Has my odometer flipped?
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 5,948
Likes: 72
From: Oxford MA-----You just lost the game!!!!
Has my odometer flipped?
Hi, folks, is there a way of telling if the odometer on my 1980 'vette has flipped? Like maybe the numbers don't quite line up anymore once it turns over, or something like that? My 'vette shows 63,000 miles, but it was in pretty rough shape when I bought it at 61,000, maybe it's just from being 29 years old? Or maybe it has 163,000 miles! I don't know, it's only a 5 digit counter. Thanks,
Scott
Scott
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,712
Likes: 0
From: Tampa FL
Other than typical signs of wear, there isn't any sure way to tell. If it was "pretty rough" as you describe it, it was probably a 163,000 mile car. One way is to look at the pedals, on a 63,000 mile car the gas and brake pedals would look fairly new. On a 163,000 mile car they would be worn.
Racer
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 418
Likes: 0
From: destin fl
Hi, folks, is there a way of telling if the odometer on my 1980 'vette has flipped? Like maybe the numbers don't quite line up anymore once it turns over, or something like that? My 'vette shows 63,000 miles, but it was in pretty rough shape when I bought it at 61,000, maybe it's just from being 29 years old? Or maybe it has 163,000 miles! I don't know, it's only a 5 digit counter. Thanks,
Scott
Scott
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 6,128
Likes: 21
From: North Alabama
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 3,246
Likes: 4
From: Bay Area CA
Why would they do that, and not just add another didget? no law against another didget.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 945
Likes: 1
Hi, folks, is there a way of telling if the odometer on my 1980 'vette has flipped? Like maybe the numbers don't quite line up anymore once it turns over, or something like that? My 'vette shows 63,000 miles, but it was in pretty rough shape when I bought it at 61,000, maybe it's just from being 29 years old? Or maybe it has 163,000 miles! I don't know, it's only a 5 digit counter. Thanks,
Scott
Scott
Safety Car
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 3,557
Likes: 0
From: Ridgeway VA
I think there are a lot of Vettes and other cars that should have a "1" in front of the mileage reading. Remember that in those days quality was not job #1 and most cars we not expected to go over 60,000 without wearing out.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,155
Likes: 0
From: San Diego California
Hi, folks, is there a way of telling if the odometer on my 1980 'vette has flipped? Like maybe the numbers don't quite line up anymore once it turns over, or something like that? My 'vette shows 63,000 miles, but it was in pretty rough shape when I bought it at 61,000, maybe it's just from being 29 years old? Or maybe it has 163,000 miles! I don't know, it's only a 5 digit counter. Thanks,
Scott
Scott
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 3,246
Likes: 4
From: Bay Area CA
Racer
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 418
Likes: 0
From: destin fl
He just put it back together and that was that. I think Mercedes was the first to add more digits, because the american cars were not expected to get to a 100,000 miles.
Pro
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 649
Likes: 8
From: COOKEVILLE TN
That was true with cars like the Vega( 75,000 miles and they were done),...but not V8 cars, some 283s,327s &350s would roll over 2 or 3 times !
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 3,246
Likes: 4
From: Bay Area CA
A buddy of mine tried rolling back an odometer in a Cadillac Cimmiron (spelling) and a set of flags popped up in the small window. I saw this happen. I asked him what he was doing, and he laughed, and said that his buddy asked him to roll the milage back
He just put it back together and that was that. I think Mercedes was the first to add more digits, because the american cars were not expected to get to a 100,000 miles.
He just put it back together and that was that. I think Mercedes was the first to add more digits, because the american cars were not expected to get to a 100,000 miles.
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,841
Likes: 3
From: Halifax, NS, Canada
The C3 odometer wheel locks are lined up and then inserted into a thin strip of fiber to keep them in place until the odometer is installed over a permanent steel alignment bar which locks all wheels. Here is the catch: there is a cutout on the steel alignment bar where only the thin fiber holds one wheel in place. This was intentional by GM. If you try to reverse or fast forward the odometer, guess what? The fiber breaks and then a couple of the locks start to spin with the wheels. Then you are finished.
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 3,246
Likes: 4
From: Bay Area CA
Here's another right before and after pic, What, no flags? 
But I think a tiny horn shot some tiny GM confetti in the speedo
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...996&highlight=
But I think a tiny horn shot some tiny GM confetti in the speedo
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...996&highlight=
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 2,239
Likes: 74
From: Palatine, Peoples Republic of Illinois
St. Jude Donor '09-'10-'11-12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17-‘18
NCM Sinkhole Donor
I think the European cars had more digits because they were counting kilometers. Not uncommon to 100,000 KM!
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 7,123
Likes: 433
From: Gladstone MO
C3 of Year Finalist (appearance mods) 2019
I've never done this, but if you tear the speeo apart there is a thin stip of white plastic across the back of the odo wheels. At 100k that strip is supposed to tear and let the spacers between the wheels turn. So now the black wheels will have a white stripe between them.
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 4,435
Likes: 9
From: Kalamazoo Mi
my 1980 has an HONST 65K on it, and i can tell you, check the petals, if the rubber looks worn at all then its probably 100K plus what it shows. Also check out the steering wheel, and if the drivers seat is in ok condition, if the leather is messed up, or if the cushion is flat, then its been well loved.