So if nothing else, oil changes are a must. Heck, just checking for oil is a must.

Take care,
dan

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http://www.valpolife.com/index.php/business/autos/15154-can-a-car-really-last-a-million-miles

Written by Heinold and Feller

From the November 2011 VehicleMD publication One million miles. It’s like driving 10,000 miles a year…for a century. It’s like driving around the earth’s equator…40 times. It’s like taking a round trip to the moon…twice. (Before the astronomers write in, we know it’s technically only 955,428 miles in two round trips to the moon, but we rounded!) It’s so far, in fact, that it takes light a little more than 5.3 seconds to cross one million miles. In other words, one million miles is, in the human scale of things, a loooooong way. Yet more and more vehicles these days are turning up with that magic number on their odometers. And I’m not talking about over-the-road trucks, either, since those big-rigs are built to endure such long distances. I’m talking about the very same passenger vehicles most of us drive every single day. For instance, you might have read about Joe LoCicero, the insurance adjuster from Maine who just hit the million-mile mark in his 1990 Honda Accord. Bought the car used in 1996 when it had 74,000 miles on it and averages about 4,700 miles per month. Or how about Wisconsin travelling salesman Peter Gilbert, who retired his 1989 Saab 900 to a museum in 2006 after wracking up 1,001,285 miles. Finally, there’s New York’s Irv Gordon, a retired schoolteacher who purchased his 1966 Volvo P1800S brand new and is preparing to hit the three million-mile (!) mark early next year. Gordon- who put 1,500 miles on the car the first two days he had it- has driven the car an average of 65,000 miles per year, even shipping the car across the Atlantic to tour Europe on occasion. So how have these drivers achieved such extreme lifespans with their cars, especially when a typical vehicle’s lifespan is around 145,000 miles? By following these seven strategies. 1. Drive. A lot. It goes without saying that in order to hit seven figures on your odometer (if, in fact, your car’s odometer goes that high) you have to put in some serious seat time. But not all miles are created equal. As these drivers could attest, though highway miles are amassed faster, they are typically easier on your car than miles driven in city traffic. Constantly starting, stopping, accelerating, idling, cranking, etc. puts a lot of stress on your car. In contrast, a vehicle, like any machine, operates at peak efficiency when it is in a steady-state rhythm like that experienced while driving at a steady speed on the highway. But don’t worry. Even if you commute (like Gordon did for decades in his Volvo before retiring), there are some other strategies you can use to maximize your vehicle’s lifespan. 2. Change is good. All three of these drivers- as well as many others who have racked up very high mileage totals on their vehicles- have something in common: they are all big believers in regular oil changes. Think about it. Your car’s engine is like any other industrial machine. It works hard with metal parts sliding back and forth against each other hundreds of times each minute. For vehicles that accumulate the miles, that means the engine is experiencing millions, even billions, of revolutions. That kind of mechanical pressure takes its toll on the motor oil that lubricates engine parts, making periodic oil changes a safe bet if you want to keep your car running. Gordon, for instance, changes his oil every few thousand miles, and didn’t have to have the Volvo’s engine overhauled for the first time until nearly 675,000 miles showed on the odometer. Plus, as motor oil quality has improved in recent decades, those overhauls have gotten further and further apart! 3. Follow the schedule. Motor oil isn’t the only fluid that needs attention in a vehicle. That’s why LoCicero credits “religiously” following his car’s recommended fluid maintenance schedule for helping his car achieve its incredible lifespan. In fact, the only major components LoCicero has ever replaced on his car are the fuel pump, cooling fans and the radiator (twice). That none of those repairs were directly related to fluid maintenance speaks to the effectiveness of such a strategy.   4. Try the synthetic route. Gilbert purchased his Saab brand-new and knew he wanted to give it the ultimate in protection. That’s why he opted to use synthetic motor oil from the very first oil change, a strategy that paid off big time. Ever after a million miles, the Saab’s engine had never been overhauled or needed a repair. In fact, Gilbert bragged that the only major repair he’d ever had to pay for (besides collision repair; more on that later) was a transmission rebuild at 200,000 miles. 5. Invest in repairs. If you truly want to keep your car running for an extended period, you have to come to grips with the fact that things will break. Like all machines and mechanical devices, the components on cars will eventually wear out- though hopefully not all at once! During his frequent travels, Gilbert encountered several wayward deer and had to pay for collision repairs on several different occasions. And while it can seem like a waste to spend money repairing an older vehicle, if you do the math you’ll find that even a major repair job (spread out over time) is less expensive than replacing your current vehicle. Like the wise man once said, the cheapest car you’ll ever own is the one you’re driving now! 6. Wash. Rinse. Repeat. Your car’s insides aren’t the only parts that will need attention if you want to drive it for a long time. Road grime, dirt, mud and anti-icing salts and chemicals like those found in northern and snow-bound states can play havoc with suspension, exhaust and other components beneath your car. Plus, they’re murder on your car’s finish. Gordon notes that he spends as much or more time cleaning his car on the outside than he does maintaining it on the inside. Not only does running your car through the carwash keep it clean and sparkly, it also removes the dirt/grime/salt that can over time contribute to wear and damage. Not to mention the fact that you’re almost certain to take more pride in a car that you spend time and money keeping in good shape. After all, none of the cars we’ve run across that hit the magical million-mile mark were beaters! 7. Take care. Okay. You have the motor oil and other fluids changed regularly. You pay extra for the very best products. You have your baby washed and detailed often. So what’s the final step in driving your car for a very long time? Well, that involves visiting your neighborhood auto service center. You see, the technicians that service your vehicle aren’t just changing the motor oil and filter. They’re also giving your car a thorough once over, looking for little problems that you can fix before they become big-and expensive- ones. Thus our final piece of advice is to partner with a trusted technician or mechanic and listen to his (or her) advice when it comes to needed maintenance and repairs. Because if you really want to drive a million miles, chances are you’ll need some help.

The author of this piece, Gary Sowerby is no stranger to long distance driving himself (https://www.media.volvocars.com/ca/enhanced/en-ca/Media/Preview.aspx?mediaid=39472). A couple of months ago, Gary came to our XC Adventure in Gateway, Colorado. From the way he was talking, it looked like he was wondering how fast he could take one around the globe – again.

Here is Gary’s story about the Canadian Volvo Club’s 31st annual Family Day Picnic.  Enjoy.

http://thechronicleherald.ca/WheelsNews/1256557.html

dan

Irv … you looked marvelous. ‘Never means NEVER’ for anyone asking, even Duane.

Through chuckles, Irv told me: “When the engine rebuild was finished, I went Duane’s shop to pick it up and it wouldn’t start. Duane adjusted the points and that worked. I drove it on the first test drive.”

I asked him some years back to let me driver it …you know how a Labrador twists his head when give a command he doesn’t understand, well, that’s what Irv did to me. Now you understand – “Never!”

Watch the full episode. See more NOVA scienceNOW.

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Irv just sent this over. For those who don’t know Irv Gordon, he has nearly 3 million miles on his 1966 Volvo P1800.

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I will be on a PBS station that carries NOVA…here in NY it will be channel 13 and channel 47 (History Channel) on my cable system. The broadcast is at 8:00PM…but you will have to check for NOVA on your system. The date is Jan 26.

I hope it won’t be anything embarrassing! LOL

Irv

___

So lets boost Nielson ratings for Nova – at least for the evening of Wednesday, Jan. 26. PBS interviewed Irv while he drove a Nova crew around Long Island last year. Should be fun to watch.

dan

Don’t miss this special feature, “Can My Car Live Forever?” airing January 26, 2011 on PBS.

“Irv Gordon, a retired science teacher from East Patchogue, New York, has managed to keep his 1966 Volvo P1800 going for four decades and over 2.7 million miles. How has he managed it, and can this recipe for longevity help the human body go the extra mile? Neil deGrasse Tyson visits Irv and takes a spin in his one-of-a-kind car.”

Anyway, Irv came by to meet with friends in our Parts department and we ran into each other in our lobby. Doug Speck, VCNA CEO, came out of what must be one of his never-ending run of meetings for the week, to greet Irv. “Hi Irv, want to meet Stefan Jacoby?” Out strides Jacoby and he wants to see Irv’s Volvo. We all head outside and got one cool photo op.

I’m heading to Miami, Florida this week for their auto show. We’re doing our North American debut of the Volvo S60 R-Design.

dan

Irv Gordon with his 1966 Volvo P1800.

Happy birthday to our most famous and enduring brand ambassador, Irv Gordon of East Patchogue, Long Island.

Irv turns 70 today, an honorable achievement for anyone. But, with Irv, it’s always about big numbers. He’s driven more than 2.8 million miles in his 1966 Volvo P1800. And, today, on the big 7-0, he’s affirming his goal of reaching three million miles by the time he’s 73 – forever enshrining him as an iron man in automotive longevity.

Irv purchased his Volvo in June 1966, and immediately fell in love, driving 1,500 miles in the first 48 hours. With a 125-mile round-trip daily commute, a fanatical dedication to vehicle maintenance and a passion for driving, Irv logged 500,000 miles in 10 years.

In 1998 with 1.69 million miles, he made the Guinness Book of World Records for most miles driven by a single owner in a non-commercial vehicle. In 2002, he drove the car’s two-millionth mile down Times Square to national and international media attention.

Irv – like any mighty record-holder at the top of his game – is mindful of his legacy, as well as setting a record no one can beat.

“Three million miles by my 73^rd birthday sounds right,” Irv recently said. “But, whether I reach that mark is more up to me than it is the car. The car’s parts have long proven they can take it, but I’m not so sure about my own. Either way, it will be a fantastic testament to the engineering genius of Volvo as well as to the resiliency of folks my age.

“Three million miles also is an iron clad number that I’d like to think sits right up there with DiMaggio’s consecutive game hitting streak. Who’s going to beat that? No one.”

However, Irv says he’s unsure what to do with his Volvo after three million miles, though he has considered selling it for no less than one dollar per each mile he’s driven.

“I used to think I’d park it in a museum where people will get to enjoy seeing the car that beat the odds – all with the same engine, same radio, same axles, same transmission and of course the same driver,” Irv said. “Now I think, ‘no way.’ I’ll either keep driving it or sell it for $3 million.”

And what would he do if he made $3 million off the car?

“I’d spend it on traveling,” he said. “Road trips, of course.”

To follow Irv’s adventures, follow him on Facebook or keep following our blog.

What does durability mean?  From a mechanical engineering perspective, it means the length of time an object or assembly will provide its intended function over an anticipated range of operating conditions.

An interesting point about our Swedish culture: value for money spent. Take IKEA – is it the best furniture made? No. BUT their promise is value, styling, and durability. We know buying something from IKEA will not go out of style; it’ll last longer than other kinds of ‘kit’ furniture and has a higher value to money ratio, at least that’s the opinion in my family. We love just walking through an IKEA. Coffee is great and good place to get our Swedish food/lunch fix.

Our Volvos are built for the tough Swedish environment, especially the long winters. But we sell cars all over the world so we build them for harsh summers in the desert countries of Western Sahara and Arizona.  Driving through some places in Arizona is like being in another country – it’s so hot, dry and barren – tough places for cars with durability in their heritage. Our cars are built for global buyers who want value for money spent, even if it’s not in Kroners.

So, some months ago, I get a call from Irv Gordon, “A guy wants to write about my car and needs your permission to use a file photo.”  Sure, no problem. Done and forgotten, until couple of weeks ago.  Mr. Prasad Boradkar just wrote: Designing Things: A Critical Introduction to the Culture of Objects.  Below, with Mr. Boradkar’s permission is an excerpt about Volvo and Irv Gordon.  Irv is very close to 2.8 million miles on his 1966 P1800.

Will all Volvo’s go 3 million miles? Don’t know, but it’s very common to find ones sporting 100,000 and 200,000 High Mileage badges. Enjoy this excerpt.

Here is Mr. Boradkar’s home page: http://designingthings.org/

And link to purchase his book: http://www.amazon.com/Designing-Things-Critical-Introduction-Culture/dp/1845204271/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1275914216&sr=8-1

And no I didn’t get a book free, just placed my order on Amazon.

Good week to you all,

dan

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Designing Things
A Critical Introduction to the Culture of Objects

Prasad Boradkar

Oxford • New York

1 9 4  d e s i g n i n g t h i n g s

Durable Things
The anti-obsolescence literature, produced by such scholars as Vance Packard (1960), John
Kenneth Galbraith (1998, original in 1958) and others did have its effect, especially on the
automotive industry in the 1960s. One of the first car companies to promote the culture of
durability through its smartly minimal anti-obsolescence advertisements was Volkswagen.
The advertising copy critiqued planned obsolescence and poked fun at American cars. In
a direct mockery of the annual model change, one of the ads for the Beetle shows a single
image of the car with the caption “The ’51, ’52, ’53, ’54, ’55, ’56, ’57, ’58, ’59, ’60, ’61
Volkswagen.” In the advertising copy, Volkswagen reassures readers by saying, “We don’t
make changes lightly. And never to make the Volkswagen look differently, only to make
it better.” Several of these highly successful and quirky adverts, designed by Doyle Dane
Bernbach, used the notion of obsolescence for the contrary effect. Other companies, such
as Volvo, ridiculed consumers who succumbed to the practice of the annual model change.
In a 1967 advertisement, Volvo sarcastically suggests that a paper car is the next step in the
evolution of the stylistic obsolescence of cars. The text reads:

at a time when people trade in their cars every two or three years, it’s reasonable to assume that the next step might be paper cars. After all, we’re living in a “throw-away society.” So why not jump in with both feet? Why not have a car you can trade every month? Why not have a dandy polka-dot one for weekends and a swinging striped one for going out on the town and, of course, a plain black one for when you want to be serious?

Further along, the ad promotes durability because Volvo knows that “to make a car that
lasts, you begin with nice, thick steel.”

Figure 7.2. Volvo Ridicules the American Practice of Planned Obsolescence. Image courtesy of Dan Johnston, Volvo.

Volvo owners are known to keep their cars for a long time, and some are proud members
of the Volvo High Mileage Club, affiliation to which is available only to those how have
clocked more than 150,000 miles (241,406 kilometers) on their cars. According to this club
(and the Guinness Book of World Records), Irv Gordon of East Patchogue, NY holds the
leading spot on the list with a stunning 2.7 million miles clocked on one vehicle. The car,
miraculously surviving with the original engine, radio, axles and transmission is certainly
one in a million, and has become an icon of durability. “I’ll keep on driving,” Gordon
said, “but whether I drive three million miles is more up to me than it is the car. The car’s
parts may be able to take it, but I’m not so sure about my own.”5 This car is eternally his.
In a phone conversation, Gordon said, “I bought it on June 30th, 1966 from the Volvo
showroom for $4,150 . . . when it had one-tenth of a mile on it.” As of July 2009, the
odometer read 2,715,000 miles.

Gordon recognizes the impact that this vehicle has had in his life. In a conversation, Gordon (2009) said: “You never know how these decisions could affect the rest of your life. If it wasn’t for the car, everything that I do these days would be totally different. I’ve had opportunities to go places and meet people that I wouldn’t have had if I didn’t own this the
car.” And, as he suggests, if he is outlived by his car, he will have achieved the status that
Ford desired for all his consumers when he said, “we want the man who buys one of our
products never to have to buy another” (Henry 1922: 149). In such scenarios the culture of
durability is embraced and encouraged.

Figure 7.3. Irv Gordon with his 2.7 Million-mile Volvo. Image courtesy of Irv Gordon and Volvo.

Ray and Charles Eames designed their classic lounge chair and ottoman for Herman
Miller in 1956. Joe Schwartz, then Marketing Director for Herman Miller recalls, “I think
it sold for about 900 U.S. dollars at that time. And not a lot of people liked its aesthetic then
. . . it was an unfamiliar visual object. Eames made it to give it as a gift for his friend Billy
Wilder. It was not originally designed to as a Herman Miller product” (Schwartz, personal
interview 2008). Over 50 years since their introduction, the lounge chair and ottoman are
still being manufactured with minor modifications and they continue to sell. Durability,
endurance and timelessness are not easy to capture in the design of products.

Herman
Figure 7.4. The Eames Lounge Chair. Image courtesy of Herman Miller, Inc.