Odometer Dilemma
10-07-2006, 07:29 PM
#1
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Odometer Dilemma
I went to look at a nearby 87 944NA this afternoon. Owner claims 65,XXX miles. First digit of the odo is stuck between 3 and 4 (300-400K). Remaining digits read the mileage claimed by the owner. (65K+). Owner claims the odo has been like that since he bought the car in 2001. Carfax shows the following:
1989- 25,123 - NY MVA
1998 - 46,638 - NY MVA
1999 - 35,468 - NY MVA (Carfax shows the inconsuistent reading although states that it could be a clerical error).
2001 - 35,642 NY MVA
The remaining records show the car registered with the current owner. Claims vehicle purchase was from an estate sale in 2001 with approx 38K. No prior service paperwork, car is in great cosmetic condition, no evidence of accidents and runs well. Timing belt etc. repalcement unknown (if any).
My questions for the experts here are:
What would cause the first digit in a six digit odometer to become "fubared"...? I know these cars have numerous odometer problems. Is it repairable?
Second.....am I delaing with a car that has had a rollback? If so, why would anyone bother to roll it back 9K miles? I can say that this is surely not a 300K mile car.
1989- 25,123 - NY MVA
1998 - 46,638 - NY MVA
1999 - 35,468 - NY MVA (Carfax shows the inconsuistent reading although states that it could be a clerical error).
2001 - 35,642 NY MVA
The remaining records show the car registered with the current owner. Claims vehicle purchase was from an estate sale in 2001 with approx 38K. No prior service paperwork, car is in great cosmetic condition, no evidence of accidents and runs well. Timing belt etc. repalcement unknown (if any).
My questions for the experts here are:
What would cause the first digit in a six digit odometer to become "fubared"...? I know these cars have numerous odometer problems. Is it repairable?
Second.....am I delaing with a car that has had a rollback? If so, why would anyone bother to roll it back 9K miles? I can say that this is surely not a 300K mile car.
10-07-2006, 07:47 PM
#2
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it might be part of why the odometer doesn't work.
it's a 19 year old car.
if you like it and get a ppi to find out what shape it's in you'll know what's good and what isn't.
plan on belts, waterpump, seals, if it's leaking to start with.
87951
it's a 19 year old car.
if you like it and get a ppi to find out what shape it's in you'll know what's good and what isn't.
plan on belts, waterpump, seals, if it's leaking to start with.
87951
10-07-2006, 08:05 PM
#3
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It does seem strange...although I agree with bearone's comments...get a ppi from a reputable source and that's what'll count.
As far as being repairable....if you buy the car you can buy a replacement cluster on ebay and ship it to north hollywood speedometer or palo alto speedometer...they will both re-build/upgrade and can set the mileage as desired if you give them a legal document stating the mileage.
As far as being repairable....if you buy the car you can buy a replacement cluster on ebay and ship it to north hollywood speedometer or palo alto speedometer...they will both re-build/upgrade and can set the mileage as desired if you give them a legal document stating the mileage.
10-07-2006, 10:21 PM
#5
Rennlist Member
could have gotten a piece of a broken odometer gear in the shaft causing it to move- or someone could have replaced the odometer gear-easy to break- and accidentally bumped the numbers when reinstalling it- wouldnt be hard to do...
10-07-2006, 11:01 PM
#6
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The majority of all the 944 cars have had a broken odometer gear by now so when shopping by mileage you need to look at other aspects of the car. Look at how easily the drivers side door shuts. Check out the pedals, are they "too new" or are they worn just right for the mileage stated? Be smart when looking at a low mileage car and do not just go by what the dial says.
10-08-2006, 06:47 AM
#7
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There was a Rennlist member that used to post on here that had a car that had the exact same problem. I don't remember his name.
Like Travis stated, there will be some tell-tale signs of wear. When I bought my car several years back it had 71K miles and the wear was spot on with the mileage indicated. At 65K, the steering wheel, pedals, shift *** should show a *slight* bit of patina. They shouldn't look brand new, just slightly used and beginning to be broken-in.
At 65K it is probably on its original clutch. You might want to factor that into the purchase price. A 20 year old rubber centered clutch will be ready to be replaced in the not too distant future.
Like Travis stated, there will be some tell-tale signs of wear. When I bought my car several years back it had 71K miles and the wear was spot on with the mileage indicated. At 65K, the steering wheel, pedals, shift *** should show a *slight* bit of patina. They shouldn't look brand new, just slightly used and beginning to be broken-in.
At 65K it is probably on its original clutch. You might want to factor that into the purchase price. A 20 year old rubber centered clutch will be ready to be replaced in the not too distant future.
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10-09-2006, 10:40 AM
#8
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Even normal "wear" parts (steering wheel, shift ****, clutch/brake petals, seats, etc.) can be replaced, so something that is "too new" can trigger alarms, too.
Talk about CYA! You may want to call NY DMV to find out if that's even possible.
In MI, the programming at the DMV branch offices contain an edit... you can't enter an odometer mileage on a title transfer that is less than the previous mileage.
The branch clerk could be senile, insane, and drunk off their ***, but they would not be able to enter a lower odometer mileage. (Technically, that can be overridden, but there would be a trail of what happened and why - unfortunately, you'd have to pay for a microfilm lookup of what happened)
I think I've seen that before in listings (eBay, Craigslist, etc., or maybe here, as tifo suggested) where the odometer was stuck at 300k or 400k due to some bumping during odometer gear work.
The important thing is the PPI by someone that knows these cars and what to look for... I'd rather have well maintained engine with 300k on it than a lady-driven 11k engine owned by someone like my wife ("Oil change? Why do I need an oil change? The car is new, only has 11,000 miles on it now and it runs fine, I'm sure the factory put new oil in it when it was built"
)
Carfax shows the inconsuistent reading although states that it could be a clerical error
In MI, the programming at the DMV branch offices contain an edit... you can't enter an odometer mileage on a title transfer that is less than the previous mileage.
The branch clerk could be senile, insane, and drunk off their ***, but they would not be able to enter a lower odometer mileage. (Technically, that can be overridden, but there would be a trail of what happened and why - unfortunately, you'd have to pay for a microfilm lookup of what happened)
I think I've seen that before in listings (eBay, Craigslist, etc., or maybe here, as tifo suggested) where the odometer was stuck at 300k or 400k due to some bumping during odometer gear work.
The important thing is the PPI by someone that knows these cars and what to look for... I'd rather have well maintained engine with 300k on it than a lady-driven 11k engine owned by someone like my wife ("Oil change? Why do I need an oil change? The car is new, only has 11,000 miles on it now and it runs fine, I'm sure the factory put new oil in it when it was built"
)
