| Frank Oresnik's Chevy truck dubbed 'old girl' | | | | really humbling, all this interest." |
| recently passed the one million-mile mark | | | | |
| thanks to an engine built in Flint. | | | | Oresnik passed the million-mile mark Feb. 8 |
| | | | in southeastern Wisconsin while on his way |
| "This engine is a real marvel," Oresnik said | | | | back home to Catawba, located in Price |
| in a telephone interview with The Flint | | | | County, about an hour west of Rhinelander, |
| Journal. "It keeps this truck going and | | | | reported MLive. "I won't say it was relief |
| going. I'm a complete booster of the job your | | | | ... it was exhilarating," he said later |
| men and women did on my engine." | | | | during a stop in Gresham. "This truck has |
| | | | been so dependable over the years." |
| Officials at General Motors Corp. said the | | | | |
| engine in Oresnik's Chevy Silverado was | | | | Oresnik said there has been some interested |
| manufactured at the former Flint V-8 Engine | | | | in General Motors or Shell Oil buying the |
| Plant off Van Slyke Road, which ceased | | | | truck. But he said he has interest in taking |
| production in 1999 and was demolished a year | | | | a roadtrip to Michigan and meeting workers |
| thereafter. | | | | who built the engine in Flint as well as |
| | | | those who assembled his truck in Pontiac. |
| The durability of the engine is not | | | | |
| surprising to V-8 workers. Actually, some of | | | | John Crabtree, Flint Engine South's plant |
| them are still building said engines at Flint | | | | manager, said in an e-mail that Oresnik would |
| Engine South, a plant situated on the same | | | | not be disappointed if he visited some of the |
| General Motors property. "They were good | | | | "greatest engine building talent in the world |
| engines," UAW Local 659 shop chairman Joe | | | | today." |
| Ledford said of the V-8 that powered | | | | |
| Oresnik's truck. "That's all we've ever done | | | | "I was extremely proud to be the plant |
| is build engines." | | | | manager of the V-8 plant," Crabtree |
| | | | concluded. "Whether we're talking about the |
| Oresnik has been in the news for quite a | | | | eight cylinders that we built then, the |
| while now. He hit the one million-mile | | | | world-class six cylinders that the same |
| milestone in southeastern Wisconsin with a | | | | workforce makes today, or any engine that GM |
| National Public Radio audience listening in | | | | needs for tomorrow. ...This is just another |
| and a camera crew filming. "I can't tell you | | | | reminder that our Flint South team is always |
| how much fun it was," Oresnik noted. "It was | | | | up to the challenge. |