A friend told me about a guy selling an 87 camaro. So I called him on the phone and he said that the car had 75,000 original miles on it. I find that hard to believe. Is there a way I can tell if it's actually 175,000 miles?

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1988 Camaro RS
2.8L five speed
Money pit from hell!!

1988 Camaro
2.8L automatic
t-tops
160* THERMO
Rapid fire plugs

 

Look at the brake pedal, is the rubber all worn out on the right side??

Look for original stuff like belts, hoses (with original wire clamps), etc. You would be amazed how many cars with under 100K are out there with the original stuff.

Its tough to tell if the engine has that many miles on it unless there is a ton of buildup in the valve covers, and this could just be 75,000 poor maint. miles.

I don't think there is an accurate way to tell if thats original mileage without a 6 digit odometer.


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ASE Mechanic/Machinist/Smog Tech

1999 NBM Trans Am
1986 Chevy 3/4 ton pick up
1981 corvette
1995 Kawi ZX6R

R.I.P. #3
My favorite quote about D.E. "He can see air"

 

Have the seller show you the title. Or run the VIN through a website like carfax.com. If anything, you will get a better idea of the car's history.

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92 Camaro RS LO3, 5-spd, T-tops
Performance:
SLP 1 3/4" Headers (Coated by Paul Barry Motorsports), Flowmaster Catback Exhaust, Fastchip Performance PROM, Centerforce Dual Friction Clutch, Xact 8mm wires, Open Air Element w/K&N Filter, Z28 Grille w/aftmkt fog lamps
Electronics:
Alpine 8030 Alarm System, Valentine One Radar Detector (How did I ever drive without one?), Pioneer DEH 7450 Head Unit w/6-pack CD changer, Pioneer DEQ 7600 Sound Processor, 2 Kenwood KAC-846 Amps powering 2 12" Pro Red subs, 2 Pioneer 6x9 and 2 MTX 4x6 speakers.
NEXT UP: TBI mods, Edelbrock performer intake

 

By the time my car hit 175,000 it was VERY noticeable!! I would start by asking him what all has been replaced on the car!! This is a good sign! Check the alternator for a sticker of some sort that might indicate it was rebuilt! A GM alternator should last well over 75,000 miles!! Look for oil leaks on the heads, intake, and oil pan! You can tell the difference between a 75,000 mile oil leak and a 175,000 mile oil leak! Also, if it's only got 75,000 then that means it was most likely taken care of very well!! The brake pedal rubber is a good indicator too as mentioned previously!! I wouldn't think it would be too hard to tell the difference between a 75,000 and 175,000 mile car!

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1986 Trans AM
305 TPI
200,000+ miles (speedo/odometer non-funtional! Odometer reads 142,000)
4 Wheel Discs
9 bolt Borg Warner Rear (2.73's....oh joy) :P
Completely Stock
Soon to upgrade to a 350 converted from TPI to Carb, Edelbrock 750CFM Carb, Edelbrock Performer RPM Intake, Headman Shorty Headers, Some sort of ported heads (undecided), XE268 Cam, Moroso HEI ignition kit with external MSD Blaster II Coil and an MSD 6-AL Box!!
Current project: Keeping my 305 running until I get my income tax returns!

 

I don't know, but my car just turned over 200,000 miles, and one would be hard pressed to believe it isn't just 100,000. The pedals aren't really worn all that much. Everything is original, except like the alternator, water pump, and A/C compressor.

The pedals, the feel of the seat (Is the padding broken down?), shifter know, steering wheel, and stuff such as that, are usually decent indicators, although not always.

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Working on:
'84 Z28 LG4 305 with 200,000 original miles!
Added dual elec fans.
145 MPH IROC Speedo
Building 430 HP 350 (ZZ430)
using primarily GMPP parts.
Short block sitting on a stand.

Starting to look like the Kicker poster child!

ASE Certified Master Tech

 

I was cheated out of a 100,000 miles when I bought My 89 Camaro. The guy swore it was 64,000 Original miles. I bought the car and a couple of weeks later I found the guy who sold the car to the guy who sold it to me. He informed me it had turned over when He sold it Thus 164,000 miles. I would have never known!!

 

Count the # of ring grooves on the bore...oh wait..that's for dating trees

There's no absolute way to tell...

Take it out and drive it, if it feels worn or beat, pass on it unless the price is right.

A well cared for car can look mint after 200K, and teenage wonderland (no offense to teen's out there) can look and feel beat after 30K.

 

a while ago someone put a similar post regarding this subject. the brake pedal is a good indication. another one is the windshield. look to see how the windshield sits against the frame. is it pressed? and all that jazz.

 

Well, the brake pedal cover is a slip-on rubber piece that can probably be replaced cheaply. The carfax idea is the best, that and driving it. I test drove the cleanest most "mint" Iroc I ever saw with absolutely every option, and regardless of whether it was 80K or 180K, it was a dog. The guy had swapped cams and rockers that I swear only made it slower. My 305 would waste it (it's a 350). One rule of thumb on these cars: if you're paying more than 2500-3000 and are serious about a particular car and have exhausted your own investigative abilities and are still unsure, do carfax and have a mechanic check it out. That might just save you from 100's or 1000's in future costs. It's better to buy a clunker you KNOW is a clunker with a decent body/interior and restore it. The thing to avoid is a bad surprise - don't hope for good ones!

A note for 86TpiTransAm: 14 exclamation points Elaine? Is that really necessary?

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"We lost Dale. This isn't fun anymore"

R.I.P. #3

"The inevitability of death serves as the most clear evidence that to truly live, one must constantly court death, flaunt death, smack death around, and basically grab death by the throat and dare it to come too soon."

- Me

[This message has been edited by I ROCK (edited February 25, 2001).]

 

does it run like crap and blow black smoke?? check the fan belt, on firebirds it has to go a million miles before it'll roll back over. it probably has 175,000! just drive it first .if it runs like crap and uses alot of fuel then its wore out or needs tunning!

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1989 firebird formula

Mods: converted from T.B.I. to a carburator 305 to a 350. Flowmater exhaust,hedman shortie hedders,202 160 (882) heads,.447/.447 lift 222@.050 duration speed pro 327/350hp cam 350 .40 over (356) edlebrock performer rpm intake and a 600 edlebrock manual choke (1405) Proform H.O. distributor slightly revised 700r-4

Future mods comp extreme energy roller cam, world products sportsman 2 heads, msd 6al ignition, billet distributor, blaster 2 coil and a 406 engine is in the works soon!!!!