If a car has been rebuilt (for example $50M worth of work on a 1988 Carrera including complete engine blueprinting, updated suspension, brakes, etc.) would it be OK to reset the odometer to 0?

I recently purchased a car like this, and reported the rollback via carfax. I can document the original miles prior to rebulding, and of the new odometer shows the miles since then. Since I documented the rollback via carfax have I covered my bases? Was the previous owner within their rights to do a rollback? The title now says "exempt from odometer reporting" as that what the dealer put on the title and DMV was OK with it.

 

I do not know what you can do legally..if I where to buy a car I would prefer original odometer reading and told the work that was done @ certain miles and how many miles on the new engine rather than resetting to 0. By resetting to 0, even if you have documentation, it would make me suspecious as to what else was done to the odometer. It is not the conventinal way to reset to zero.
abe

 

Did not have a choice. It was already reset when I found the car. Too great a car to pass up over this issue. I just want to make sure I can document it in a way that it is clear to anyone what the true miles are. In most ways it is a new car. The work done was substantial and hit every major system on the car. The frame and body work are original (and rust free), but the car has a been stripped down and repainted. It looks brand new in every regard, although I am sure some of the parts are original and have not been replaced and reflect the actual miles vs. the new miles. (axle, CV joints, etc.).

 

I have seen this done with other cars when a complete resto etc has been done. So long as you know what you're getting into, and you're ethically capable of full disclosure & documentation supports your car's history, I have no issue with this.

If the car's passed off down the road with no disclosure, that I have issues with.

 

It is all recorded in the Carfax history so anyone can pull the report and see. It shows a max of 138k miles with the original owner. A transfer of title to the new owner. I have all the invoices for the resto work they did. It then shows the transfer to me as the 3rd owner. I entered into the CarFax history that the odometer was reset when the 2nd owner did the resto work.

So I guess I should be O.K. as anyone that wanted to buy it can pull a CarFax report and see the complete history, and I have the documentation on the extent of the resto work.

Thanks.

It is a sweet car by the way. Handles as good as it looks with all the suspension upgrades they put on it.

 

I saw this a lot when shopping for my Carrera and personally I think it's completely bogus. I understand why it's done, but I'm also aware of the intentions behind it and those intentions are never innocent. That's not to say that someone will try to pass it off as a lower mileage car, but when people attempt to sell the car with a rollback their position is always "Forget the last 100,000 miles and just pay attention to this latest 5,000 since an engine rebuild." This is a flawed philosophy and as everyone knows, an engine rebuild does not a new car make.
People seem to conclude that since there's been a restoration that it's acceptable to roll an odometer back, my position is that there is no circumstance where this is acceptable, ever.
Proper documentation and reporting of miles at/since a rebuild/ resto is the appropriate way of going about it.
All that said, you did exactly the right thing with Carfax and the DMV, thereby keeping everything kosher for the future.
Is that the car in your avatar??? If so, I wouldn't pass it up because of a rollback either! That thing looks awesome!
Can we see more pics?

 

Yes, that is the car and I could not pass it up. Here are some more pix ...

 

Just plain wrong in my opinion.

 

I am pretty sure in Canada it is TOTALLY ILLEGAL to rollback an odometer and represents fraud. you can easlily document anything and use it as an excuse to roll back the odometer.

 

If you blow up your engine and put a rebuilt in which had lower mileage, you would not roll back your odometer. People still want to know what the chasis had on it.

 

Exactly! ^

But, it is good you are offering up full disclosure.

 

I am not exactly sure who the responsible party is. I assumed it was the previous owner when he did the restoration (versus the dealer I purchased it from), as it had 2,500 miles on it when I bought it and the previous owner had said he put about 2,000 street miles on while he owned it.

Anyway ... to nice a car to pass up for that reason. I believe I have documented the issue via public information (Title and CarFax) in the event I ever lose my senses and want to sell it in the future.

 

Pairoducs,
Legal issue, I don't know. But if the car is too nice to pass, I'll take it anyway. My argument would be, I didn't do it. Some PO did it and it comes with documents.
On personal choice, I would't care. As long as I know the age/condition of the car, and the engine, I am fine.

 

On the other side, If i build a kit car and purchase a new odometer but put a used VW motor/tranny/frame/rad/lights/ etc. in it. It is a "0" miles car according to the Lisence ministry.? Flaw in the system........

 

I think that is a great car and worth buying . I just think odometer rollback in principle is just wrong and intendt deceit. Just my opinion.