aadhils

Think of how much money and time he would have saved...:

https://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16070928/?GT1=8816

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MSNBC.com
Car does 1 million miles, retires to museum
Super Saab still has mostly original equipment; has new home in museum
The Associated Press
Updated: 5:06 a.m. PT Dec 6, 2006

MILWAUKEE — As a traveling salesman, Peter Gilbert has put a few miles on his car — 1,001,385 miles, to be precise.

It took the Glendale, Wisc, man 17 years to cross the million mile mark with his 1989 Saab 900 SPG. He recently donated the durable vehicle to the Wisconsin Automotive Museum after Saab verified the mileage.

The transmission was rebuilt at 200,000 miles and the hood and a few other parts replaced after eight deer collisions, but otherwise it has original equipment.

Gilbert bought the Saab for $29,000. It was his treat after a divorce, and he took meticulous care of it. He used premium, synthetic oil in oil changes, changed the tires every 45,000 miles and strictly followed the maintenance schedule.

He drove the car seven days a week, racking up the miles as his work took him through rural Wisconsin.

Not burning oil
"When I hit 600,000 miles, the car still wasn't burning oil," Gilbert said. "That's when I thought it could go a million miles."

But Wisconsin's harsh winters took a toll on the car. Its sporty exterior still looks good, but road salt has rusted its frame. Gilbert realized it might no longer be safe if he hit another deer or had a serious accident.

"There was no point in driving the car any longer," he said. "Even though it might have gone another million miles."

He had it detailed and parked it at the Hartford museum, which houses a number of rare vehicles.

Then Gilbert bought another Saab with fewer miles.
© 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

URL: https://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16070928/?GT1=8816
© 2006 MSNBC.com


How tragic...

Itsjustb

If this was written up for a cyclist, can you imagine how it would go?

"As a car-free commuter, John Jones has put a few miles on his body--1,001,385 miles, to be precise.

It took the Glendale, WI, man 55 years to cross the million mile mark with his late model 1951 body and about 15 different bicyles. He recently retired his body for a slightly newer version and donated his old body to a musem.

His knees were rebuilt at 800,000 miles and he had his hip replaced at 900,000. Other than some scratches, dings, dents and road rash from 8 car collisions, the rest is original equipment....."

Gojohnnygo.

Oh boy! Houston we have a problem.

oboeguy

At 50mph that's 20,000+ hours in his car. That doesn't include time at lights, etc, plus 50mph is probably conservative for an overall average. Anyhow, at, say 25,000 hours that would mean about three years. How incredibly messed up is that? Three out of seventeen years spent in a car...

ken cummings

Please Oboeguy, some of us have to make a living here. At least Gilbert got to drive in rural Wisconsin. I drove airport shuttle vans about 2000 hours a year in southern California, mostly LAX/Disneyland on the freeways.
I hope Gilbert got to eat the deer he hit.

oboeguy

You're right of course, but still, to me, personally, that seems an awful way to make a living.

Falkon 

Not the first. There's at least one Mercedes diesel and one Honda that have also gone to museums with over 1,000,000 miles on em.

oboeguy

I should also add that if one added-up the hours I spend at a computer...

N_C

Would it be better if he hauled a bicycle around everywhere he visited & rode in his spare time after working say 10 miles a day? Will someone do the math on this? Figure 10 miles a day for the lenght of time he drove his old car. How many miles do you come up with?

oboeguy

Huh? I'm just saying I'd be miserable spending all that time in a car. Anyway... 10 miles a day for 17*365 days is... way over 60,000 miles.

KnhoJ

And then, there's that *other* Swedish auto manufacturer.....
[A&S content] 2.5 million miles without running down a single helmetless wrong way cyclist in the bike lane, not bad! [/A&S content]

AlmostTrick

So the guy has to drive alot for his job. Many people don't find driving that objectionable. I think it's impressive and respectable that he used one car for all those years/miles. It's better than using half a dozen cars to do the same thing, no?

staehpj1

How would he have saved money or time? By not having a job? Do you think that job could have been done on a bicycle? I would be willing to bet that you use products that were manufactured and distributed using petroleum based fuels. The bike you ride, the home or apartment you live in, probably the food you eat probably all fit in this category.

How condescending and hypocritical...

staehpj1

I'd rather spend 20,000+ hours driving in rural Wisconsin than 10,000 sitting in a cubicle staring at a screen. Of course I would rather be riding a bike, but some of us do need to make a living.