Frank Oresnik
From Franks Blog 2008

 My name is Frank Oresnik, and I own a "once in a century" truck. It's powered by one of the truly legendary engines in automotive history, the small block Chevy. Mine is the 350 engine. It’s a 1991 Chevy Silverado, she’s my only vehicle, my do everything truck, and she’s poised to make history. What might that be you ask? My ' old girl" is less than 6000 miles short of, One Million Miles! You read that correctly, ONE MILLION MILES! The engine has never been opened up. That's right, my "old girl” has never been overhauled. She sport's the original gaskets, and seals, and engine bearings. Furthermore, the valve covers have not been off the engine. She still has the Original Timing Chain! (I welcome GM’s Engineers to examine my engine) That's why she is a "once in a century” truck.

I’m in the seafood business, my suppliers are in Chicago, and my customers are spread out throughout Wisconsin, Illinois and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I drive about 85'000 miles a year, sometimes towing a trailer when bringing seafood back from Chicago, maybe 30-35 times a year. With all this driving, she has never let me down, or stranded on the toll road.

Odd as it sounds, even when I've had flat tires, etc., they have happened under the best possible circumstances. With all these long trips, as the miles piled up, you would think that I would have doubts or uncertainty as I embark on an over night trip to Chicago, or where ever, but I never have .She always has brought me , and my product back safely. Bomber pilots, during WWII, always spoke of their planes with great affection, using feminine pronouns.’ She took us on a dangerous mission’, and' she brought us back safely', etc.That’s how I feel about “MY OLD GIRL".

I’m on my 4th radiator,3rd gas tank, my 5th transmission went in last Dec. and I’ve got about 400'000 miles on my 6th water pump. When the engine was built in Flint, it was assembled perfectly. I hope we can visit them, as well as the plant in Pontiac to give those GM workers their just do. I bought my truck with 41,000 miles on it. The original owner died and his widow wanted something smaller.

He kept meticulous service records, which I have. I bought the truck from Scaffiddi Motors in Stevens Point Wisconsin in June of 1996. I've had 300 oil changes (almost all at Oil Exchange in Medford, WI.), and maybe 100 other times where parts are replaced, etc. the odometer readings were recorded at those times, usually for warranty purposes The dates and mileage on the receipts will agree with my extensive daily driving logs, as will the odometer readings.

Furthermore every 3rd oil change, a sample is taken (for analysis), by Oil exchange. Shell/Pennzoil records the date/odometer when these samples are taken and the miles on each sample. Shell then analyzes the sample these will also substantiate and serve to document my mileage. I use Pennzoil 10-W 30 exclusively. As a one man operation, it’s been a real challenge to make a go of it, but through it all my truck has been the one truly dependable constant A customer summed it up best, I think, she said "this isn't like a sports record which will be broken someday, this will never, ever happen again".
 

An update to the following story for January 2008; 995,000 miles and still going strong.

In June of 2007; Frank Oresnik has 938,000 miles on his 1991 Chevrolet C/K pickup truck. As an example of his driving habits; on 7/25/07 951,000 miles, on 8/6/07 the truck had 955,000 miles. This man is as genuine as they get. He bought the truck used with 41,000 miles, and he drives it everyday of the year. This is a great story to follow about the most dependable longest lasting truck on the road. (Information originally gathered in April of 2005)

High Mileage Truck: a 1991 Chevrolet 1500 Pickup

GM Fort Wayne Assembly team member Ray Briggs of the Body Shop, tipped us off to this story. He found a story and photo in a regional newspaper, The Star News, in Medford Wisconsin.

The photo shows the owner of a 1991 Chevy 1500 with his oil change and lubricant team. Frank Oresnik has over 765,000 miles and counting without any engine overhaul.

“The valve covers have never been off this engine” he stated. “I’ve been through four transmissions, countless tires, but that engine, she’s a beauty. I can depend on this truck for anything as it has never left me in a lurch or let me down in any way. When I had a flat tire, even that was in the most perfect of conditions, at a service station or in my own driveway” Frank said.

He attributes this amazing mileage feat to regular maintenance and proper care. That care included regular visits to the Medford Oil Ex-change, who use Pennzoil products. They presented him with a leather jacket in recognition for his mileage milestone (at 740,000miles).

Pennzoil also does an engine oil analysis every third oil change to see what kind of wear the engine might be going through. In the last year of analysis, the engine shows “no signs of ring wear or foreign substances in the oil”.

“At 400,000 I had a compression test done and all cylinders were a solid 150” Frank added “I have a few mechanics and my tire man, who have known this truck for over 300,000 miles and they love to see me pull into their shops, they drop everything and ask ‘how’s the old girl running lately Frank?’  You can climb under it right now, and see that there are no drips leaks or weeping from any engine seals.” Frank continued.
Since he acquired the truck he has replaced 4 gas tanks, 5 water pumps, 4 starters, 3 radiators. He is on his 4th transmission, getting 250,000 out of the first one 150,000 out of the second one and 200,000 out of the third. He has replaced one TB (Throttle Body) Injector .

The truck had originally installed a block heater and just this year Frank started using it. The truck sits in an unheated garage in northern Wisconsin. Frank starts and warms the truck for 20 minutes before he moves it anywhere, “getting the entire vehicle up to temperature first, before I move anywhere, a strict regiment that I started the day I bought it.” Some days Frank may stop and start the vehicle 30-40 times as he makes deliveries to his customers.

The engine has the original timing chain and the original cam still inside. He averages 90,000 miles each year on this truck. The air conditioner has been out for the last 7 years but he does not care. The brake pedal lost the rubber boot so his foot has worn the black paint off the pedal making it shinny silver.

He has had the truck repainted as the paint on the hood and box side “flaked off” over the last few years. The grill and body look great as he has had it redone after banging into a few deer on the highway’s he travels.

He put 10,000 miles on this Truck in December of 2004 alone. He fills the custom (insulated) full- sized box in back of the truck or adds a cool storage 8x5 foot trailer, hauling over 1,000 pounds home each time.

He bought the truck used in June of 1996, at the time it had 41,000 miles on it. It was well taken care of with all the maintenance detail in the glove box.

Mark Gevaart GM FWA UAW Communications Coordinator tracked the trucks owner Frank Oresnik, spoke on the phone in March and met him in Chicago in April of 2005, to get more information for the story about his truck.

A 1991 Chevrolet Silverado Truck – VIN # 1GCDC14K2ME125150

Truck was built at Pontiac East MI Assembly plant by members of UAW Local 594

Engine was built in Flint MI by members of UAW Local 659

As of 8-6-2008 Frank has 1 million 32 thousand miles on this truck. Nothing has changed from what you have previously read. Posted on E-Bay it may soon be sold.

Story and photos gathered by:
Mark Gevaart
General Motors Vehicle Assembly
Fort Wayne Assembly
UAW Communications Coordinator
UAW Local 2209
12200 Lafayette Center Road
Roanoke, IN 46819
260-673-3101 office
260-673-2952 fax