original miles...hhhmmm?
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 4,411
Likes: 1
From: Okeechobee Florida
original miles...hhhmmm?
we all see the posts all the time...
"my vette has 36k original miles"
"my vette has 42k original miles"
come on people...these cars are 25 or 30 years old!
do you guys REALLY believe what the odometer says is the only miles that is on these cars?
ive often heard that one way to tell is if the numbers are all in a nice, straight row...but after they have turned over they are not...
is there any truth to this?
what do you guys think about this "original miles" thing?
[Modified by SIGNGUY, 5:53 PM 9/25/2003]
"my vette has 36k original miles"
"my vette has 42k original miles"
come on people...these cars are 25 or 30 years old!
do you guys REALLY believe what the odometer says is the only miles that is on these cars?
ive often heard that one way to tell is if the numbers are all in a nice, straight row...but after they have turned over they are not...
is there any truth to this?
what do you guys think about this "original miles" thing?
[Modified by SIGNGUY, 5:53 PM 9/25/2003]
Race Director
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 19,610
Likes: 778
From: Forked River NJ
Re: original miles...hhhmmm? (SIGNGUY)
A lot of them are turned over or back. Mine has 49xxx on it now and I have copies of the previous titles and mileage on the car If you have the documentation I'd beleive it. If not I'd say they are not telling the truth. Even with the low miles on mine it needed everything because it sat outside for a long time. Just because its low miles does not mean it is in good shape.
My daily driver numbers are never straight and it has only 36000 on it. Its a 2002 Grand Prix. Most time the numbers are not lined up.
[Modified by Gordonm, 6:40 PM 9/25/2003]
My daily driver numbers are never straight and it has only 36000 on it. Its a 2002 Grand Prix. Most time the numbers are not lined up.
[Modified by Gordonm, 6:40 PM 9/25/2003]
Racer
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 397
Likes: 1
From: CORTLANDT MANOR NY
Re: original miles...hhhmmm? (SIGNGUY)
Unless the owner can document storage for a number of years(like 20) it is usually a load of BS.
In many cases it was sold to a new buyer who believes the milage is true. After that it becomes a fact in the mind of the owner. A 70's vete with 30K on the clock has been driven an average of 1000 miles a year. Very, very, very unlikely.
If you believe those stories without documentation I know of a great bridge in Brooklyn that I can make you a deal on.
In many cases it was sold to a new buyer who believes the milage is true. After that it becomes a fact in the mind of the owner. A 70's vete with 30K on the clock has been driven an average of 1000 miles a year. Very, very, very unlikely.
If you believe those stories without documentation I know of a great bridge in Brooklyn that I can make you a deal on.
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 17,102
Likes: 7
From: Fair Oaks, OK
Re: original miles...hhhmmm? (SIGNGUY)
we all see the posts all the time...
"my vette has 36k original miles"
"my vette has 42k original miles"
come on people...these cars are 25 or 30 years old!
do you guys REALLY believe what the odometer says is the only miles that is on these cars?
"my vette has 36k original miles"
"my vette has 42k original miles"
come on people...these cars are 25 or 30 years old!
do you guys REALLY believe what the odometer says is the only miles that is on these cars?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 6,640
Likes: 287
From: Ann Arbor Michigan
Re: original miles...hhhmmm? (SIGNGUY)
You can't even go by the "certified" mileage. The previous owner "certified" that my 71' had 20,000 miles on the title when he sold it to the dealer I bought it from. After restoring everything on the car, it became obvious that the car had WAY more than 20K miles. Lesson learned! To bad there are butts like that in the world.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 2,065
Likes: 1,395
From: Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Re: original miles...hhhmmm? (SIGNGUY)
I'm the original owner of my car. I rarely drive it. Only abour 500 mi this year.
The point is, it has about 90K on it now. Since I never drive it much, I still managed to get 90K on the clock.
So a 30+ year old car with only 36K must not be driven at all. Or................?
The point is, it has about 90K on it now. Since I never drive it much, I still managed to get 90K on the clock.
So a 30+ year old car with only 36K must not be driven at all. Or................?
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Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 1,166
Likes: 0
From: Tulsa Ok
Re: original miles...hhhmmm? (Barry's70LT1)
It's been my experience that parts of a chevy wear out after 60,000 miles, regardless of age. My clock shows 85,000 and I believe it 'cause I started having to replace just about everything when it hit 60 grand. If someone claims low milage, look for original parts: starter, alternator, water pump,etc.
Oh, and all miles are original miles. No two trips are ever the same.
Oh, and all miles are original miles. No two trips are ever the same.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 2,103
Likes: 0
From: Tucson AZ
Re: original miles...hhhmmm? (Barry's70LT1)
I'm the original owner of my car. I rarely drive it. Only abour 500 mi this year.
The point is, it has about 90K on it now. Since I never drive it much, I still managed to get 90K on the clock.
So a 30+ year old car with only 36K must not be driven at all. Or................?
The point is, it has about 90K on it now. Since I never drive it much, I still managed to get 90K on the clock.
So a 30+ year old car with only 36K must not be driven at all. Or................?
Now, my engine was replaced, so technically the "original" miles thing is bunk. How does one have original miles on a non original engine?
[Modified by Robert N, 5:20 PM 9/25/2003]
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 4,411
Likes: 1
From: Okeechobee Florida
Re: original miles...hhhmmm? (FeedVaal)
Oh, and all miles are original miles. No two trips are ever the same.
"original" miles...what the heck does that mean? if anything! LOL
anyways...i think what prompted me to post this was the people that believe it when its told to them or because thats what the odometer says......
i mean, how many times have we all read it hear on the forum?
"my car has 36000 miles on it"...well, im betting that a lot of people say that simply because thats what the odometer says...even if it was NEVER told to them...
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 2,589
Likes: 44
From: Gods Country WI
Re: original miles...hhhmmm? (SIGNGUY)
Of course you can't believe everything you read. But when I bought mine this spring from the original owners with documented 21,802 miles on it I had no doubt they were truthful. This car still had the original tires, exhaust, belts, paint. They were positively **** about their car to the point of keeping the mufflers waxed, keeping a toothbrush in the glove box to remove any hidden wax, kept a log of every time it was started and everytime gas was added, driven on top of a sheet of plastic, and stored in a seperate garage under cover. I can understand your skepticism, but don't think that just because a car has been around a long time does not mean it was the owners main means of transportation.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 3,365
Likes: 5
From: Lake Villa IL
Cruise-In IV Veteran
Cruise-In V Veteran
St. Jude Contributor
Re: original miles...hhhmmm? (SIGNGUY)
I'd say a lot of it is :bs
But there are some that are authentic.
I say drive them. That's what they are there for. And keep the speedo plugged in. :nono:
But there are some that are authentic.
I say drive them. That's what they are there for. And keep the speedo plugged in. :nono:
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2000
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From: Massillon,Ohio USA
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Re: original miles...hhhmmm? (Jeff78)
In some cases it "can be" the original miles. I bought my '74 in '89 with 26,800 "original" miles from the original owner, and like the above poster said, it too has THE original belts, hoses, plug wires, etc.-even had THE ORIGINAL Goodyear Steelgards on it when I bought it!!! My Silver '68 which is going for NCRS Bowtie hopefully next year in Windsor, Ontario, Canada has mileage reciepts every year the car license plates were renewed I GUARANTEE has 42,000 miles on it. My '68 convertible, bought in pieces, had 87,000mi on it when I bought it in '88, now has 127,000mi on it. My Silver '75 had 106,000mi on it when I bought it in '90, now has and shows 144,000mi on it.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 9,127
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From: Pottsville, PA. USA Home Of America's Oldest Brewery Yuengling
Re: original miles...hhhmmm? (Paul Borowski)
I have owned Corvettes since 1976 and can tell you that a lot of owners pulled the speedometer cables off and drove them. If you car is a 77-82 with cruise control it is very easy to do. Also it wasn't illeagal to turn mileage back on cars untill 1972 and then it took untill the early 80's to start to enforce the law.
Pro
Joined: Oct 2002
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From: Clarkston MI
C3 of Year Finalist (stock) 2019
2018 C3 of Year Finalist
Re: original miles...hhhmmm? (SIGNGUY)
it's all about documentation. If you can't prove it, it's anyone's guess...
My car is fully documented (oil change / dealership reciepts, titles, etc.) and looks like a 30 yr old, 17,000 mile car....
My car is fully documented (oil change / dealership reciepts, titles, etc.) and looks like a 30 yr old, 17,000 mile car....
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 2,131
Likes: 4
From: May help you? You can sure as hell try!
Re: original miles...hhhmmm? (SIGNGUY)
My car had 45,000 miles showing on the odometer. I believe them to be true miles since the car sat in storage for over 20 years. It doesn't matter anyway because the mechanical condition was pretty bad--a good bit of the problems stemming from storage. I rebuilt the whole suspension and drive train. What difference does mileage make on a car this old? Time takes its toll more than mileage when you're talking 30+ years old. Rubber rots, metal rusts, paint fades, etc. regardless of whether the car is being driven or not.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2000
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From: TEXASTEXASTEXASTEXAS TEXASTEXASTEXASTEXAS
St. Jude Contributor
Re: original miles...hhhmmm? (LemansBlue68)
Mine's another one that's low milage (& I believe it really is) so I think there are more of 'em out there than you might think. A lot of these cars, esp. the more high dollar ones like big block verts were purchased as occasional drivers, not daily drivers, and a lot of 'em did sit around in garages when the owners got over the initial excitement of owning a sports car (mine sat the last owner's garage for 9 years and still had the old, dry rotted SAE tires on it).