Irv Gordon has just passed driving 2.9 million miles on his 1966 Volvo P1800, and aims to hit the 3 million mark within the next two years, reported European Car magazine.
Gordon, of East Patchogue, N.Y., already is in the Guinness Book of World Records for most miles by one owner on a noncommercial vehicle. And the P1800 just marked its 50th anniversary.
To put 2.9 million miles in proper perspective, Gordon could have driven his P1800 to the moon and back (560,000 miles) more than five times.
Gordon’s journey with the P1800 started back in June 1966 when he purchased it new from his local dealer. Within the first 48 hours he logged more than 1,500 miles behind the wheel. With his daily commute, a 125-mile round trip in bumper-to-bumper traffic on the Long Island Expressway—which Gordon refers to as the world’s longest parking lot— it didn’t take long before he had covered a half million miles, a feat that took just 10 years. At a time when most cars are rotting away in junkyards, Gordon’s P1800 had completed just one sixth of its incredible journey into automotive history books. […]
He credits his car’s longevity to a strict but sensible maintenance program. He changes the oil every 3,000-3,500 miles using Castrol oil and Volvo oil filters, he changes the transmission fluid every 25,000 miles, and he replaces the points (remember points?) every 20,000-25,000 miles along with the spark plugs. Because of his fanatical attention to maintenance, Gordon was once the centerpiece of an advertising campaign for Genuine Volvo Parts.
In case you’re wondering, Gordon has driven the Mother Road several times.
While he concedes there are times to take the interstates that have replaced the old road, he prefers the preserved sections of Route 66 when he has the time. Being retired means he doesn’t have to rush, and over the years he’s seen the Mother Road change, many of its old landmarks disappearing.
Here are clips of Irv and his car after 1 million miles and 2 million miles:
https://youtu.be/Eu-RsocQlCY