Posted on 12/07/2006 1:01:32 PM PST by Responsibility2nd
Peter Gilbert of Glendale, Wisconsin drove his 1989 Saab 900 SPG a little more than 1,001,385 miles, according to a Saab verification.
Gilbert originally purchased the Saab new in November 1989 after the divorce of his wife. He says the car survived eight collisions with deer, one claiming the radiator of his car.
Perhaps the success of Gilbert's ride can be attributed to his meticulous care regiment. For example, Gilbert only used premium synthetic oil in oil changes, and changed his tires every 45,000 miles. Not to mention, he strictly followed the maintenance schedule.
Gilbert donated his prized possession to the Wisconsin Automotive Museum. He says the transmission was rebuilt at 200,000 miles and the hood and a few other parts were replaced after the deer collisions, but otherwise the car sports its original equipment.
So, why is he retiring his ride after all the years of service?
"There was no point in driving the car any longer," he said. "Even though it might have gone another million miles."
Wisconsin's winter seasons took their toll on the Saab. Apparently, the road salt had rusted its frame. Maybe the next time he came across a deer, he might not be so lucky.
If you'd like to see Gilbert's car, you're going to have to make a little road trip of your own to the Hartford museum in Wisconsin. Before Gilbert donated his car to the Wisconsin Automotive museum, he made sure it looked as good as new. The museum houses a number of rare vehicles, including a Nash built in Kenosha in 1916.
Don't worry, Gilbert won't have to walk now that he turned in his coach. He is the proud owner of a newer Saab--with a few less miles.
A saab? What is he, gay?
Actually, he was an obsessive compulsive pothead and it was all miles that were used to run to the local 7-11, and then back home, and then back to the store, and then back home...
The Kims were driving a Subaru Outback wagon AWD.
"regimin"?......hahaha! (Stones/glass houses etc.)
FMCDH(BITS)
My 99 made it to 240K then a casting defect rotted through. I fixed it, sold it and within six weeks the car was hit hard.
Either we are equal or we are not. Good people ought to be armed where they will. NRA KMA
OK, I can't spell either. But at least I misspelled the correct word.
I have need of a good van. I almost bought a Chev Astro with 200,000 miles on it. A 1999. It sold at auction for $1,800. I thought that was too much money for that many miles. But I might've been wrong.
Maybe he turned the odometer forward.
Gag. The spell checker passed it. It passes wrong words all the thyme.
Here ya go!
The side rear windows that I saw in overhead video were either a Subaru Impreza WRX wagon or a SAAB 9-2 wagon (same car, slightly different trim).
The guy sure did a lot of driving. That's over 50,000 miles per year. You got to wonder if NYC taxis put on those kind of miles.
I've got 308,000 miles on my 1999 Chevy Lumina. It runs pretty good, even the AC works.
Just whom did his wife divorce? wouldn't it be proper to just say "after his divorce".
However, this does point out one of the perils of divorce; it may be many years before you can afford a new car.
Midlife Crisis
When I was married 25 years, I took a look at my wife one day and said, "Honey, 25 years ago, we had a cheap apartment, a cheap car, slept on a sofa bed and watched a 10 inch black and white TV, but I got to sleep every night with a hot 25 year old blonde.
Now, we have a nice house, nice car, big bed and plasma screen TV, but I'm sleeping with a 50 year old woman. It seems to me that you are not holding up your side of things."
My wife is a very reasonable woman. She told me to go out and find a hot 25 year old blonde, and she would make sure that I would once again be living in a cheap apartment, driving a cheap car, and sleeping on a sofa bed.
Has he ever changed his underwear?
Once cars began to be assembled by robots instead of hourly workers, I think it was inevitable that we'd see a lot more million-mile cars.
Last month I fulfilled my promise. Yes, I bought her that car; a 1981 Cadillac.
My Mom *loved* Dodge Omnis, in spite of how totally uncool they are and the fact that the one we had didn't shift properly most of the time.
When I was looking for my first real car (this was only seven or eight years ago), she spotted one at a used car lot while we were driving around. She was trying to talk me into at least trying it when her skirt brushed the front bumper and the bumper fell off.
I didn't buy it. ;-)
They were super reliable. We had quite a few at 400-700,000 miles and most in the 200-400,000 range. and only 3-5 years old. We moved up to the bigger Chevy "Express" vans and blew out transmissions left and right. We are talking a fleet of around 100 vans.
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