Llinyn Y dyn y gwnaethant y bathodyn 3,000,000 milltir ar ei gyfer

Nid yw'r rhan fwyaf o briodasau'n para bron cyn belled ag Irven Gordons Volvo Mae P1800 wedi para. Ac mae'n debyg nad yw'r rhan fwyaf o gyplau yn treulio cymaint o amser gyda'i gilydd ag y mae Irv wedi'i dreulio yn ei gar annwyl.
Dywed Irv nad oedd hyd yn oed wedi clywed am Volvos tan ychydig ddyddiau cyn iddo brynu'r car, ar 30 Mehefin, 1966. Ar y pryd, cafodd ei fwydo i fyny gyda'i dyrbinau 1963 Corvair Spyder, a oedd, meddai, yn ei wneud yn hwyr yn gyson ar gyfer ei swydd addysgu gwyddoniaeth ysgol ganol drwy chwalu'r llwybr. Tra'n bawd drwy Car a Gyrrwr gyda chyfaill savvy car, mae'n baglu ar ad ar gyfer y deliwr Volvo lleol, gyda llun o P1800. Ceir gwych yw'r rhain, meddai'r ffrind wrtho. Felly i lawr aeth i Volvoville yn Huntington, NY, a chymerodd P1800 yn drosglwyddadwy ar gyfer sbin. Bu'n gyrru am dair awr, ac yna prynodd y cwpl llawer llai costus, am $4,150, neu $30,000 mewn doleri cyfredol, tua'i gyflog blynyddol ar y pryd.
Y penwythnos cyntaf hwnnw, rholiodd Irv 1,500 milltir, gan ddychwelyd i'r ddeliwr ddydd Llun ar gyfer ei gar am y tro cyntaf. Nid oedd wedi bwriadu gyrru drwy'r penwythnos, ond mae'n dweud ei fod yn cael gormod o hwyl i stopio—i fyny i Boston, i lawr i Philly, a'r cyfan drosodd rhwng cyn dychwelyd i'w gartref ar Ynys Hir. Mae Hes wedi bod yn gyrru'r P1800 yn frwdfrydig byth ers hynny. Ar Fedi'r 24ain o'r llynedd, tarodd 3 miliwn o filltiroedd.


Mae Irv wedi bod 63,000 milltir y flwyddyn ar gyfartaledd—172/diwrnod—er bod y nifer hwnnw wedi amrywio o 50k yn ystod ei flynyddoedd addysgu i'r gogledd o 100k ar ôl ei ymddeoliad yn 1996. Gan dybio cyflymder cyfartalog o 45 milltir yr awr dros y blynyddoedd, mae hynny bron yn 4 awr y dydd. (Irv wedi'i sgwennu ar y syniad o wneud amcangyfrif o'r fath yn absennol o'r cyflymderau a deithiwyd dros amser [gweler manwl, isod]. Ond i rywun sydd wedi cofnodi 3 miliwn o filltiroedd hamdden yn bennaf, yn aml yn crio'r wlad, ond a dreuliodd 30 mlynedd yn cymudo 125 milltir y dydd ar y Sglerotig Long Island Expressway—am gyfanswm o tua 675,000 o filltiroedd—mae 45 mya yn ymddangos yn rhesymol i mi. )
Mae'n cymryd car eithriadol o dda i gyrraedd 3 miliwn o filltiroedd. Pan agorodd injan Irvs ar gyfer ei hail ailadeiladu, Roedd mewn cyflwr da iawn, meddai Duane Matejka, o R Sport Engineering yn Pipersville, Pennsylvania. Dangosodd y falfiau rywfaint o wisgo, a'r seddi falf—disgwylir hynny. Matejka marvels nad oedd y chwistrell falf wedi torri ar ôl cylchoedd cywasgu biliwn (1,000,000,000). Ar y ffa, roedd yr haen allanol o blwm wedi gwisgo i lawr, gan ddatgelu'r copr sylfaenol. Hyd nes y daeth yr arweinydd yn hazmat swyddogol, roedd y ffa gorau yn cynnwys haen allanol o'r metel meddal hwn, a allai amsugno unrhyw ronynnau o'r olew, gan eu hatal rhag sgorio'r arwynebau cario, meddai Matejka.
Yn wir, mae'r peiriannau'n broblem fawr 2 filiwn o filltiroedd ar ôl ei ailadeiladu gyntaf (yr oedd ei ddeliwr wedi meddwl yn ddiangen, ond bod Irv wedi mynnu oherwydd na allai ddychmygu injan nad oedd angen ei hailadeiladu ar 687K), oedd cwpl o gylchoedd piston wedi'u chwalu. Dywed Matejka mai'r rhai a oedd, mae'n debyg, oedd yn gyfrifol am y P1800au yn brin o'r Sierras, y symptom a ysgogodd yr ail ailadeiladu.

Mae'r car wedi'i or-gynllunio'n fawr, meddai Matejka, sydd â gradd peirianneg fecanyddol, ac a rasiodd P1800 am flynyddoedd lawer. Mae gan y pedwar silindr fwy o arwynebedd cario na Chevy V8. Dywed Matejka fod angen i'r rhan fwyaf o geir gysylltu llygod ar ôl y farchnad i rasio, ond gwnaeth ei rodiau stoc P1800au y gwaith. Mae'r rhain a'r crankshaft wedi'u creu, sy'n eu gwneud yn gryfach na'r castio mwy arferol. Hefyd, mae Matejka yn nodi bod y Swedes yn anal am eu meteleg.
Mae gweddill y car wedi'i adeiladu cystal â'r injan. Ar wahân i'r ailadeiladu cyntaf, dim ond atgyweiriadau sy'n gysylltiedig â chynnal a chadw a oedd gan y P1800 tan ar ôl iddo gyrraedd 750k, pan ddatblygodd y trosglwyddiad ollyngiad olew, meddai Irv. (Dywed Vic Dres, o Goleta, CA, nad oedd gan ei filiwn o filltiroedd, 88 Volvo 740 GLE unrhyw broblemau nad ydynt yn ymwneud â chynnal a chadw nes i'r trosglwyddiad fynd yn kaput ar ôl i'r hed gofnodi hanner miliwn o filltiroedd, ac mae Selden Cooper yn dweud bod ei filiwn o filltiroedd, 87 240 o sedan yn dal yn ddibynadwy iawn. Nid yw'r naill injan na'r llall wedi'i hailadeiladu. )
Er hynny, mae mwy i gyrraedd tair miliwn o filltiroedd nag ansawdd. Roedd y peiriant, Matejka, yn lân iawn, oherwydd mae [Gordon] mor fanwl, mae ansoddair eraill wedi gwneud cais i arferion cynnal a chadw Irvs. (Yn wir, canmolodd cyn-fyfyriwr Gordons, Richard Brunswick, MD, y cyfarfûm ag ef yn nhŷ coffi Arlington Masss Barismo ar ôl iddo ddweud wrthyf am Irvs Volvo, ei addysgu mewn termau tebyg. )

Er enghraifft, mae youd yn meddwl y byddai 66 Volvo, garej sans ar Ynys Hir, hanner bloc o'r Iwerydd, wedi rhuthro allan yn barod. Roedd fy ffrind, Pattys 1968 145, car California yn wreiddiol, yr oedd ei rhieni wedi'i brynu'n newydd pan oedd yn 10 oed, wedi chwistrellu pydredd trwyn erbyn iddi hi a'i gŵr roi'r car i NPR tua 2008, ar ôl 18 mlynedd yn y llain eira. Pan oeddwn wedi meddwl tybed pam yr oedd Irvs yn dal i fod yn garcharorion, dywedodd ei fod yn pibelli'r tancarriage yn ystod y gaeaf. Rwy'n ceisio cael yr holl griwiau, lle bydd yr halen a'r tywod yn cronni, meddai. Mae'n rhaid i chi fynd i lawr ar eich dwylo a'ch pengliniau.
Yn olaf, mae Irv yn mynd yn hawdd ar y car. Yn gynnar, cymerodd ran mewn ralïau ffyrdd, ond ar ôl ychydig, dywedais, pam yr wyf yn lladd fy nghar? Dywed Irv ei fod yn cyflymu'n dyner, a bod ei gyflymder uchaf yn 60-65 mya. Rwy'n hoffi gweld pa mor hir y gallaf wneud pethau'n olaf, meddai.
Mae'n debyg bod Irvs wrth ei fodd ar gyfer teithiau ffordd yn dyddio o haf 47, pan oedd yn 8 oed, a phrynodd fy nheulu Buick newydd a threuliodd yr haf cyfan yn teithio o amgylch yr Unol Daleithiau. Wedi hynny, pryd bynnag y cafodd ei dad sy'n gweithio'n galed ddiwrnod i ffwrdd, treuliasom y diwrnod cyfan yn y car yn mynd i rywle. Irv yn chwifio'n huawdl am y llawenydd o ymweld â lleoedd newydd ar deithiau ffordd.
Ond mae Irv wedi gyrru ei hun i baradocs anghyfforddus. Mae'r milltiroedd wedi trawsnewid y P1800 o nwyddau angladd yn ddarn o hanes—sydd wedi'u hymgorffori yn Llyfr Cofnodion y Byd Guinness. Mae'r statws hanesyddol hwnnw'n gwneud y P1800 yn ased i Volvo, ac ar gyfer Irv, hefyd. Ers y filltir filltir gyntaf, mae Irv wedi bod yn gwneud hysbysebion a digwyddiadau ar gyfer Volvo, sy'n cael ei alw'n ôl, ond un y mae'n ei chwysu dim ond treuliau y mae'n ei gael (gwir, meddai Jessica Snell o'r cwmni cysylltiadau cyhoeddus, Haberman, a gontractiwyd yn ddiweddar i Volvo). Er hynny, dros y blynyddoedd, mae Volvo wedi rhoi dau Volvos newydd i Irv—un ar droad pob miliwn o filltiroedd—gyda thraean ar y ffordd.

Roedd ymdeimlad o werth ychwanegol volvos yn amlwg o gludo Irv a'r P1800 i Alaska am y 3 miliwnfed milltir, yn hytrach na chaniatáu i'r digwyddiad ddigwydd mewn amgylchedd mwy cyffredin. Roedd angen cludo'r car, oherwydd erbyn i'r Volvo penderfynu saethu'r digwyddiad yn Alaska, dim ond 200 milltir oedd gennyf i fynd i gyrraedd 3 miliwn, esbonia Irv.
Mae'r holl werth hwnnw wedi dechrau pwyso a mesur. Dioddefodd yr ods o geir sy'n cael eu cyfansymiau—tynged Texan Norbert Lissys P1800 tua 700,000 o filltiroedd—yn codi gydag amlygiad. Yn ei holl yrru, mae Irv yn dweud nad yw erioed wedi achosi damwain, ond bod y metel wedi'i blygu efallai 11 gwaith. Flwyddyn yn ôl, cafodd Irv ei arwain ar gyfer Baltimore ar I-95 cymharol wag, meddai, pan redodd gwr mewn tryciau picio i mewn i'm car pan oeddwn yn gwneud 65. Ac roeddwn i ar fy ffordd i wneud saethu ffilm ar gyfer Google! Byth ers hynny Im yn cael bod yn baranoid.
Ac felly, y dyddiau hyn, mae ei Volvo arall — C70 2002 a dderbyniodd am y garreg filltir o 2 filiwn — yn cael mwy o ddefnydd. Im mor ofalus ag y gallaf fod ynghylch ble a phryd yr wyf [yn gyrru'r P1800], meddai Irv. Pan ofynnwyd iddo a oedd hed byth yn gwerthu'r P1800, meddai, cefais wahoddiad i fynd i sioe awto Brwsel. Unwaith y byddaf yn cael gwared ar y car does neb yn mynd i alw mwyach.

Most marriages dont last nearly as long as Irven Gordons Volvo P1800 has lasted. And most couples probably dont spend as much time together as Irv has spent in his beloved car.
Irv says he hadnt even heard of Volvos until a few days before he bought the car, on June 30, 1966. At the time, he was fed up with his turbocharged 1963 Corvair Spyder, which he says was constantly making him late for his middle school science teaching job by breaking down en route. While thumbing through a Car and Driver with a car savvy friend, he stumbled upon an ad for the local Volvo dealership, with a photo of a P1800. These are great cars, the friend told him. So down he went to Volvoville in Huntington, NY, and took a P1800 convertible for a spin. He drove for three hours, and then bought the much less expensive coupe, for $4,150, or $30,000 in current dollars, approximately his then annual salary.
That first weekend, Irv rolled 1,500 miles, returning to the dealership on Monday for his cars first checkup. He hadnt planned to drive through the weekend, but he says he was having too much fun to stop—up to Boston, down to Philly, and all over in between before returning to his home on Long Island. Hes been driving the P1800 enthusiastically ever since. On September 24th of last year, he hit 3 million miles.


Irv has averaged 63,000 miles annually—172/day—although that number has ranged from 50k during his teaching years to north of 100k post his 1996 retirement. Assuming an average speed of 45 miles an hour over the years, thats nearly 4 hours a day. (Irv scoffed at the notion of making such an estimate absent records of speeds traveled over time [see meticulous, below]. But for someone who has logged 3 million predominantly recreational miles, frequently crisscrossing the country, but who spent 30 years commuting 125 miles a day on the sclerotic Long Island Expressway—for a total of around 675,000 miles—45 mph seems reasonable to me. )
It takes an exceptionally well-built car to reach 3 million miles. When he opened up Irvs engine for its second rebuild, It was in very good shape, says Duane Matejka, of R Sport Engineering in Pipersville, Pennsylvania. The valves showed some wear, and the valve seats—thats expected. Matejka marvels that the valve springs hadnt broken after a billion (1,000,000,000) compression cycles. On the bearings, the outer layer of lead had worn down, revealing the underlying copper. Until lead became an official hazmat, the best bearings contained an outer layer of this soft metal, which could absorb any particulates from the oil, preventing them from scoring the bearing surfaces, says Matejka.
In fact, the engines major problem 2 million miles after its first rebuild (which his dealer had thought unnecessary, but that Irv had insisted upon because he couldnt imagine an engine not needing a rebuild at 687K), was a couple of busted piston rings. Matejka says those probably were responsible for the P1800s lackluster ascent of the Sierras, the symptom that motivated the second rebuild.

The car is greatly over-designed, says Matejka, who has a mechanical engineering degree, and who raced a P1800 for many years. The four cylinder has more bearing area than a Chevy V8. Matejka says most cars require aftermarket connecting rods to race, but his P1800s stock rods did the job. These and the crankshaft are forged, which makes them stronger than the more usual casting. Matejka also notes that the Swedes are anal about their metallurgy.
The rest of the car is as well-built as the engine. Aside from the first rebuild, the P1800 had only maintenance-related repairs until after it had reached 750k, when the transmission developed an oil leak, says Irv. (Vic Dres, of Goleta, CA, reports that his million mile, 88 Volvo 740 GLE had no non-maintenance problems until the transmission went kaput after hed logged half a million miles, and Selden Cooper says his million mile, 87 240 sedan is still very reliable. Neither engine has been rebuilt. )
Nonetheless, theres more to reaching three million miles than quality. The engine, Matejka says, was very clean, because [Gordon] is so meticulous, an adjective others have applied to Irvs maintenance habits. (In fact, a former student of Gordons, Richard Brunswick, MD, who I met at Arlington Masss Barismo coffeehouse after he overheard me talking about Irvs Volvo, praised his teaching in similar terms. )

For example, youd think a 66 Volvo, sans garage on Long Island, half a block from the Atlantic, would have rusted out already. My friend, Pattys 1968 145, originally a California car, which her parents had bought new when she was 10, had sprouted nascent rot by the time she and her husband donated the car to NPR around 2008, after 18 years in the snow belt. When I had wondered why Irvs was still pristine, he said he hosed the undercarriage during the winter. I try to get all the crevices, where the salt and sand will build up, he says. You just have to get down on your hands and knees.
Finally, Irv goes easy on the car. Early on, he took part in road rallies, but after a while, I said, why am I killing my car? Irv says he accelerates gently, and that his top speed is 60-65 mph. I like to see how long I can make things last, he says.
Irvs love for road trips probably dates from the summer of 47, when he was 8, and my family bought a new Buick and spent the entire summer traveling around the US. Subsequently, whenever his hard-working father had a weekend day off, we spent the entire day in the car going somewhere. Irv waxes eloquent about the joy of visiting new places on road trips.
But Irv has driven himself into an uncomfortable paradox. The miles have transformed the P1800 from a fungible commodity into a piece of history—enshrined in the Guinness Book of World Records. That historical status makes the P1800 an asset for Volvo, and for Irv, as well. Since the first million milestone, Irv has been doing ads and events for Volvo, an avocation which he loves, but one for which he swears he receives only expenses (true, says Jessica Snell of the PR firm, Haberman, lately contracted to Volvo). Nonetheless, over the years, Volvo has given Irv two new Volvos—one at the turn of each million miles—with a third on the way.

Volvos sense of value added was obvious from the shipping of Irv and the P1800 to Alaska for the 3 millionth mile, rather than allowing the event to take place in more mundane environs. Shipping the car was necessary, because by the time Volvo decided to shoot the event in Alaska, I only had 200 miles to go to reach 3 million, Irv explains.
All that value has begun to weigh. The odds of a cars being totaled—a fate Texan Norbert Lissys P1800 suffered around 700,000 miles—rise with exposure. In all his driving, Irv says he has never caused a crash, but that the metal has been bent maybe 11 times. A year ago, Irv was headed for Baltimore on a relatively empty I-95, he says, when a guy in pickup truck ran into my car when I was doing 65. And I was on my way to do film shoot for Google! Ever since then Im getting to be paranoid.
And so, nowadays, his other Volvo — the 2002 C70 that he received for the 2 million milestone — is getting more use. Im as careful as I can be about where and when I [drive the P1800], says Irv. Asked if hed ever sell the P1800, he says, I just got invited to go to the Brussels auto show. Once I get rid of the car nobody is going to call anymore.