I'm looking at a 1977 Corvette with 6500 original miles. If I do purchase the car what documentation should I request from the original owner to authenticate the mileage.

Thanks in advance, Matt

 

The permission to bring a trained experienced pair of eyes with you.
Post Pics!

 

It's the seller's responsibility to prove to you that it's 6500 and not 106500. Let him produce the proof.

Very low mileage cars are not worth paying a premium for if they're going to be driven.

 

Hi Matt,
I agree with the points cvm and mw made.
I don't think documentation will add much to your faith in the car. I'd think looking at the car with a knowledgeable eye will be better.
At 6500 miles the interior should still look new. It should not be scratched or marked up, the seat covers shouldn't be worn, and neither should the carpet or pedal pads.
The exterior should show many signs of being the original paint. The wheels and tires should be unmarked even if the tires are old. The best thing would be to have the original tires still in place.
Mechanically the engine compartment and chassis should be untouched except for perhaps one oil change. The plugs and wires, air filter, radiator cap, master cylinder cap, should all be the original. The original shock absorbers should still be in place.
In short the car may LOOK aged but should be as complete and original as it would have been at 4-5 months old.
If a lot of things have been changed it really doesn't matter what the milage states… it's just a well maintained old car.
If as mw says, if you plan to drive it you maybe surprised and disappointed how much time and $$ it will take to get it ready to drive regularly. And soon it won't be a low milage car anymore.
So???
Regards,
Alan

Buying and keeping low milage cars takes a certain kind of interest and commitment.

 

From where I sit, you should be able to look at this car and have an impression of the mileage.

 

Most repair and maintenance receipts are dated and have mileage noted on them.

 

OOOOOOOps..........mine has 3,000,000 miles on it

 

There is an unmistakable "patina" to an older, low mileage, original interior. An experienced eye can discern with some certainty if the mileage is real. As was said, the engine compartment, paint, wear on the pedals are also things to look at.

If you are paying a premium for low mileage, he should provide the paperwork and you should bring an experienced set of eyes with you.

 

I disagree with this. Cars like this should not be bought as an investment.
I like to buy low mileage cars and drive the premium I paid out of the car.
If you don't expect to get the "premium" you paid back in cash at resale time you can enjoy putting all the miles you want on your low mileage find.

 

You can do the same thing with a high mileage car, and then use all that money you saved to buy something else, like beer.

 

Mileage may be low, but time has done its job on many components. If you want a driver, you're better off with a car that has been driven and well maintained.

 

Depending on the premium paid and the rate at which miles are accumulated, this type of car ownership can be pretty expensive.

Spending $35K on a low mileage sPace Car makes no sense to me, but even less so if it going to be turned into yet another 30K mile beater worth $10K in a year or two.

Each to his own.