I really do not know what to make of Irv Gordon and his 2.7 million mile 1966 Volvo P1800.

Gordon, 68, is a retired teacher from East Patchogue, N.Y., who is famous for his long distance achievement. Indeed, it was noted in the Personal Finance column in the July/August issue of the AARP magazine in which he divulged his secret: maintenance.

"Gordon monitors his Volvo's oil, transmission fluid, and coolant levels, as well as the tire pressure, at almost every fuel stop," the article reports. "He also checks all belts and hoses, replacing them when they show signs of wear. Start paying close attention at 50,000 miles and every 50,000 thereafter, he says."

Good advice, but who has the time for such vigilance?

And consider that to achieve the mileage, he has driven an average of 62,791 miles a year for 43 years, or an average 172 miles a day! At an average speed of 50 mph, that's about 3.5 hours a day.

These numbers are simply incredible and I speak from personal experience. For eight months I commuted from Jamestown to Boston which is a round trip of 150 miles.
It was grueling and makes the prospect of driving 179 miles a day more than daunting. It's terrifying.

Frankly I would not believe it possible but the numbers have been certified by the folks at the Guinness Book of World Records who are very stringent about verification.

Certainly he seems to have driven across and up and down the country many, many times, thinking noting apparently of 1,000 mile days. His ambition is to make it to 3 million miles and then retire. He says the car is not wearing out - he is, and his doctor has told him to slow down!

- Peter C.T. Elsworth