Joined
·
152 Posts
Is there any way to tell if the odometer actually turned over? Mine only goes to 99999. I assume it has turned over but I'd like to know for sure. Thanks! :thumbsup:
Odometer 49,000 or 149,000?
1 - 20 of 20 Posts
Look at your brake and clutch pedal (if equipped). If you can determine it's original, you can tell the differance betwenn 40,000 and 140,000 pretty easily by the wear.
How many original parts are still on the car?
Original Seat Covers? A 40,000 mile car should still have original seat covers.
A 40,000 mile original should be pretty unmolested. (And pretty rare)
How many original parts are still on the car?
Original Seat Covers? A 40,000 mile car should still have original seat covers.
A 40,000 mile original should be pretty unmolested. (And pretty rare)
Joined
·
5,396 Posts
I don't know about anyone else but every car with a mechanical odometer I had that rolled over, the numbers were never in alignment afterwards. Just a little off. They were in alignment up to 99,999.
Of course the odometer could have been changed or exchanged along the way. Not much of a way to tell unless you knew the original owner and all those since.
Of course the odometer could have been changed or exchanged along the way. Not much of a way to tell unless you knew the original owner and all those since.
In the 70s AMC put a little inkpad in the odometer to color the first number blue as it passed by. In theory if the car's odometer had rolled the first number would be tinted blue. As far as the numbers staying in line when the odo rolls over, I worked on taxis when I was an apprentice and don't ever recall one with crooked numbers. The owner of one fleet expected at least 600,000 out of an Impala, and if it had good drivers even more.
Paul
Paul
Joined
·
40,879 Posts
The only time I saw the numbers out of alignment were on speedometers that had been rolled back or tampered with.
Before the states started "trying" to keep track, we were driving cars that had been around once or twice and didn't even know it.
John's way is how we used to tell (guess).
How in the heck would ink stay wet for YEARS ?
Before the states started "trying" to keep track, we were driving cars that had been around once or twice and didn't even know it.
John's way is how we used to tell (guess).
How in the heck would ink stay wet for YEARS ?
The ink would only need to stay wet until the "one" signifying 10,000 miles. So at 110,000 the "one" would be blue. It didn't work very well. The speedos that I worked on were from AMC Matador sedans. And yes the ink pads were well dried up. In reality I couldn't see them lasting for more than a few months. I think the intention was to void warranty claims on taxis that would put mileage on very quickly. In my previous post some of the taxis mentioned with multiple drivers would put 100K on in a year!
Paul
As 69396 says, look at how the beat the car is.
Wear indicates miles, while deterioration due to sitting in various conditions, like a garage, field, etc. indicate sitting around. This can be hard to determine. Hanging out with a lot of old cars over a long time helps...
I was thinking the same in that looking at the rubber covers on the pedals, seat covers, carpet, etc. where people getting in and out and driving would wear means high miles.
Nasty rust on the bottom but much less wear inside could indicate it sat outside.
50k miles in 40 years for example is usually not true without good docs.
50k miles in 5 years isn't much so if its a 72 was it parked in 77?
Or a 64 parked in 69?
What's the condition? Pics!?
Oh, you're in HI... Who knows how cars wear there? Salt air maybe, but not 1000 mile stretches of freeway. Hmmm...
Wear indicates miles, while deterioration due to sitting in various conditions, like a garage, field, etc. indicate sitting around. This can be hard to determine. Hanging out with a lot of old cars over a long time helps...
I was thinking the same in that looking at the rubber covers on the pedals, seat covers, carpet, etc. where people getting in and out and driving would wear means high miles.
Nasty rust on the bottom but much less wear inside could indicate it sat outside.
50k miles in 40 years for example is usually not true without good docs.
50k miles in 5 years isn't much so if its a 72 was it parked in 77?
Or a 64 parked in 69?
What's the condition? Pics!?
Oh, you're in HI... Who knows how cars wear there? Salt air maybe, but not 1000 mile stretches of freeway. Hmmm...
Joined
·
152 Posts
Joined
·
18,121 Posts
don't just go by the pedal pads- you can get new ones for a few bucks- look at the pedals themselves. the paint on the pedal lever will get worn off from the tips of shoes rubbing against it. for some reason, no one ever seems to repaint the pedals when they fix up the interior. also look at the rubber pad in the carpet below the pedals- as they get close to 100k miles, they start to wear out. kick panels will get marked up from getting bumped by feet over the years- that's why they are called kick panels. door sill plates and the paint along the bottom of the doorjam will also show wear with miles. doors will also start to sag and creak and generally just work crappy with time, and the suspension will get sloppy.
in the end, you will just "know" if it is a high or low mileage car.
i never really knew what to look for until i got a completely stock and totally unmolested 68 Nomad wagon back in 95 that had 40,000 miles showing on it- and everything was crisp and tight. same with my 84 Regal T Type that had 58,000 showing on it when i got it- it just looked and felt "fresher" than most of the high mileage junk i've had over the years.
in the end, you will just "know" if it is a high or low mileage car.
i never really knew what to look for until i got a completely stock and totally unmolested 68 Nomad wagon back in 95 that had 40,000 miles showing on it- and everything was crisp and tight. same with my 84 Regal T Type that had 58,000 showing on it when i got it- it just looked and felt "fresher" than most of the high mileage junk i've had over the years.
Cars didn't last as long back then as they do now. 100K was a pretty good lifetime without major repairs. Check the condition of the engine and accessories, much over 100k and they will likely have been rebuilt or replaced. Drivers seat wear is also a pretty good indicator of high mileage.
Tom
Tom
Joined
·
40,879 Posts
That's because the speedometer had been around 3 times and we didn't realize it back then.
A seller would NEVER disclose that little detail.
Joined
·
2,344 Posts
Carefull how you gage the wear and tear. I think 149,000 you might be lowballing the actual mileage.
My Sprint shows 78,000, but after fully assessing the wear on everything in my Sprint after the last couple of months I have deducted it had closer to 978,000 miles on it!
My Sprint shows 78,000, but after fully assessing the wear on everything in my Sprint after the last couple of months I have deducted it had closer to 978,000 miles on it!
It all depends on how it has been used. My dad is 88 years old and bought a new Saturn in 2000. It has 21000 kilometers (about 13000 miles) on it now. He drives it once a week to get groceries and that is all. His previous car that he had for eighteen years had 45,000 kilometers when he trade it in. I can see your point though. Someone usually drives their new car a lot for the first while. I do find that people in general drive a lot more now than in the seventies when I started in this trade. Cars were not nearly as expensive and a lot of people would trade about the five year mark with about 50 k miles.
Paul
Joined
·
5,396 Posts
That is so true. Last year a lady we used to live next door to and down the street from since I was in the 1st grade thru High School passed. She still lived in the same house.
In late 1963 her husband bought her a 1964 Belair 2dr sedan 327 powerglide.
All she ever did was go to the store, church and to pay bills. She stopped driving it in 1998 and it sat in the garage except when she had her son take it for a drive about once a month. She refused to sell it or give it to her grandson.(really ticked the kid off too)
Her grandson inherited the car after his dad passed a year after grandma did. He put it up for sale. It had 47,581 actual miles on it and looked like it just rolled off the showroom floor! It was maintained regularly by the local Chevy dealer and all maintenence records were available with it!
So yes these cars do exist!
In 1965 my grandpa was given a 1954 Chevy Belair by my moms last husband who had bought it brand new. It had a little over 18,000 miles on it. Never saw snow or rain and ran mostly up and down alleys around town!(only way he would drive) My grandpa drove it until 1969 when I bought it as my first car! When it was sold it had 125,000 miles on it!:thumbsup:
Joined
·
152 Posts
Is this a joke? How could you possibly assess that type of mileage? Maybe I don't get your sarcasm.Carefull how you gage the wear and tear. I think 149,000 you might be lowballing the actual mileage.
My Sprint shows 78,000, but after fully assessing the wear on everything in my Sprint after the last couple of months I have deducted it had closer to 978,000 miles on it!
Joined
·
2,344 Posts
Yes, it was a joke. I was describing the terrible condition of my Sprint and my estimate of almost 1 million miles!
a good give away to tell tell if she original, check out the inside of the fuel tank, , if it somewhat clean, then i would save the odemeter is correct, also the supension bushing will tell you a story or two, my sedan's fuel tank was clean as new , and the suspension bushings look like time had stop,
Joined
·
152 Posts
Well my suspension bushings look like someone left them out in direct sunlight for 40 years, then took a blowtorch to them. I'm going to go with 149,000. I can't see it being only 49,000 but I'm pretty sure it isn't 249,000. The stock seats just look too good!
1 - 20 of 20 Posts
