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Determining mileage on a van

I'm considering buying a late 70s Dodge van which the seller indicates has a little over 110,000 kms on it. THat's what the odometer reads. However, this van has a 5 digit odometer, so I'm concerned that it may have gone around more than once. THe VIN of this van is not the modern

17 character version, so I can't run a carfax on it to get an indication of mileage. There aren't any service records that come with the van. So: how would you go about trying to determine if the mileage is indeed what is being reported? Some things I thought of: - check windshield pitting (will have a lot of small pits on high mileage vehicles; I know because I own a couple of vehicles with over 200,000 miles) - check condition of brake and gas pedal rubber (again, will be more worn if vehicle has a lot of miles on it) - I suppose engine compression and leakdown test would be an indicator of engine wear - wear and tear on driver's seat

ANy other tell-tale areas you can think of? Thanks!

Reply to
rastlouis
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So you think the van might actually have 1,110,000 kms? Seems unlikely. That is almost 700,000 miles. I know those old Dodge vans were reliable, but almost a million miles???????????

Vehicles with upright windshields get pitted very quickly. The amount of pitting is highly dependent on where the van is driven, the typical speeds, etc. My pick-up truck had lots of small pits in less than 25,000 miles.

Ed

Reply to
C. E. White

Sorry, my message was unclear. The odometer reads 10,000 kms. I'm told it's really 110,000, but would like a way to get a sense whether that could be 220,000 of even 320,000 (not unlikely on a vehicle that old...)

Reply to
rastlouis

my 2 cents... on a 20+ year old vehicle, the odometer reading is the least of your concerns. By now, either the vehicle is 20km away from the junkyard, or it's been already rebuilt twice over...

If you're not mechanically inclined, I'd get someone who is to evaluate the vehicle for you. If you are, assume it has 310,000 km and look for things that will make you "run away..."

Ray

Reply to
ray

Very good advice, thanks Ray. It's a relief in a way to realize that I don't need to be fixated on the actual mileage on the van. If it indeed has only 110,000 kms, great. If it doesn't, then it's more important to assess the present state of the various mechanical components, as you suggest. Thanks!

Reply to
rastlouis

The driver-side door. Nobody ever replaces hinge-pins.

-A

Reply to
Andrew Crabtree

I do. But then, I seem to own the 310,000km vehicles. I'm not sure if that means I made good choices or failed to dispose of bad ones. ;)

Ray

Reply to
ray

Except people who owned a GM F-body car with power windows...

Reply to
RayV

Don't look for a worn brake pedal pad. Thats no indication of heavy use or more miles. I just replaced the brake pedal pad on a 2005 Buick that was coming apart.

No real way to tell how many miles are on the van.

Have a mechanic check it out. Maybe do a compression check too.

If it runs good & you feel comfortable buying it, but it.

Good Luck.

harryface

PS, a friend of mine had a 94 Dodge Ram Cargo van he put 620,000 miles on before a telephone phone hit it back in 2001.

Reply to
Harry Face

Reply to
John S.

Well, check for general looseness when you drive the car. The door hinges, locks, window cranks, etc., will probably exhibit a lot of looseness and rattling on a high use car. Also look inside the valve cover for a buildup of sludge. If the car was driven in snow areas I would be very very concerned about body and frame rusting. Those old vans are notorious for rusting out at the slightest hint of moisture. But more important is that this is a 30 year old van with only 110,000 km or 3,600 km driving per year. Possible for a van I suppose, but unlikely.

Reply to
John S.

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