The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Interiors odometer

wasn't sure where to ask this, but how do you tell if your truck has 50,000 150,000 or 250,000 miles when the odometer runs out of space? i assume that Mater has a lot of miles on him because of the extensive wear, but the previous owner was honest in telling me that the truck hadn't been used for the better part of 30 years.

any help is appreciated,


Indy

I'm not sure you can. these odometers just start over when maxed out. Like you said, observing wear and tear is about all you can do unless you have a real good service journal from the previous owner.
And who's to say it did or did not ever get a new speedo installed at some point.

"extensive wear" can also be "lack of maintenance" .... highly unlikely to be 250,000, be a detective - if it's an original engine and it doesn't appear to have been rebuilt, unlikely to be over 100,000

Bill

Just a random thought, but if the Odo has not been replaced, the higher numbers are exposed to sunlight longer than the lower ones. Compare the discoloration of the left-most roll and see which one has never been exposed to the elements. Subtract from there.

Might be a starting point. Or not...

Jim

Back in the day 12k a year was a pretty fair estimate for a privately owned vehicle. Based on what I am driving for work now, 2007 Tahoe with 249k miles, it would be anybodies guess for a vehicle with a commercial background. BTW the Tahoe looks and runs like a new car except for a lifter tick that won't go away.

So your truck is 58 years old, out of service for 30, 28x12k....could easily be 250k for a private vehicle.

well, it was also a commercial truck, would that make the mileage higher?

being a "commercial truck" doesn't say anything, was it used on the highway, or for local delivery, or a shop truck never off the plant grounds? and how much did the farmer use it? around the farm or long trips to town? if you find onea these trucks with over 100,000 on it, it's had exceptionally good maintenance, and very unlikely it has it's original engine, they didn't last that long

Bill

I would agree with Bill, it's pretty rare to see one of these AD's that went 150,000 miles
let alone 250,000. By the time they had 60 to 80k on them they were pretty well worn
out.
They didn't have the extensive highway systems we have today and generally
speaking, most of the everyday traveling was within the local area. Our world is much
smaller today because we can get there much faster. Today its not unusual to drive 20 or
30 miles to shopping and often times more for work. Unless the truck was used as an over
the road-cross country hauler you're probably lookin' at the 50k plus numbers a few.
The farmer didn't make a trip to town three times a day for bread, milk or hardware to fix
the combine, that’s what they sold bailing wire for. It was more like a trip to town once a
week and there was always a church nearby on Sunday morning. The doctor made house
calls and your milk was delivered to the door in a most areas. I can even remember
having potato chips delivered to the house when I was a kid. We depended lots more on
Sear Roebuck & Co., Montgomery Wards or Spiegel mail order back then also. There
wasn't a Wal-Mart, Walgreen’s or Big Box store on every corner back in the day. Almost
all neighborhoods had a Mom & Pop general store within walking distance where you
could get the necessities. Once a week we used to drive over to the National Tea Co. store
a few towns over on Friday evenings for our grocery shopping.

Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

it was used on the highway in california mainly for about 10 years and another ten as a farm truck in oklahoma, then it was parked in 79 due to a cracked exhaust manifold. it shows 035282 on the odometer, but since it's a big bolt is that a common number?

btw, it still has the original engine in it and appears to have been very well maintained.

Indy

No way to tell for sure but my guess is that might be the actual
mileage. Normally they would not have used a 4400 to run into
town for groceries or to run errands with. Probably the only
time it went to town was to pick up or deliver a load. About
the same as things are today when it comes to heavy trucks.

Denny G

agreed, every big bolt I've seen has been relatively low mileage, good condition or bad, it's more likely 35k, not 135k and certainly not 235k

Bill

thanks guys, y'all are tons of help.

Indy