PINTO CAR CLUB of AMERICA
Shiny is Good! => General Pinto Talk => Topic started by: Jauntimus Prime on August 26, 2012, 07:09:17 PM
-
Hey folks. As you might've read in another post, my Cruisin Wagon's instruments have needed some work. A while back I scored another gauge cluster with a speedo and tach, and boy, am I glad I did. I carefully pulled the original one out of the car -- which still functioned -- to diagnose non-working lamps, and sure 'nuff, despite my cautious and deliberate efforts, it totally disintegrated, leaving little granules of crunchy white polystyrene snow everywhere. It looked like a box of Tide exploded in my front seat.
So I have another one, in far better shape, ready to go but here's the thing: the original odometer reads about 35,741, and the "new" one reads something to the tune of 25,000 miles less. I could pop the original speedo into the new cluster, but I really, REALLY don't want to take the new one apart for fear of damaging it.
I had an electric motor from a small fan laying around (yeah, I'm one of those kinda guys), and I even rigged up a way to use it to "drive" the new speedo to the correct mileage. It spins it at about 82-85 mph, which is perfect. By my calculations, it would be spot on after running continuously for 11 days.
Is this stupid? Should I bother taking such great pains? Do I have a moral obligation to represent the true mileage on the chassis? Or, since this car is basically a restomod work in progress, is there a point where true chassis mileage ceases to matter?
What do ya think, folks?
-- Jordan
-
Personally, I think true mileage matters IF and ONLY IF it is fully documented. If not, considering the age of our cars, whatever the odometer reads is certainly open to question. Assuming you don't have complete documentation of the mileage, I wouldn't go to the trouble.
Dwayne :)
-
i have to agree with dwayne, a functioning odometer is worth more than a maybe it might work one. the mileage on older cars really means nothing because it should actually be a common thought that they have rolled at least once after 35 or so years. as dwayne said unless fully documented why bother, and even a super low mileage pinto is still only worth what someone is willing to pay regardless of the readings.
cheers