How to Verify milage on a 1976

[Kevin S.]

Hello everyone.. Brand new here....my first Vette...
Just bought a 1976 corvette with 48,000 mile on the odometer

Is there any visual inspections that will tell if the odometer was tampered with
or is it impossible to tell if the mileage is as described

Thanks....Kevin

[Duke W.]

Re: How to Verify milage on a 1976

I don't think there's any way to tell if the odometer has been tampered unless it was done by a hack. Of course, it could also be 148,000 miles. The best approach is to take a detailed inventory of the condition (wear and tear) both outside, engine compartment, underneath, and inside. Pedal pad wear can sometimes tell a story different than the odometer.

Duke

[Michael D.]

Re: How to Verify milage on a 1976

I agree with Duke. Does the car look like it has 48K or 148K on it?

[Kevin S.]

Re: How to Verify milage on a 1976

I agree with Duke. Does the car look like it has 48K or 148K on it?

it definitely looks like it has 48,000
Having a mechanic look at it tonight at 4;30 PM

[Edward J.]

Re: How to Verify milage on a 1976

Kevin, I would be looking for some documents that have a date and mileage on them, some states do state inspections and enter the mileage at the time it was done. Insurance records on the car from his agent may have required the mileage entered each year a renewal was done. maint. records also.

[Joe L.]

Re: How to Verify milage on a 1976

Hello everyone.. Brand new here....my first Vette...
Just bought a 1976 corvette with 48,000 mile on the odometer

Is there any visual inspections that will tell if the odometer was tampered with
or is it impossible to tell if the mileage is as described

Thanks....Kevin

Kevin------


In my opinion, the vast majority of older model cars showing "low mileage" have at least had the odometer "go around once". In other words, they have at least 100,000 more actual miles on them than registers on the old 5 digit odometers. Most people in this era did not buy cars to not drive them---they drove them. In this case, this car is 36 years old. With 48,000 miles it would have to have averaged about 1,300 miles per year. Possible? Yes. Likely? No!

The change to 6 digit odometers was GREAT and SORELY NEEDED. The later change to the mileage being stored in the car's body computer was even better.

[William P.]

Re: How to Verify milage on a 1976

Did you pay 48,000 mile money or 148,00 mile money for the car ? There would be a big difference in condition and price for 100,000 miles .

Bill

[Peter G.]

Re: How to Verify milage on a 1976

A way that I have always found to help determine miles is how the doors sound when you close or slam them. Low miles cars under 55k the doors are usually pretty tight and don't rattle the window glass. Meaning the power window motors have not worn out requiring the door panels to be removed and then replaced.

Just something I have noticed over the years when looking at Corvettes with low miles.