MEDFORD -- One can call it sheer luck, proper maintenance or both.
But the fact remains: Frank Oresnik's Chevrolet Silverado is about to reach an extraordinary milestone.
His truck will reach its one millionth mile the next time he hits the road. And then he will never drive it again.
"The extraordinary nature of that shouldn't be lost to anybody," he said.
At 2 p.m. Thursday, Oresnik of Catawba took his truck for its final tune-up and oil change at the Oil Ex-Change Quick Lube in Medford, where it has had more than 300 oil changes of Pennzoil 10W-30.
He is 1,200 miles away from one million and will drive until he hits that mark and no more, he said.
"I feel almost like the long-time NFL player as he goes into his last training camp knowing this is the end," said Oresnik, but he knows it has to be the end.
"One million is a nice round figure," he said. "Among men, it has a special significance. Once we reach that plateau, we really have no need to make the risk (driving) on public roads."
Oresnik delivers seafood from his supplier in Chicago to customers in Wisconsin, Illinois and Michigan. He is on the road 40 hours per week and drives about 85,000 miles a year.
He credits the truck's longevity to good, consistent maintenance and a load of luck. He changes the oil and gets a tune-up every 3,000 miles, drives easy on the gas and breaks and hasn't had a significant collision, he said.
The truck has had four radiators, three gas tanks, five transmissions and six water pumps, but its 350 cubic-inch engine shows no signs of wear, he said. It has never been overhauled and still sports its original gaskets, valve covers and timing chain.
"When you maintain and change all fluids in a vehicle, it's going to help you get longer life out of any engine," said Todd Vantassel, owner of the quick lube shop Oresnik frequents.
Still, Oresnik's truck is extraordinary, Vantassel said.
An oil sample was taken from every third oil change and sent to Shell for analysis to ensure the engine was running at peak performance. Both General Motors and Shell have expressed interest in tearing the engine down for examination.
"I think we can definitely learn something from it," said Vantassel. "This was real-life driving, and with our climate you're in the extremes."
In recognition of his accomplishment, Pennzoil will present Oresnik with free oil changes for his next one million miles.
http://www.marshfieldnewsherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080201/MNH0101/802010394/1980
