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#1 Odometer Etiquette
Posted: Wed Nov 10, 2010 9:32 am
by Simon P
Morning
What's the accepted view with regards to odometer readings following a complete nut and bolt restoration? Pick up the mileage where it left off, or reset to zero to reflect the fact that the car has effectively started its life again?
I should perhaps add that this is for a matching numbers car.
Cheers!
Simon
#2
Posted: Wed Nov 10, 2010 10:23 am
by MarkE
Not sure what any accepted view is Simon but I leave mine where they are...seems part of the history somehow!
#3
Posted: Wed Nov 10, 2010 12:12 pm
by Simon P
That's kind of my view too. And I guess that no matter how extensive the restoration, the engine block itself will have always been through a cycle corresponding to the original mileage, so it seems only fair to leave the odometer 'as is' to reflect that.
Simon
#4
Posted: Wed Nov 10, 2010 4:14 pm
by PeterCrespin
It's like the data plate. If I were ever lucky to have a totally new shell car and a gazillion-pound resto, I would still put the old data plate on it rather than a new one. To me it's part of the soul of the car and if you don't even have that link to the history then it takes something away from the experience.
#5
Posted: Wed Nov 10, 2010 7:19 pm
by 1954Etype
PeterCrespin wrote:It's like the data plate. If I were ever lucky to have a totally new shell car and a gazillion-pound resto, I would still put the old data plate on it rather than a new one. To me it's part of the soul of the car and if you don't even have that link to the history then it takes something away from the experience.
+1
#6
Posted: Wed Nov 10, 2010 8:31 pm
by GSR 54D
Simon
I'm 99% with the general view of keeping the original mileage.
However, food for thought, Chris Rooke who has recently documented his wonderful nut & bolt restoration (originally in the E-type club magazine) with a book called "Kind of Loving" reset his to Zero!
John H.
#7
Posted: Wed Nov 10, 2010 10:30 pm
by Simon P
GSR 54D wrote:Simon
I'm 99% with the general view of keeping the original mileage.
However, food for thought, Chris Rooke who has recently documented his wonderful nut & bolt restoration (originally in the E-type club magazine) with a book called "Kind of Loving" reset his to Zero!
John H.
Indeed - and it was Chris Rooke's book that was partially resposible for raising the question in my mind, especially when he describes the satisfaction of obtaining the car's first MOT certificate, with a recorded mileage of '1'!
However, Chris, I think, built his car around a new (replacement) bodyshell, so it maybe makes more sense with his car as the mileages of the body and the engine were effectively out of 'sync' anyway.
On balance, I think if it's a matching numbers car, it makes sense to respect the car's history by maintaining the recorded mileage.
Simon