Is it original?

[sacaledus]

My '79 C20 has less than 60,000 on the odometer. I have a hard time convincing people of this. How can I tell if the engine and tranny are original??

[Storm Chaser]

wellllll..... what makes them think it isn't original? If it's a rustbucket and/or the engine is a grease lump, I wouldn't believe you either. Plus, once the odometer reaches all 9's, the next mile is all 0's. You have to understand- that truck is 30 years old, and with that mileage, it only equates to 2000 miles a year. A 1979 ANYTHING with that few miles is pretty rare- one would expect the truck to be very nice, very clean and running great.

I'm not saying this isn't the case with you, I have no pics to go by. But a 79 with that few miles could only be the result of (from most common to least common)...
1. The odometer has turned over
2. The cluster has been changed
3. The truck had the cable unhooked through much of its life
4. The truck actually has 60,000 miles

[Storm Chaser]

quick reply-
I may be wrong on #1, as I don't know how many (black) numbers the odometer has in 79.

[dan76]

Originally Posted by Storm Chaser

quick reply-
I may be wrong on #1, as I don't know how many (black) numbers the odometer has in 79.

Five

[f.monroe]

I usually look at the interior wear patterns . Seat , driver side carpet , brake pedal pad for wear ,gas pedal detail ,etc.
Also check the driveline . Do the U joints have greare zerks ? I do not think the originals had them . None of this is scientific but it is something to look at .
Could be original .
Frank

[Walts_restoration]

if the engine is untouched original, look for the undisturbed french locks, and if you dont know what they are, you should understand why you need to look for them.



Most people dont bother to put them back on after removing the exhaust manifold for whatever reason (Broken stud or even head taken off or motor rebuilt)

Post a pic of your underhood and i could tell if shes been messed with. Thats all dad ever buys anymore and has gotten me into the habbit of looking for (you never know how someone else did it)

[asphaltburner]

Yo! I agree with the above,...and that's how I buy vehicles. Details.
Skip the odometer. 60,000 will show in the trannys' and the engines' appearance. Ya think 160,000 will appear the same without extensive work?!
As with my Camaro, I suppose you could track down the engine and tranny numbers,...not too hard.
Todd.

[sacaledus]

Thanks to all I'll try to get some pics posted soon.

[Number21]

Funny you should ask this, I just bought a '79 C30 with not quite 50,000 miles. As far as I can tell it's original, and I have a lot of old receipts and stuff that help prove it, but the rest of the truck is a clunker. The engine runs like it has 50k on it though. One major indicator for me is the rust pattern - my rockers are rusted out, which could happen if it was sitting out in a field for years...but my front and rear fenders have no rust at all, which is rare, and indicates nobody was driving it in the rain/snow...

Someone on another board suggested taking out the odometer and checking the 7-8-9 digits on the first number for any signs of fading. (they should look like new if they've been hiding for 30 years) I'm going to try that, but of course there is no guarantee the odometer is original or has always been hooked up...

[Jeepwm69]

Originally Posted by Number21

Someone on another board suggested taking out the odometer and checking the 7-8-9 digits on the first number for any signs of fading. (they should look like new if they've been hiding for 30 years) I'm going to try that, but of course there is no guarantee the odometer is original or has always been hooked up...

This is how I knew my Jeep CJ7's mileage was original (other than it was obviously in great shape). Every time I roll it over to a new 10K the first number is BRIGHT while the others are faded. Dad's 83 GMC is showing 35K. The speedo adapter box thingy was broken for a couple of years so the speedo wasn't hooked up, but I'll bet it doesn't have over 40-45K on it though. He just doesn't drive. His 85 Jeep Scrambler has 3800 (yeah, that's HUNDRED) miles on it when I got it out a few weeks ago. He just doesn't go anywhere.