Most miles on a 1 owner vehicle, and what oil????

[dbvettez06]

Seeing as this is an oil/lub forum i thought i would ask who might have some major miles on a one owner car/truck, their experience, and what oil they used...

 

[Schmoe]

I had 201K on my 1990 3.3V6 Cutlass that I just sold 6 months ago. Used regular Pennz. 5/10-30's since day one. When I sold it, engine didn't burn any oil, ran smooth as silk and never had a valve job. Used Purolator filters.

 

[hominid7]

The most miles *I* have driven are: 1981 Honda Accord, Pennzoil 10w40 dino, 160K, no engine problems 1989 VW Jetta, Valvoline 20w50, 225K, no engine problems 2001 Mazda 626 V6, Tried lots of various dinos, both 5w30 and 10w30, 45K, so far no problems. See below for the record holder...... EAST PATCHOGUE, N.Y. -- Irv Gordon was a 25-year-old science teacher in 1966 when he bought a brand-new, cherry-red Volvo P1800. Today, Gordon, now retired, still owns the same Volvo. Last March, he put the 2 millionth mile on the car. Gordon's vehicle hit the big 2 mil at a special televised ceremony held in Times Square in New York City. "It was incredibly exciting--totally beyond me," he told Current Science later from the mobile phone in his car. To what does Gordon attribute his car's amazing longevity? "Volvos are very tough cars," he said. "Also, I'm not a hot-rodder; I drive sensibly. And I take very good care of the car." Gordon changes the oil every 3,000 miles; uses only the same brand of oil; changes the spark plugs every 20,000 miles; washes the car regularly; waxes it at least twice a year; and spends a few minutes each week checking under the hood, among other things. "Being a science teacher, I have a better idea of the ways things work," he said. Gordon says the vehicle still has many of its original parts. But many parts, such as the starter motor, the brakes, the water pump, the carburetor, and the clutch, have been rebuilt or replaced. (The carburetor controls the mixture of gas and air going to the engine. The clutch enables the driver to change gears.) Oil Used: I read in another article that Irv uses ONLY Castrol 20w50 Source: http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BFU/is_2_88/ai_91463822

 

[rainman49]

Ford F-150 I bought brand new in May 1988 has 458,000 miles on original engine (no rebuilds). I've used Castrol GTX 20W-50 90% of the time, and that's a lot of time.

 

[N Heat]

The most I've actually seen was my Dad's (and later mine) car. It was a 75 Plymouth Duster with a Slant 6 and a 4 speed manual. The car itself litarally fell apart around an all original drivetrain with 392,000 miles. He bought it 3 months after I was born, and I drove it when I was in High School. What a car. The car used nothing but Valvoline. I can remember the old cardboard cans that he had to stab with that big metal implement. The trunk rusted out,and had numeruous repairs with all kinds of metal. Finally, it had to be retired when the area around the Nader pins rusted so badly, that there was basically nothing to for a weld to hold onto. It would have cost way more than the car was worth to repair. He finally donated it to the Kidney Foundation. For one more show of strength, he drove it onto the rollback that came to pick it up. As usual, for the last time, it started instantly.

 

[The Critic]

Was at the local $6 oil change place (BYO oil), and saw a contractor with > 350K on his early 90s Chevy 1/2 ton pickup. I went up and talked to him as I saw him handing over Amsoil 10w-40 and a SDF filter. He told me that he used that combo from Day 1, changing every 3,000 miles. Crazy isn't it? He wasn't a dealer either, as he bought the Amsoil from some store.

 

[Gurkha]

I have a few high mileage vehicles,93 Accord V6 with 529000 miles,Mobil-I 15W-50 in summers,5W-30 in winters from day one of ownership,Mercedes OM616 240D with 430000 miles,Delvac Super from day one of ownership,also my current Gurkha 4WD with OM616 turbo has crossed 78000 mile mark,fed on a regular diet of Delo 400 or Delvac MX,depending on availability,cams look brand new,so does the insides of the engine,not a drop of oil consumed,69 Nissan Patrol with HINO W04D engine,178000 miles,same Delo 400 or Delvac MX,engine inside brand new,no oil consumption.

 

[qadsan]

My father's 1991 Toyota 4'Runner V6 has 233K on it without any rebuild and it has lived on straight 30wt el'cheapo dino juice since day one with 3K - 4K OCI's

 

[Volvohead]

Irv Gordon's record is not on one engine. I recall he got about 400k out of the first one, and was disappointed that he only got about 250k out of the next one. I believe he was on his third engine and was over a million miles when he was interviewed on the PBS car talk show in the late 1980s. He claimed then he only ran Castrol 20w-50 every 3k and the secret was to touch up and address small problems quickly and regularly. No big secret, really. I'm not sure if or when Volvo started helping him with maintenance past a certain point.

 

[dbvettez06]

Wow, what a variety of weights and oils!!! I was looking for some patter of consistency, from what i have learned, and read, i would concur that frequesnt oil changes, with a premium oil and filter, seem to be the key for longevity..Sounds simple, !!!!!

 

[JayhawkRoy]

91 Corolla 239K mi PZ 10W-30 and 50% Fram/50% other filters. Junked due to accident. 94 Prizm 220K mi same oil choice. Family member daily commuter. PZ brand filter used most often on this one today. Both OCI 4-5K. No engine work required on either.

 

[Kestas]

My 85 Omni 2.2L was fed a steady diet of Castrol 20W-50 and Fram oil filters every 3K. It lived to a ripe old age of 165K before I sold it to a happy buyer. At that point it burned one quart every 3K.