[QUOTE=GT6ixer
... And really I don't care if it only had 20K or 200K. Either way I plan to drive the Sierra Hotel India Tango out of it! [/QUOTE]
Some Honest Intent There.

 

At some point in time, the actual miles become less important. We start evaluating condition of mechanical and cosmetic components, trying to establish what it will take to get the car to [insert your acceptable standard description] condition. The miles mean less than the effects of how it's been cared for, stored, driven, and the quality of the maintenance done. In the end though, it's still [what I want it to be like] minus [the condition it's in now]. There's a minor bias added to the result to allow for purchase cost, but that is very often a small fraction of the total.

That said, in California for instance, you can take VIN and plate information and find the odometer miles recorded at each bi-annual smog inspection. Stored vehicles may or may not have that recorded, depending on whether the registration was maintained. Regardless, gaps would show that the vehicle wasn't being driven. A lot depends on where the car came from of course, as some areas don't have regular inspection requirements, and some may also ignore cars registered as vintage/collectible/antique.

 

Tires older than 2000 are 3 number coded. First two numbers are the week of the year and the 3rd number is the year. So 231 is 23rd week of probably 1991. After 2000 it's a 4 didget code. First two numbers are still the week of the year but and the second two numbers are the year. So 2301 is 23rd week of 2001. 2315 is same week for 2015.

 

One more potential indicator is pedal wear. Especially the brake pedal (clutch too, but yours is an auto).

Similar to steering wheel, seat pleats & bolster, window switch symbols, ect.

No guarantees it hasn't been replaced, but they rarely are. Genuine "use", not exposure because they are sheltered.

 

Good point. Not sure what Tennessee's rules are and if you can access records from their DMV. I'll have to look into that.


Thanks! That was explained to me once a long time ago but never had reason to use the information so forgot about it. But I'll definitely check that out when it gets here.

Thanks Joe. I'll have to post some pictures of the brake pedal on here and see what people think.

 

So you were the auction winner. Congrats! I was following the bidding but the car was too far away for me to take a chance on a non-runner. If I could ask, what was the winning bid? I hope you get lucky and the car doesn't need much to run. Let us know how you make out with it. I love those "took a chance and it fired right up" kind of threads. Good luck and don't forget pictures!

Joe

 

Given that for less than $30 you can get new brake and clutch pedal pads for those who need them.....pedal wear is NOT very helpful...
Point is if you have a documented history of LOW odometer readings and a good story ....that is the ONLY evidence so you can claim that as the "actual miles" if and when you resell it. Any potential buyers would have to prove that you are wrong... and it makes a HUGE difference if the car has 20,000 or 200,000 miles because to actually "restore" a 928 you need to START with a $100.000 budget....making it a running driving car can be significantly less

 

What?!

 

Too far away? I'm in Seattle, you must be in Alaska! Yeah I was high bidder at $4500 plus buyer's premium so just at about $5k. I posted a few of the pics I had the auction rep take for me. They are in my other post about the car. I too hope I get a little lucky, if not it'll just be a lot longer to I get to drive it. Gonna take my time and bite off small chunks.

 

But it is helpful if there is very heavy wear. Cause then that would indicate a higher mileage car. I agree though that light wear wouldn't mean as much. But again knowing the exact mileage is not my goal. Reselling this car is not my goal. My curiosity is too understand more about its history given that the owner is passed and I don't yet know any of his relatives who could shed light. So with regards to mileage I am just hoping to get a feel if it's leaning on way or the other.

 

Best bet, check the rear rotors, a low mile car, they will look natural., a high mile car , they will look ...natural.
No one replaces rear brakes for the photo op

 

Use, type of use and exposure can lead to different opinions.

Judging by the pictures in your other topic...I'd say the previous owner "wasn't the type of guy" that would replace the pedal covers. He must have been related to the guy that owned my 84 (for 26 years)...the type to just let things go. Somethings breaks or wears out...you just kept driving the car (unless it was mechanical, brakes, tires, won't run issue, etc). Luckily, my previous owner did keep the car in the garage...so this lead to not many of the exposure issues mentioned.

My 84 had 70 something thousand miles when I bought it, and got its first set of tires and brakes just a few months before that. Yep, the guy was riding around on thirty year old tires. Granted, he said he only put about a hundred miles a year or less...the last ten...just to the ice cream shop or movies. Plus, northern cars usually sit in a garage five/six months out of the year. So, finding a low miler isn't that uncommon.

Anyhow, just looking at the engine compartment and exterior pictures provided...my educated-wild-a**-guess would be...somewhere between 65 and 80K. That engine compartment doesn't look like a low miler to me. Just sitting does not cause that type of grime. The under side will reveal other evidence, road grime and such.

Anyhow, fun discussion...regardless.

Brian.

 

So a little update. I still have been unsuccessful finding any service history on the car in order to better guesstimate the mileage. However the car does have two oil change stickers as you can see below. The one on the door is from Feb 1994 indicating the car had 45,089 miles. The one on the windshield is a "next service due" type and lists July 2003 and 63,317.

Can't know for sure the date/mileage interval the shop based this on but probably not more than 6 months/5,000 miles. That would put the car at approximately 58,000 miles at the beginning of 2003. So that is ~13,000 miles in 9 years (from 1994) or ~1,500 miles a year. The car was last registered in 2009 expiring in 2010. Assuming the PO drove it at the same rate from 2003 (or 7 years at 1500mi/yr), that would put the mileage at ~ 68,500. So I think it is unlikely this car has more than 80k on it.





There was some discussion on brake pedal wear. As you can see there is very little. However it could have been replaced. After all they did go to the trouble to re-paint the car.



Hear are more pictures of the bright work. Still a lot of plating visible.







Finally here are the tires. Front tires from 2002.



Not sure how to decipher the rear code. Before 2000 the codes were 3 digit. After 2000 4 digit. My guess is that the 3M6 means something else and these tires are from the 28th week of 1997.

 

I saw this one on an auction site and actually bid on it. Couldn't get any information from the seller what the mileage was. Didn't answer emails. Did you get it around $3K?

 

BWAHAHAHAHAHA!