Does this car have 89K or 189K miles ?

[GERMYS_72]

I just bought a 1972 Mach1 in good condition. The engine bay is almost completely unmodified in 53 years. The dash board, radio, and AC control look mint.

The steering wheel and dash pad are sun damaged pretty bad. The brake pedal rubber is gone. The parking brake pedal and accelerator pedal look very good. The car was parked and the owner had left a blanket on the trunk, so the trunk lid and gas tank were rusted and removed before I bought the car.

Let me know how I can confirm the odometer is correct (89K), and hasn't rolled.

Here are some pics

 

[Sheriff41]

Really hard to say, but does it really matter? Looks like it has potential but will need a fair amount of work regardless of actual miles. Congrats on your find!

 

[GERMYS_72]

Really hard to say, but does it really matter? Looks like it has potential but will need a fair amount of work regardless of actual miles. Congrats on your find!

Thanks. Agree it doesn't matter, other than knowing it had <100k original miles

 

[detritusmaximus]

My guess is 189k. The reason I say that is the paint wear patterns seem to indicate a wind blasting pattern that wears away old oxidized paint as air passes over/around/the the car. Especially out in the dry west with more sandy grit.
But I could be totally wrong. My Safari van paint is worn like that.
Having said that, I wouldn't expect the original motor to have lasted that long with a rebuild/overhaul. Look for signs of that. If none and it's original to the car, then probably 89k.
It's all a guess, really.

 

[GERMYS_72]

My guess is 189k. The reason I say that is the paint wear patterns seem to indicate a wind blasting pattern that wears away old oxidized paint as air passes over/around/the the car. Especially out in the dry west with more sandy grit.
But I could be totally wrong. My Safari van paint is worn like that.
Having said that, I wouldn't expect the original motor to have lasted that long with a rebuild/overhaul. Look for signs of that. If none and it's original to the car, then probably 89k.
It's all a guess, really.

My guess is 189k. The reason I say that is the paint wear patterns seem to indicate a wind blasting pattern that wears away old oxidized paint as air passes over/around/the the car. Especially out in the dry west with more sandy grit.
But I could be totally wrong. My Safari van paint is worn like that.
Having said that, I wouldn't expect the original motor to have lasted that long with a rebuild/overhaul. Look for signs of that. If none and it's original to the car, then probably 89k.
It's all a guess, really.

I do know the Motorcraft Carburetor was rebuilt. Based on the front seat wear, that looks like 89K of butt time, not 189K, but I'm leaning toward 189K. The FMX is leaking slightly at the rear yoke seal, and the rear end is seeping diff fluid.

 

[Stanglover]

By the time you're done, it will be like a brand new car and therefore starts at 00000. The past milage is just that, past milage.

 

[351c1971]

You might consider checking the oil consumption, oil pressure at highway RPMs and compression for further clues to the actual mileage.

 

[Retired2014]

I just bought a 1972 Mach1 in good condition. The engine bay is almost completely unmodified in 53 years. The dash board, radio, and AC control look mint.

The steering wheel and dash pad are sun damaged pretty bad. The brake pedal rubber is gone. The parking brake pedal and accelerator pedal look very good. The car was parked and the owner had left a blanket on the trunk, so the trunk lid and gas tank were rusted and removed before I bought the car.

Let me know how I can confirm the odometer is correct (89K), and hasn't rolled.

Here are some pics
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My driver’s seat didn’t look quite that bad and it had over 220K miles on it. I’m the original owner. So judging mileage by upholstery wear is iffy at best.

 

[James Bond]

Couldn't say as to how many miles, but looks like a great car to restore as all the pieces are there.

 

[GERMYS_72]

My driver’s seat didn’t look quite that bad and it had over 220K miles on it. I’m the original owner. So judging mileage by upholstery wear is iffy at best.

Thanks for the info on your seat /mileage. I had read a few posts where the condition of the brake rubber was a good indicator, but this rubber is gone.

 

[GERMYS_72]

Couldn't say as to how many miles, but looks like a great car to restore as all the pieces are there.

Thanks, Yes, overall it's really solid. Especially the engine bay and body.

 

[Hemikiller]

Simplest way to find out is to see if the engine has ever been out or apart. That should be fairly obvious as there will be signs such as missing clips, brackets, mismatched bolts etc. If it's never been out or apart, there is a near zero chance it's 189k.