Indicators for mileage

[GGR]

Hi all,

No history came with my Pagoda and I'm trying to determine if the 78.000 miles are original or if it went round once.

The car has stayed stored for long periods with very little mileage in between according to the few invoices I found covering a period of twenty years and a few thousand miles. It is in what I would call original unmolested condition, with some parts of the car still with its original paint. Here are a few indicators:

- no play in front spindle knucles

- no play in the steering box

- no play in steering linkages, though it seems some have been replaced (did  the side linkages ever came originally brown? This is what they are instead of black)

- shocks seem to be original, though they have lost part of their efficiency

- engine runs very quietly, all seems well tight in there, no smoke of any kind under acceleration or deceleration

- auto transmission works very well and is very smooth though shift are quite crisp, but not brutal. It does not leak and looks quite clean.

- Original leather interior is in good shape, only the driver side back rest is a bit worn on the outer side, but no rip through

- carpets are imaculate, no wear

- brake pedal shows a bit of wear at the bottom right angle

- trail arm bushings and/or lateral support rod bushings are tired, the car swings a bit lateraly. I believe they are original, anf time can wear them as much as mileage I believe.

- surprisingly front subframe and spring leaf bushings are in good nick, I wonder if they have been replaced.

- rear axle leaks a bit, more like a seapage.

All in all the runs smoothly with no suspect mechanical noise, pulls very well and does not look like a high mileage car. I don't think it has 178.000 miles, though you never now.

What is the opinion of the experts?

Any help and tips to better determine mileage would be appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[GGR]

Another thing: while I was checking the walve clearance (most of them were too tight) I noticed that the mark on the cam alignes when the damper is 8 to 10 deg after tdc. I then checked with a dial gage on the intake valve with no play and 0.4 mm down and I got 12 deg btdc. I was not able to determine which camshaft I have as I could only see a "0" or a "D" stamped in the back. But the w/shop manual says it should be 11 deg or 16 deg according to the camshaft. So, I find less retard (in case it is 16 deg) with the dial than with the marks. Anyway, 4 or 8 deg, what kind of mileage brings that kind of stretch?

[Cees Klumper]

I'd focus not so much on the mechanical wear and tear, but more on the interior. As you describe the seats it sounds like it has not been driven that far - but if the carpets show no wear than I would guess they've been replaced, after all of those years and after all at least 78.000 miles. What kind of wear do brake and gas pedal pads show? Steering wheel /shifter knob? I.e. the things that wear 'optically' with driving.

[GGR]

By judjing from the rest of the car, I'm sure the carpets are original (other stuff would have been replaced as well in that case). There are some after market carpets on top of the original ones but from their design I would say they are from the 90s, so they were not there all the way long. The steering wheel and shifter are perfect, no wear I can see. The brake pedal is slightly worn at the bottom right angle but the diagonal marks can be seen everywhere apart from a few mm at the bottom right. No wear that I can see on the gas pedal.