20 Cars that have gone over 1 Million miles

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StevieC

StevieC

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See and read about them here -- https://www.cheatsheet.com/automobiles/going-the-distance-7-cars-that-have-gone-1m-miles.html/

20. 1964 Porsche 356C
19. 2007 Toyota Tundra - Related: LINK
18. 2006 Honda Civic
17. 1987 Volvo 240
16. 1996 Dodge Ram
15. 1988 Volvo 740 GLE
14. 1989 Saab 900 SPG
13. 1970 Mercedes-Benz 280SE
12. 1994 Honda Accord
11. 1991 Honda Accord
10. 2006 Ford F-250
_9. 2006 Chevrolet Silverado 3500
_8. 1966 Mercedes-Benz 250SE
_7. 1991 Chevy Silverado
_6. 1983 Lincoln Town Car
_5. 1963 Volkswagen Beetle
_4. 1963 Plymouth Fury
_3. 1979 Volvo 245 GL
_2. 1976 Mercedes-Benz 240D
_1. 1966 Volvo P1800
 
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I'm more impressed with the guy who stays with the same wife for many years rather than those that run up these ultra high mileages with an inanimate object. Too much windshield time for me.
 
Originally Posted by Burt
I'm more impressed with the guy who stays with the same wife for many years rather than those that run up these ultra high mileages with an inanimate object. Too much windshield time for me.

lol.gif
That's funny right there!
 
This list is pretty much meaningless unless they can confirm that these cars reached the million mile mark on the original engine and original transmission/head gasket.
 
That's living in your car. Given accident odds, they dodged a bullet.
Also, going a million miles is one thing, but how much of the car was replaced? Engine? Certainly things like water pumps, alternators, you know. If they are allowed to replace the heads, pistons, crank, body parts, ... all... then a car could last 10 million miles.

Reminds me of the argument airlines have with "When do we buy new jets?". Aviation experts will tell you that an airplane can last forever if you replace all parts eventually. See B-52.

A Schaeffer oil Million Mile Ford engine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDF1zcaxrNU is interesting,
as its an engine teardown of one. Schaeffer works.

"Cheatsheet" is a good idea for a website, another entertaining one from there:
https://www.cheatsheet.com/automobi...ecade-in-consumer-reports-rankings.html/
 
Originally Posted by camryrolla
This list is pretty much meaningless unless they can confirm that these cars reached the million mile mark on the original engine and original transmission/head gasket.

The Toyota Tundra did. Toyota gave the guy a new truck for free so they could tear apart his old one to see how things worked out in the real world driving of 1,000,000 miles. He also serviced the vehicle at the dealership since it was new so it's verifiable as well.

This doesn't mean other manufacturers couldn't do it as well, especially accumulating so many highway miles in such a short period of time which is easier than most but it's still a great achievement because regardless of how easy the miles were, they are still wearing on an engine to some degree and that is quite impressive. 1,000,000 miles (1,600,000 km) on dealer bulk oil!
shocked.gif


If my dad's 2012 PentaStar can make it 300K on conventional oil operated in Severe Duty fleet type use for the first 2/3'rds of its life and I'm using a quality synthetic in mine, who knows maybe I'll make the list at some point. I do a lot of miles in a week (600+ miles / 1,000km). I'll drive it as far as possible.
 
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I know for a fact that the Volvo at the #1 spot has had multiple engine/trans replacements. Doesn't minimize the fact that it has managed to go over 3 million miles on essentially the same body/frame... and with the same guy driving it all that time, since it was brand new.

He also keeps a bunch of parts in his trunk while he's on the road.
 
Originally Posted by camryrolla
This list is pretty much meaningless unless they can confirm that these cars reached the million mile mark on the original engine and original transmission/head gasket.


Agree with this. For example, #5, the 1963 VW Bug. Having owned several of those in my lifetime those motors wouldn't get close to 100k miles without significant work - valve jobs and push rod tubes are particular weak points. Engine oil was filtered with a wire screen. The crankshaft was so flexible the part number if the center main bearing would sometimes get hammered into the case!!!

This story reminds me of the story of Great Grandpa's old axe. Yeah, it's his old axe - but it's had 27 different handles since new!

Scott
 
Pretty sure the guy with the 91 Chevy with over a million miles is on the original engine. It was featured in an official GM video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSunY_w957Q as you can see in the video the AC compressor went out and they replaced it with a bypass pulley, and he mentions multiple radiator failures.

900K on this one... seems like an ad for some oil company, but still, cool: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrYDjMqTOHw almost a million miles on original ball joints!! He overheated it at some point so the head gasket was replaced but original engine otherwise.

Here's a half million mile Suburban. It's on the original engine, transmission replaced only once: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYUiI_2qOFA

Here's another half million mile Suburban: https://www.wral.com/lifestyles/travel/video/9945332/ if you watch the video carefully they show the gauge cluster and at highway speeds the oil pressure seemed pretty low.

I think even half a million miles is impressive, especially for a family vehicle like a Suburban that's more likely to be short tripped vs business vehicles that did mostly highway. Oh, and if you want a reliable vehicle, buy a GMT400, preferable a TBI, not a Vortec.
 
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I have followed the progress of the 2006 Civic on that list (via one of the Honda forums), IIRC he rebuilt the engine rather early on, but it turned out that it didn't really need it. There was a different problem, but once he discovered that he just kept going ahead with the rebuild anyhow. It's too bad as it would have been good to see how far the original untouched engine would have gone.
 
Originally Posted by Patman
I have followed the progress of the 2006 Civic on that list (via one of the Honda forums), IIRC he rebuilt the engine rather early on, but it turned out that it didn't really need it. There was a different problem, but once he discovered that he just kept going ahead with the rebuild anyhow. It's too bad as it would have been good to see how far the original untouched engine would have gone.


There are other forums?
lol.gif
 
Originally Posted by Burt
I'm more impressed with the guy who stays with the same wife for many years rather than those that run up these ultra high mileages with an inanimate object. Too much windshield time for me.


Mr. Reynolds? I thought you died a few weeks ago.
 
Originally Posted by SirTanon
I know for a fact that the Volvo at the #1 spot has had multiple engine/trans replacements. Doesn't minimize the fact that it has managed to go over 3 million miles on essentially the same body/frame... and with the same guy driving it all that time, since it was brand new.

He also keeps a bunch of parts in his trunk while he's on the road.


Other cars--taxis, for instance--have run up impressive mileage figures, but they've gone through a succession of engines and transmissions in getting there. What makes Irv's accomplishment so remarkable is that his Volvo is pretty much as it was when he drove it off the lot all those years ago. Sure, parts that routinely wear out have been replaced--things like spark plugs and tires and windshield wiper blades. But the engine block? Original. The cylinder head? Original. The gearbox, the overdrive, the differential? All original. You can count the major surgeries on one hand: The engine has been rebuilt twice, and the third gear synchronizer and the ring and pinion were replaced before the car had covered its first million miles. And that's it. This from a year-round driver that gets parked at the curb each night.

(For the benefit of the skeptics, we should mention that Irv has documentation from Volvo that every part of his car that has a serial number matches the car's original build order. "I have to prove nothing, as Volvo is satisfied my car is authentic and original. My body number, VIN and engine number are on my original bill of sale. Anyone who wants to put his money where his mouth is and wants to make me benefit financially--just make me a bet!" he laughs.)

https://www.hemmings.com/magazine/hsx/2011/11/Driven---1966-Volvo-1800S/3704971.html
 
Originally Posted by jeepman3071
I'm guessing a lot of these vehicles have also lived their lives in areas where there is no salt/snow.

Or were rust-proofed.
 
Originally Posted by SLO_Town
This story reminds me of the story of Great Grandpa's old axe. Yeah, it's his old axe - but it's had 27 different handles since new!


the joke only works if the axe head is replaced too
 
Originally Posted by Burt
I'm more impressed with the guy who stays with the same wife for many years rather than those that run up these ultra high mileages with an inanimate object. Too much windshield time for me.


It might take 40 years to rack up a million miles. Think you can trade her in for two 20 year olds?
laugh.gif
 
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Originally Posted by oil_film_movies

A Schaeffer oil Million Mile Ford engine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDF1zcaxrNU is interesting,
as its an engine teardown of one. Schaeffer works.


No way to prove it was Schaeffer's responsibility for making it to 1 Million miles. He kept saying how clean the engine was inside... to me that's more a function of great air filtration and good oil filtration more than the oil itself. Those are obviously all highway miles, which is quite easy on an oil... RPM is up around 2000-2500 so there is lots of oil flow, and good cooling. Plus, the E-series vans hold about 8 gallons of coolant, so there is no real fluctuation in temps... that's a LOT of thermal mass. Also, that's a pre-cam-phaser trickery 5.4, so nothing really difficult.

Yeah, 1M miles is good, but the only way to prove Schaeffer's was responsible would be to do identical testing with same filters and maintenance routine, while only changing the oil brand.
 
I would love to see an engine at operating temperature idled for the same amount of hours as driving a million miles. That would make me more confident in that lubricant because hot idling has got to be [censored] on an engine. Low oil flow and easy for it to create hot spots.
 
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