told is WHY Irv Gordon does all these miles every day, for the whole of a working career and then some.

Edited by Avant on 21/09/2013 at 18:01

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Sat 21 Sep 2013 17:10
Volvo - high mileage record - dan86

I think see it somewhere on the internet he is a retired teacher. But im not 100% on that fact.

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Sat 21 Sep 2013 19:05
Volvo - high mileage record - dieseldogg

I understand this account to be genuine, having followed it since he clocked his first million miles.

However 3,000.,000?3,000=1,000 oil changes.

Or 3,000,000/30mpg=100,000 gallons@£6.26=£626,000.00 fuel bill=gulp

I tink a diesel would have saved him a few hundred thousand.

Wonder how many times the sump bung and sump have been replaced.

Or like Paddy's hatchet, exactly how many or what origional components are left.

PS

There is an American site featuring "high milers", a Honda or 2 in there as well.

47 years/at 12 years per new car=4 cars only.

But 4 cars at 250,000 miles each = 1,000,000 miles

Edited by dieseldogg on 21/09/2013 at 19:07

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Sat 21 Sep 2013 20:41
Volvo - high mileage record - unthrottled

100,000 gallons@£6.26=£626,000.00 fuel bill=gulp

Don't think he'll be paying £6.26! Gas was about 25c/gallon when that car was first registered. It's now about £3/gallon, I think. Still a whopping dent in the pocket though!

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