All on an original gas engine, say what??? - Ford Explorer Ranger Enthusiasts "Serious Explorations"®

*pumpkin* · 12-05-2006, 11:19 PM

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=538098 - This article was in the local paper today. I honestly find it hard to believe without a rebuild.

This Saab story is one in a million

Traveling salesman from Glendale rides trusty vehicle to extraordinary milestone

By RICK BARRETT
rbarrett@journalsentinel.com

Posted: Dec. 4, 2006

Not long after his divorce, Peter Gilbert treated himself to a new sports car - a Saab 900 SPG, which stands for Special Performance Group.

Seventeen years and more than 1 million miles later, Gilbert donated his car to the Wisconsin Automotive Museum. The car survived eight deer collisions, including one that punched a hole in the radiator, before it was parked for safekeeping at the museum in Hartford.

"I couldn't kill that many deer with a gun," said Gilbert, a financial services salesman from Glendale.

Saab, the Swedish car-maker that's a division of General Motors, verified the high mileage on Gilbert's car last summer. Almost everything on the vehicle was original equipment, except for the front hoods and other parts that were replaced after the car-deer collisions.

Gilbert was meticulous about vehicle maintenance, including regular oil changes with premium, synthetic oil. He replaced the car's transmission at about 200,000 miles, but beyond that the engine was hardly touched.

"I knew someone who put 2.5 million miles on a Volvo, but the engine was rebuilt several times," Gilbert said.

Originally from Britain, Gilbert fell in love with Saabs when the cars were winning European road rallies in the 1960s. His trusty 900 SPG was no slouch, either, having once clocked 135 mph at the Road America race track in Elkhart Lake.

"I was taking the lead in a race for a while," Gilbert recalled.

A long journey

That was the same car he drove seven days a week, 365 days a year, racking up extreme mileage in his business travel across rural Wisconsin.

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

But Wisconsin winters, and road salt, took their toll on the sporty little car. While its exterior still looked pretty good, the frame had rusted to the point where it might not have been safe in a serious collision.

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

With some sadness, he donated the car to the museum, which has some rare vehicles such as the "Kissel," manufactured in Hartford from 1906 to 1931, and a Nash built in Kenosha in 1916.

For Gilbert, turning over the car's keys to the museum was like putting an elderly family member in a nursing home.

"But I know where the car is, and I can visit," he said. "And before I took her to the museum, I had a full detail job done. She was like a bride getting ready for her wedding. It was the first time that her carpets were thoroughly cleaned in 17 years."

Saab showed some interest in the car and videotaped it when the odometer rolled over the 1-million-mile mark, at a Saab owners' convention in Lake George, N.Y., in August.

Saab executives rode in the car and discussed putting it in their museum in Sweden. Gilbert hoped they would give him a new car, as a replacement, but he didn't get so much as a T-shirt from Saab.
"I am a little disappointed in them," he said.

Maintenance pays off

Putting a million miles on a car, while unusual, is possible with stellar maintenance and a little luck.

"People who get tremendous longevity from a vehicle almost always have taken great care of it," said Joe Wiesenfelder, senior producer for Cars.com, a Web page for car enthusiasts.

To extend the life of his Saab, Gilbert said, he always used premium, synthetic motor oil.

Not everyone agrees that synthetic oil helps. Regular motor oil, changed at 3,000-mile intervals, could be just as good, according to some mechanics.

Most of the things that will make a car last longer aren't very expensive, said Kathleen Schmatz, president of the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association, a trade group.

"The problem is that some people take better care of their sweaters than their cars," she said.

Certain brands of cars, such as Lexus and Acura, are known for reliability. But that's not the same as longevity.

Driving habits are important if you want a car to last for hundreds of thousands of miles.

"I think the single most important thing is not to drive the car hard," Wiesenfelder said. "Anyone who is gradual on the gas pedal and easy on the brakes is limiting friction, shock and other things that cause wear."

Today's cars are built better than ever, and many of them could last for decades.

"A big part of this is a willingness to keep putting money into a vehicle," Wiesenfelder said.

Gilbert paid $29,000 for his Saab, which he bought on Nov. 30, 1989. He replaced it with another one that has far fewer miles.

"There's nothing more to prove," he said about reaching a million miles on one car.

Peter Gilbert's car

A 1989 Saab 900 SPG with 1,001,385 miles.

In 17 years the car used more than 600 quarts of synthetic Mobil-1 motor oil, which can travel significantly more miles between oil changes than regular oil.

In its time, the car burned two tanker-truck-loads of premium gasoline and averaged about 28 mpg.

It went through about 22 sets of tires, changed every 45,000 miles.

The transmission was replaced at about 200,000 miles, but the engine was largely untouched.

The engine head gasket was replaced three times because constant warming and cooling stretched it.

Saab Story

Photo/Jeffrey Phelps
Peter Gilbert is shown in front of the Wisconsin Automotive Museum with his 1989 Saab, in which he put over a million miles on the same engine. The car will be on display at the museum.

**Burns** · 12-05-2006, 11:37 PM

and i thought 318000 was getting pretty bad. I still have a while to go.

**BrooklynBay** · 12-05-2006, 11:40 PM

I could picture AlDive's vehicle lasting that long.

*pumpkin* · 12-06-2006, 12:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrooklynBay

I could picture AlDive's vehicle lasting that long.

Oh yeah, with all the stuff he's replaced and added on, he'd make it for sure.

**james t** · 12-06-2006, 06:20 AM

Before it died, Dejello had like 600k on his Explorer (or something in that neighborhood).

MONMIX · 12-06-2006, 07:05 PM

impressive

Although I would get bored with the same car for that long

*Joe93* · 12-06-2006, 07:32 PM

reminds me of that married with children episode where Al's dodge was gona hit 1 million and he was gona get a viper.

**BrooklynBay** · 12-06-2006, 10:23 PM

I wish I could have a vehicle last that long, or even half as long. I wouldn't get rid of it unless it weren't possible to fix anymore. It must be reliable to last as long as it did.

*rookieshooter* · 12-07-2006, 05:59 AM

I think it's interesting also that they said you can go that long on dyno oil with reg. changes. My X and wifes Saturn are both approching 200,000 and run fine even changing oil at 7 to 8k miles.

davesexplorer · 12-07-2006, 03:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joe93

reminds me of that married with children episode where Al's dodge was gona hit 1 million and he was gona get a viper.

hahaaha that's a good one.. I miss those shows.

*Charlie's_93EB* · 12-07-2006, 09:47 PM

I like this, I just can not see going more then 4,000 between oil changes.

I just did my 98K oil change today, the last one before 100K

*rookieshooter* · 12-07-2006, 10:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Charlie's_93EB

I like this, I just can not see going more then 4,000 between oil changes.

I just did my 98K oil change today, the last one before 100K

Your probably right, but I think a lot has to do with not the way you drive as compared to where you drive. Meaning a lot of our miles are more on the long side then say just starting it up and going a couple miles and then back. Those short trips don't let the rings expand and all other parts snug up sort to say. And you don't get the condesation heated up enough to vaporize and get out of the block before condensating back into the oil. Now your in that sunshine state and maybe condensation is not a big thing down there. Good luck.

**BrooklynBay** · 12-07-2006, 11:05 PM

Just to add to what you just mentioned. Rick once mentioned in another thread that there is no rust in Arizona. He had a fender laying around without paint on it for years, and it never rusted!

*pumpkin* · 12-19-2006, 08:24 AM

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=543283 - I'm sure Saab got their balls busted after not offering this guy anything when the story first came out.

A million miles later, a free car

Saab responds to publicity by awarding diligent Glendale driver a new ride

By RICK BARRETT
rbarrett@journalsentinel.com

Posted: Dec. 18, 2006

The traveling salesman from Glendale who put a million miles on his Saab 900 is getting a free replacement from the automaker after being deluged with publicity for his unusual feat.

"I am on cloud nine right now. This is exactly the car I wanted," Peter Gilbert said Monday.

Gilbert recently donated his 17-year-old Saab to the Wisconsin Automotive Museum after the car had survived more than 1 million miles and eight deer collisions, including one that punched a hole in the radiator.

Saab, the Swedish car-maker that's a division of General Motors, verified the high mileage on Gilbert's car last summer. Almost everything on the vehicle was original equipment, except for the hoods and other parts that were replaced after the car-deer collisions.

Saab executives rode in the car and discussed putting it in their museum in Sweden. Gilbert hoped they would give him a new car as a replacement, but he didn't get so much as a T-shirt from Saab.

"I am a little disappointed in them," he said earlier this month in a Journal Sentinel interview.

That all changed after Saab got a lot of mileage after Gilbert's story that was carried by newspapers and other media around the world. The company has since decided to not only give Gilbert a new car, but it has extended the offer to anyone who puts 1 million miles on their originally owned Saab.

The offer extends through 2007 and is not to exceed the value of a new Saab 9-5 Aero with a suggested retail price of $38,735, the car that Gilbert is getting early next year.

Gilbert also will receive a two-day driving course at the Saab Aero Academy at Road Atlanta in Georgia.

Anyone trying for a free Saab must prove that their vehicle is in running condition and the odometer hasn't been tampered with.

"We have no idea, frankly, how many cars that will be. At this point, we only know of Peter's car," said Saab spokesman Jan-Willem Vester.

Gilbert relinquished ownership of his million-mile Saab to the museum, in Hartford. He stayed loyal to the brand, buying another used Saab with far fewer miles.

In January, Saab will take his old car out of the museum for a showing at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

"We thought it would be great to have the car there with a big sign on the windshield that says a million miles," Vester said.

Gilbert's story was printed in The Washington Post and was carried by National Public Radio. Gilbert said he practically wore out his cell phone doing media interviews.

"This has been kind of a shock," he said. "But who knows? Maybe I will try to put a million miles on my new Saab."

12-05-2006, 11:19 PM	#1
pumpkin Elite Explorer North Carolina (from Huntington, NY) '99 Limited V8 AWD Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 137 Vehicle Specs	All on an original gas engine, say what??? http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=538098 - This article was in the local paper today. I honestly find it hard to believe without a rebuild. This Saab story is one in a million Traveling salesman from Glendale rides trusty vehicle to extraordinary milestone By RICK BARRETT rbarrett@journalsentinel.com *Posted: Dec. 4, 2006* Not long after his divorce, Peter Gilbert treated himself to a new sports car - a Saab 900 SPG, which stands for Special Performance Group. Seventeen years and more than 1 million miles later, Gilbert donated his car to the Wisconsin Automotive Museum. The car survived eight deer collisions, including one that punched a hole in the radiator, before it was parked for safekeeping at the museum in Hartford. "I couldn't kill that many deer with a gun," said Gilbert, a financial services salesman from Glendale. Saab, the Swedish car-maker that's a division of General Motors, verified the high mileage on Gilbert's car last summer. Almost everything on the vehicle was original equipment, except for the front hoods and other parts that were replaced after the car-deer collisions. Gilbert was meticulous about vehicle maintenance, including regular oil changes with premium, synthetic oil. He replaced the car's transmission at about 200,000 miles, but beyond that the engine was hardly touched. "I knew someone who put 2.5 million miles on a Volvo, but the engine was rebuilt several times," Gilbert said. Originally from Britain, Gilbert fell in love with Saabs when the cars were winning European road rallies in the 1960s. His trusty 900 SPG was no slouch, either, having once clocked 135 mph at the Road America race track in Elkhart Lake. "I was taking the lead in a race for a while," Gilbert recalled. A long journey That was the same car he drove seven days a week, 365 days a year, racking up extreme mileage in his business travel across rural Wisconsin. "When I hit 600,000 miles, the car still wasn't burning oil. That's when I thought it could go a million miles," Gilbert said. But Wisconsin winters, and road salt, took their toll on the sporty little car. While its exterior still looked pretty good, the frame had rusted to the point where it might not have been safe in a serious collision. "There was no point in driving the car any longer, even though it might have gone another million miles," Gilbert said. With some sadness, he donated the car to the museum, which has some rare vehicles such as the "Kissel," manufactured in Hartford from 1906 to 1931, and a Nash built in Kenosha in 1916. For Gilbert, turning over the car's keys to the museum was like putting an elderly family member in a nursing home. "But I know where the car is, and I can visit," he said. "And before I took her to the museum, I had a full detail job done. She was like a bride getting ready for her wedding. It was the first time that her carpets were thoroughly cleaned in 17 years." Saab showed some interest in the car and videotaped it when the odometer rolled over the 1-million-mile mark, at a Saab owners' convention in Lake George, N.Y., in August. Saab executives rode in the car and discussed putting it in their museum in Sweden. Gilbert hoped they would give him a new car, as a replacement, but he didn't get so much as a T-shirt from Saab. "I am a little disappointed in them," he said. Maintenance pays off Putting a million miles on a car, while unusual, is possible with stellar maintenance and a little luck. "People who get tremendous longevity from a vehicle almost always have taken great care of it," said Joe Wiesenfelder, senior producer for Cars.com, a Web page for car enthusiasts. To extend the life of his Saab, Gilbert said, he always used premium, synthetic motor oil. Not everyone agrees that synthetic oil helps. Regular motor oil, changed at 3,000-mile intervals, could be just as good, according to some mechanics. Most of the things that will make a car last longer aren't very expensive, said Kathleen Schmatz, president of the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association, a trade group. "The problem is that some people take better care of their sweaters than their cars," she said. Certain brands of cars, such as Lexus and Acura, are known for reliability. But that's not the same as longevity. Driving habits are important if you want a car to last for hundreds of thousands of miles. "I think the single most important thing is not to drive the car hard," Wiesenfelder said. "Anyone who is gradual on the gas pedal and easy on the brakes is limiting friction, shock and other things that cause wear." Today's cars are built better than ever, and many of them could last for decades. "A big part of this is a willingness to keep putting money into a vehicle," Wiesenfelder said. Gilbert paid $29,000 for his Saab, which he bought on Nov. 30, 1989. He replaced it with another one that has far fewer miles. "There's nothing more to prove," he said about reaching a million miles on one car. Peter Gilbert's car A 1989 Saab 900 SPG with 1,001,385 miles. In 17 years the car used more than 600 quarts of synthetic Mobil-1 motor oil, which can travel significantly more miles between oil changes than regular oil. In its time, the car burned two tanker-truck-loads of premium gasoline and averaged about 28 mpg. It went through about 22 sets of tires, changed every 45,000 miles. The transmission was replaced at about 200,000 miles, but the engine was largely untouched. The engine head gasket was replaced three times because constant warming and cooling stretched it. Saab Story Photo/Jeffrey Phelps Peter Gilbert is shown in front of the Wisconsin Automotive Museum with his 1989 Saab, in which he put over a million miles on the same engine. The car will be on display at the museum.

12-05-2006, 11:37 PM	#2
Burns EF Late Night Crew Sparta,TN 1991 Explorer Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 7,701 Vehicle Specs	and i thought 318000 was getting pretty bad. I still have a while to go. __________________ Jonathan Burns Moderator of the Feature Truck Forum Owner of the "Lime" Forum Rules and Usage

12-05-2006, 11:40 PM	#3
BrooklynBay Aerostar Forum Moderator Brooklyn, NY 88 89 93 95 96 Aerostars Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 31,045 Vehicle Specs	I could picture AlDive's vehicle lasting that long. __________________ My list of useful threads. My photo gallery. My product reviews. My list of items for sale. Aerostar owners thread. Aerostar parts work in Explorers, Rangers, and Bronco II thread. History of the Aerostar thread. Aerostar Forum. New Members Forum.

12-06-2006, 06:20 AM	#5
james t moderation Texarkana AR/TX 94 SAS sport Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 10,719 Vehicle Specs	Before it died, Dejello had like 600k on his Explorer (or something in that neighborhood). __________________ my rebuild

12-06-2006, 07:05 PM	#6
MONMIX I fix dents Millersville , Maryland 2000 Explorer Sport Join Date: Apr 2002 Posts: 8,330 Vehicle Specs	impressive Although I would get bored with the same car for that long __________________ MONMIX " Zorro " YES YES YOU ALL ARE MY FRIENDS!! You dont need a little icon to prove that. Please stop asking me. This is NOT my space. My Explorer CHURCH.... sort of

12-06-2006, 07:32 PM	#7
Joe93 Elite Dakota Colorado Springs, CO Join Date: Feb 2001 Posts: 1,617 Vehicle Specs	reminds me of that married with children episode where Al's dodge was gona hit 1 million and he was gona get a viper.

12-06-2006, 10:23 PM	#8
BrooklynBay Aerostar Forum Moderator Brooklyn, NY 88 89 93 95 96 Aerostars Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 31,045 Vehicle Specs	I wish I could have a vehicle last that long, or even half as long. I wouldn't get rid of it unless it weren't possible to fix anymore. It must be reliable to last as long as it did. __________________ My list of useful threads. My photo gallery. My product reviews. My list of items for sale. Aerostar owners thread. Aerostar parts work in Explorers, Rangers, and Bronco II thread. History of the Aerostar thread. Aerostar Forum. New Members Forum. Last edited by BrooklynBay; 12-07-2006 at 11:47 AM.

12-07-2006, 09:47 PM	#11
Charlie's_93EB Cat 3 Hurricane Rated Venice florida 1993 Eddie Bauer Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 3,144 Vehicle Specs	I like this, I just can not see going more then 4,000 between oil changes. I just did my 98K oil change today, the last one before 100K __________________ 1993 Eddie Bauer Member of Ranger roll over posse Fix your 4x4 herehttp://www.explorerforum.com/forums/...ansfer+rebuild

12-07-2006, 11:05 PM	#13
BrooklynBay Aerostar Forum Moderator Brooklyn, NY 88 89 93 95 96 Aerostars Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 31,045 Vehicle Specs	Just to add to what you just mentioned. Rick once mentioned in another thread that there is no rust in Arizona. He had a fender laying around without paint on it for years, and it never rusted! __________________ My list of useful threads. My photo gallery. My product reviews. My list of items for sale. Aerostar owners thread. Aerostar parts work in Explorers, Rangers, and Bronco II thread. History of the Aerostar thread. Aerostar Forum. New Members Forum.

12-19-2006, 08:24 AM	#14
pumpkin Elite Explorer North Carolina (from Huntington, NY) '99 Limited V8 AWD Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 137 Vehicle Specs	What took you so long Saab. Bad press maybe? http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=543283 - I'm sure Saab got their balls busted after not offering this guy anything when the story first came out. A million miles later, a free car Saab responds to publicity by awarding diligent Glendale driver a new ride By RICK BARRETT rbarrett@journalsentinel.com *Posted: Dec. 18, 2006* The traveling salesman from Glendale who put a million miles on his Saab 900 is getting a free replacement from the automaker after being deluged with publicity for his unusual feat. "I am on cloud nine right now. This is exactly the car I wanted," Peter Gilbert said Monday. Gilbert recently donated his 17-year-old Saab to the Wisconsin Automotive Museum after the car had survived more than 1 million miles and eight deer collisions, including one that punched a hole in the radiator. Saab, the Swedish car-maker that's a division of General Motors, verified the high mileage on Gilbert's car last summer. Almost everything on the vehicle was original equipment, except for the hoods and other parts that were replaced after the car-deer collisions. Saab executives rode in the car and discussed putting it in their museum in Sweden. Gilbert hoped they would give him a new car as a replacement, but he didn't get so much as a T-shirt from Saab. "I am a little disappointed in them," he said earlier this month in a Journal Sentinel interview. That all changed after Saab got a lot of mileage after Gilbert's story that was carried by newspapers and other media around the world. The company has since decided to not only give Gilbert a new car, but it has extended the offer to anyone who puts 1 million miles on their originally owned Saab. The offer extends through 2007 and is not to exceed the value of a new Saab 9-5 Aero with a suggested retail price of $38,735, the car that Gilbert is getting early next year. Gilbert also will receive a two-day driving course at the Saab Aero Academy at Road Atlanta in Georgia. Anyone trying for a free Saab must prove that their vehicle is in running condition and the odometer hasn't been tampered with. "We have no idea, frankly, how many cars that will be. At this point, we only know of Peter's car," said Saab spokesman Jan-Willem Vester. Gilbert relinquished ownership of his million-mile Saab to the museum, in Hartford. He stayed loyal to the brand, buying another used Saab with far fewer miles. In January, Saab will take his old car out of the museum for a showing at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. "We thought it would be great to have the car there with a big sign on the windshield that says a million miles," Vester said. Gilbert's story was printed in The Washington Post and was carried by National Public Radio. Gilbert said he practically wore out his cell phone doing media interviews. "This has been kind of a shock," he said. "But who knows? Maybe I will try to put a million miles on my new Saab."