Hot Rods Low Mileage Cars

This has been touched on here, but “ low” miles is a relative term! Cars in the teens were wore out at 10,000 miles, but most didn’t even have a speedometer. It continuously hit larger and larger numbers, but even in the sixties 100, 000 miles was close to being wore out. Now my DD had 500,000 on it and would have seen more, but someone thought it was a drive in and tried to drive thought it. Just saying!






Bones

 

My 57 plymouth has 36000 orig miles. I bought with 25000 orig miles.

 

3rd owner '53 Coronet with 59xxx on the clock

Sent from my SM-G975U using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

That's f'n rad

Sent from my SM-G975U using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

My buddy bought this. Then there` a 59 Dodge 4-dr that has 9000 miles on it. I was skeptical, but it it was bought new by a 85 year old female brand new. And was kept in the family until recently. Working on it for a customer.

 

Grandpa's 35 Ford coupe had 12k on it when he got it. It now has 17k but has been setting for about 10 years.....

 

Back in 1930, cars required ring jobs and other repairs frequently. When I started buying cars in 1973, 100k was generally regarded as the end of a car. Rumor had it if you did get over 100k, the car turned into a new one like magic. I knew a guy, picked up a cherry '67 Impala with 165k miles on it. He got it from the original owner that cared for the car and kept it garaged. Under the hood was clean, no drips, nothing. He kept it for a few years and sold it... claimed ignorance if the clock had gone over and got more $$ than what he paid for it.

 

This thing has been reported as having only 4 miles on the clock.
It may need a little work to get running again.

 

While it true sitting can be hard on a car, up here low mileage often translates into never winter driven, the holy grail of old car finds.

Phil

 

Wow! I thought my car was low mileage at 83,000 when I got it, but not compared to most of the examples here. I am now at 98,000 and hitting that worn out stage where I need to go through engine, transmission, etc. At least mine still has original paint and interior since the original owners did a good job of taking care of it. I have come to really appreciate and look for old cars that haven’t ever been messed with like some crazy hot rod or Kustom guy like us when I get them. That way I can mess them up to my liking.

 

Back in the 60's and 70's there was more than a few over the road salesmen who ordered speedometer gear ratio adapters from my dad that were a 50% reduction. It was easy for them to read the speedometer at 1/2 speed and they could rack up the miles, before they traded the cars in remove the adapter and have a cherry low mileage car to take to the dealer and trade it in. Then repeat the process on the next new car they purchased.

 

This ‘55 wagon has 14,467 on it. Was bought new by a local doctor , who kinked the driver rear corner and traded it for a plum and white ‘56 Nomad. The head body man at the dealer got it and stored it till I bought it from his widow in 1986. The 265” has no compression, and the headlight eyebrows rusted ; due to broken garage door windows. It had seat covers on that I had to take off, just to say I sat on brand new ‘55 seats. She’s sitting, but not rotting:

 

Threewindaguy: That sure is a beautiful ‘57 210 you have!

 

My old Riviera had 26,000 miles when I got it.

 

My 55 has 35,xxx on it and my 61 has 64,xxx , nothing special bout em other than that though

 

The biggest problem I see with very low mileage original cars is having to push them on and off the trailer at the car show.

 

A buddy of mine from Maine obtain a Plymouth Satellite, 4 door with a 426 auto from the town's police department. When he got it, it had 26,000 miles and about 4 million hours on the motor.

 

I once lived in Lebanon, MO. It was known as the roll over capitol of the world. I have seen more low mileage used cars that you can shake a stick at.

 

Here is my friend's 30,000 mile '60 LeSabre, I will post some better pics when he gets it out again.

 

I thought I had a few low mileage cars but I was wrong.
my 61 Dodge had 70-something thousand on it in 1989 when I bought it. 130,000 now. I'm the 3rd owner
had a 66 Nova 2 door from the original owners grandson with 77,000 on it. should have kept that one. that was in the 80's as well.

 

I bought this 1961 Ford 4x4 last month, driving it home it rolled over 19,000 miles. I bought it from the original owners family. Farmer bought it in central WA (sales papers were in the glove box) and I don’t think it ever sat long, but was used sparingly at harvest. It runs, drives and stops like new. I did have to buff it up some as the paint was faded. Nicest original vehicle I have ever owned

 

Is this a current pic? still the same as when you got it?
I like it!

 

My 1960 Corvair 700 coupe. I'm the third owner. When I bought the car it had 6,675 miles and was still wearing the original tires. They were hard as rocks! The car now has 6,800 miles and is resting in a Museum in Ypsilanti, Michigan. The problem with a low mileage car is that if you add miles it might not be a low mileage car anymore. Fortunately I have other Corvairs to play with so this one can sit.

 

My 64 Biscayne. 31,000 miles. Car was stored in a garage for over 40 years. Original paint.

 

Back in the 70's I had a chance to buy a shirt tail relatives 58' Chevy Biscayne. Low mileage as in 22,000 ,never driven out of town car. Little ol' lady owner car. Good Thunder MN, population 500 +-
Took off to drive the 100 miles home and about 20 miles in the engine began spewing oil clouds and after 25 miles it blew up.
The car had low miles but all those miles were 30 mph or less. Poor engine was so gunked up it wasn't up to doing 70.

 

OT by a year or so - it sat in a Turtle Creek Condo parking garage from about 1973 with about 24,000 showing and by documentation from the dealer.....put over 50,000 on it without any issues....this is in the late 90's.....you gots to luv those legs......

 

Low budget: yeah the '55 is sitting just as in that pic. I pulled the 265", with the intent of redoing the rings; but other projects got in the way. Gonna have to get back to her, one of these days...

 

Lemme guess... It was a V860.

 

Just did the mileage math on my '54 Bel Air 2dr post sedan. Has 108,000, but it's 65 years old; that's 1,661.5 mi. per year... Got the C.R. Camero 5-speed and the S-10 4.10 geared posi rear end both installed 2/3 years ago, and once the .40 over 261=270 c.u. engine is up and running, plan to put some more miles on the old ride... dyno dave

 

85HP