NEWS: Woman Drives 1970 Camaro Over One Million Miles, Thumbs Nose At Volvo

http://jalopnik.com/assets/resources/2008/07/Million-Mile-1970-Chevy-Camaro.jpgEmma Ely bought her baby blue 1970 Chevy Camaro SS 350 38 years ago and has driven it daily ever since. As a result, she's racked up 1,104,000 miles on the odometer and counting. That's a number so high it's caused it to rollover and start over from zero.


The engine, transmission and rear end are all original and have never required major overhaul. The 72-year-old Ely chalks up the cars longevity to regular oil changes at 3,000 miles and careful attention to any maintenance issues. We chalk it up to a 1970 split bumper Camaro being driven by an old lady as being totally awesome. Check out the short interview at a CBS affiliate via the link below. (Hat tip to Michael!) [Breitbart (http://www.breitbart.tv/?p=129823), SuperChevy (http://www.superchevy.com/features/camaro/sucp_0807_1970_ss350_camaro/index.html)]

More... (http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/jalopnik/full/~3/335260985/woman-drives-1970-camaro-over-one-million-miles-thumbs-nose-at-volvo)

holy hell...still looks clean. Needs a set of wheels and a spoiler tho. Oh and probably a total rebuild:lol:

It takes more than an oil change to make a car like that last a million miles. Look at the under-hood pictures. That lady must have washed and scrubbed her engine every time she washed the car for it to look like that. Look at the interior, specifically the seats. You can't make vinyl last 38 years without cracking unless you either keep it stored under a cover all day when out in public, or else she's maintained the machine by having seats recovered when the vinyl needs fixing.

Not doubting her story, but I think she's a little more than fastidious in her maintenance habits than most Camaro owners, and that is what has kept that car going. Oh, and from what I know, that odometer had to roll over 11 times, not just once.

:metal:

Wow! That is awesome! :cool:

im sure there has been some small paintwork and interior refurbishing, hell im sure the headliner and door seals have been done a couple times as well

Oh, and from what I know, that odometer had to roll over 11 times, not just once.

That's what I thought too. It'd be hilarious if the car really only had 104,000 miles on it. :D

interior work and other cosmetics have nothing to do with the longevity of a drivetrain.
The engine, transmission and rear end are all original and have never required major overhaul.

im sure there has been some small paintwork and interior refurbishing, hell im sure the headliner and door seals have been done a couple times as well

Yes, I'm sure the interior upholstery has been redone at least a couple of times, but that wouldn't be a surprise for any ~40 year old car, much less one with over a million miles on it. It doesn't matter at car shows whether it's the original upholstery or reupholstered, just as long as it's done in the OEM style (if you're going for restored original, that is.) However, the drivetrain being all original without any major rebuilds is quite astounding. :)

Here is all the info on it.
http://www.superchevy.com/features/camaro/sucp_0807_1970_ss350_camaro/index.html
It's the same color as my 71 Camaro.:thumb:
But mine is not an RS on an SS just a badly rusted California/Florida car that I got for a hell of a deal with a built 383 and a B&M TH400 transmission.
I'm probably going to have to put 6k into the body work and a decent paint job.
But she's worth it.:D

That is totally awesome! :)

I'm kind of doubting alteast the part of the the story about the engine, transmission, and rear end havent been rebuilt in 38 years or 1.1million miles

I'm kind of doubting alteast the part of the the story about the engine, transmission, and rear end havent been rebuilt in 38 years or 1.1million miles

why is it so hard to believe? If it has been well maintained and not beaten on...I dont see why not. Just about any car can last that long with proper care.

why is it so hard to believe? If it has been well maintained and not beaten on...I dont see why not. Just about any car can last that long with proper care.

:yes:
I'm with stupid.
:p

:thumb: It is great hearing news like that

That's 29,000 miles per year. Holy crap. Hate to say it, but I'm REALLY skeptical.

i believe it not to long ago on the news i saw a early 90s ck1500 with the 5.7 that rolled over a million miles
i think it would be cool if gm gave her a new camaro and use that story as a way of advertising the new camaro

Well thats 2,416 miles a month.
Florida is a big State.:thumb:
Also maybe she took some long road trips back in the days of cheap gas.:think:

why is it so hard to believe? If it has been well maintained and not beaten on...I dont see why not. Just about any car can last that long with proper care.
I would think that these older cars would even have a better chance of making it that far from a drivetrain perspective, just due to the fact that it is almost completely made of steel.

I can see putting the 30k miles a year on a car easy. I just dont see everything holding together over a period that long with that many miles. Specifically the transmission raises a flag. I think grandma has forgotten all what was done to her car.

Very cool. Hope she puts another million on it.

Camaros = Good

When Will The Public Figure It Out,,,

she must rarely take that over 1500 rpms for the tranny to still be good. Rev that motor to redline one time, everything goes ka boom.

she must rarely take that over 1500 rpms for the tranny to still be good. Rev that motor to redline one time, everything goes ka boom.

I'd say the opposite. Cars only last if you beat on them every once in awhile.

Funny image to think of an old lady driving a camaro though. Guess that will be me one day. Muaaaaah!

And this car is driving around in my town. ;) It was in the paper awhile back and had a new paint job on it. Like stated above, Not sure if inside has been redone. But I think it has. Would be a nice car to have.

Show me the 368 oil change records and I'll be a believer.

Until then, I think she's one "zero" off in her calculations, and the car realistically has 104k.

Or...there's not an original part anywhere on the car, in which case that's something anyone can do. In fact, it gets to a point where so much is replaced, about the only original pieces are the frame and the vin plate.

Here is all the info on it.
http://www.superchevy.com/features/camaro/sucp_0807_1970_ss350_camaro/index.html
It's the same color as my 71 Camaro.:thumb:
But mine is not an RS on an SS just a badly rusted California/Florida car that I got for a hell of a deal with a built 383 and a B&M TH400 transmission.
I'm probably going to have to put 6k into the body work and a decent paint job.
But she's worth it.:D

For $6,000. you might get a fresh paint job. Rust can get very expensive to repair. We have an auto restoration shop and do a lot of Camaros 9 out of 10 of first gens need at least one quarter panel, wheel house panels, trunk floor extensions etc. Then you get to the body work stage once the rust repair has been addressed, then block and prime, then paint and reassembly. Replace weather strips blah, blah, blah. We have been doing this for years and nothing is more true that you get what you pay for so just be very careful. Post a picture of your car, I would love to see it:p

For $6,000. you might get a fresh paint job. Rust can get very expensive to repair. We have an auto restoration shop and do a lot of Camaros 9 out of 10 of first gens need at least one quarter panel, wheel house panels, trunk floor extensions etc. Then you get to the body work stage once the rust repair has been addressed, then block and prime, then paint and reassembly. Replace weather strips blah, blah, blah. We have been doing this for years and nothing is more true that you get what you pay for so just be very careful. Post a picture of your car, I would love to see it:p

Well I'm dealing with "fay" now so no pictures for a while.
I just typed a whole List of what it needs and the power went out for a sec And my UPS battery is dead so I lost the whole thing.:mad:
so I can tell you what it needs after "fay" goes away.:)
But what every I put into the car it will be worth it.
The engine and transmission it worth over the 1k I payed for the car.
I was just think of labor just for body work not parts.:)

If we can be of any help or answer any questions, feel free. Check out our web site www.finnsautorestoration.com. Take care.

Thats awesome, I believe this car could last a million miles especially because an old lady was driving it.

Here is my Jeep Comanche. I put over 450,000 miles on this little truck and I beat the hell out of it. It was on its second motor, but I was still on the originial tranny, transfer case, rear and front axles.
http://www.norcal-lsx.com/multimedia/data/500/12Jeep_Comanche.jpg

And this car is driving around in my town. ;) It was in the paper awhile back and had a new paint job on it. Like stated above, Not sure if inside has been redone. But I think it has. Would be a nice car to have.

Those blue seats look like they were just recovered. Those don't look original at all to me.

What do you expect? It's a little ol lady driving that thing! My grandma's 85 chevette looked fantastic before my parents sold it.