I am SO sure Im gonna get flamed for this. But anyone done it and can explain how to? Before anyone gets in a tiff. This is for a car I am building from ground up and getting 3800SC and custom interior. I have no plans to get rid of this car! The car started out as a 58K ttop coupe and I have a 120 Speedo going in with 119K on the clock and I want to roll it back to 58K at least.

Anyone?
Rich

I don't know why rolling back the ODO gets people all spun up. It's only a crime if you are attempting to defraud someone by claiming the rolled back mileage as original.

Anyway both my cars are rolling with ODOs that are not actual miles because they were swapped in from other cars. The Fiero odometer is real easy to roll back, you just loosen the gear holding on the wheels and set it to whatever you want it to say. Another way is to hook up a cordless drill and go over the top. That sounds like a long tme but my drill could move it at about 5 miles a second, (orbital velocity )

I've done it both ways and the drill is probably the easiest. Especially with the digital ones that are impossilble roll back.

[This message has been edited by jscott1 (edited 10-03-2004).]

or pop the odometer from the original cluster in?

Didnt realize it was that simple. Guess I'll try it at work tomorrow..
Scott. I would have tried that but I didnt know if because the change from 85 to 120 would have mattered? Besides. I thought I was doing a digital swap and changed my mind and sold the 58K cluster. Whoops.
Thanks to both and a + too!
Rich

quote Originally posted by HIOSILVER!: I am SO sure Im gonna get flamed for this. But anyone done it and can explain how to? Before anyone gets in a tiff. This is for a car I am building from ground up and getting 3800SC and custom interior. I have no plans to get rid of this car! The car started out as a 58K ttop coupe and I have a 120 Speedo going in with 119K on the clock and I want to roll it back to 58K at least. Anyone? Rich

I don't think anyone should flame you for that. When I do my 3.4 swap, I will probably roll mine back since I'll be in there to do a speedo swap anyways. I have records of the mileage on the car should I decide to sell it someday (chassis mileage), but it really doesn't matter since I'll probably keep the car until the end of time.

It's your car, do what you want.

Seen it happen though. Thanks for your support! + for you!

Use mine!
Believeit or not, yesterday I caught it stop, begin to run backwards for a few tenth's, stop, then begin to run ahead again.
I'm going to have to watch those oil change intervals pretty close!

Jscott is right--as long as you don't try to sell the car claiming it has fewer miles on it than it does, you're legal and ethical. AFAIK most states have a box on the title or other sale paperwork which allows you to state that the odometer reading is not accurate, and as long as you make sure the buyer (if you ever have one) knows that, you're okay.

I've been considering something similar for my '86, after I do a frame-off of it. (Which won't be for a while. )

BTW you must be very careful with the odometer. GM made them "tamper-proof"--basically the paint on the number wheels is very thin and easily damaged. It would suck to go to all that trouble and then realize your odometer looks like it was rolled back.

Ed

also, carfax will reveal the actual mileage anyhow. Ive got one set at zero already, just by taking the wheels and pulling them alittle and spinning them . Took me about ten minutes, because it was like a rubic cube. They just didnt go back to zero without moving a number next to them. If anyone can verify this...people say that the numbers will be offset if you roll them back, is that true? John

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Car fax isn't going to be all that useful because some states, including Texas, don't record mileage on Titles for cars over 10 years old. So there isn't going to be any data more recent than 7 to 10 years ago on Fieros.

quote Originally posted by jscott1: Car fax isn't going to be all that useful because some states, including Texas, don't record mileage on Titles for cars over 10 years old. So there isn't going to be any data more recent than 7 to 10 years ago on Fieros.

I'll second that. I've run some CarFaxes on potential purchases and gotten some really weird things come back. CarFax can be useful, but don't rely on it 100%.

Good idea on swapping the odo!!

Oh, and I'm not sure when it started, but most cars have tamper resistant odometers in them. If you attempt to roll it back, a colored bar will appear between each number wheel making it very obvious that the odo has been tampered with. I do believe that started in the 80's, so our Fieros likely have them.

It's pretty easy to change the mileage on a Fiero speedometer. Pull the instrumet cluster and remove the clear plastic cover. Now you can lift the speedo out. There's a brass clip at the end of the number wheels; remove the clip and the number wheel assembly comes out. There's a plastic strip across the back holding the "pins" - remove that strip and twiddle the numbers to your heart's content. It's a little tricky but you'll catch on pretty quickly to how to make it go the way you want. Put the strip back on, replace and put the clip back; you're done!

Now that we've covered that, there's another thing to consider. In some states, it's illegal to roll back the odomoeter - no matter what your intent or reason, if you change the odometer reading you're a criminal. If you live in one of these states (check to make sure) it's just a matter of time; the mileage is recorded when the car is smogged or during the annual safety inspection. When they notice that it reads fewer miles this year than it did last year you'll be in an uncomfortable position.

Me, I've had 3 different speedometers in my car up to this point and I've set the odometer to actual mileage each time...

i reset the odo to 000000 when i put the 350 in Ling.
but i wont ever sell her.

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_{Buddy Craigg - there are two "G"s in my last name
Ling = 84SE-Modified
Julia C = 85GT stock (kinda)
Ivy = 67 Pontiac Catalina
KCFOG}

quote Originally posted by Whuffo: Now that we've covered that, there's another thing to consider. In some states, it's illegal to roll back the odomoeter - no matter what your intent or reason, if you change the odometer reading you're a criminal. If you live in one of these states (check to make sure) it's just a matter of time; the mileage is recorded when the car is smogged or during the annual safety inspection. When they notice that it reads fewer miles this year than it did last year you'll be in an uncomfortable position.

Maybe but if I lived in one of those states, (and I don't) I would just say that it broke and I replaced it with one of lower mileage. Besides, I believe odometer tampering is a Federal Law, and it's intent is to catch criminals who sell cars with rolled back odometers without disclosing that they have been rolled back; not to harrass enthusiasts who swap speedometers.

seems a fair question to me good luck!

I rolled mine back to 000000 and I submitted the paperwork for a restored vehicle. Now the title shows the 86K miles on the frame and states that the odometer mileage is the mileage since restoration.
As stated it is only a crime if your intent is to defraud.

hmmm any pics ohh man i gotta give + for this!! good questions and answers ohh ya heres a question sandblasted/primed whateve its like a brand new car...i get a brand new crate engine...is it still illegal? (id like to know for Canada and US) hmm very interesting topic

Brad

Welp Just finished it. Reads 0000000 now. LOL. What a pain in the nuts. Did the rubiks cube thing till it got close then spun it by hand the rest of the way.
Federal law be damned as I aint selling this car. Rebuilding it from the frame up I am going to be buried in it.
Thanks all for the help!

Rich

There's nothing illegal about replacing an odometer as long as you don't try to pass it off as original mileage.
Here in Ohio there's a little block on the mileage statement that says "Odometer is beyond it's mechanical limits or has been replaced" and I'm sure it's that way in most states that have odometer laws. If you sell the car just check that box and it's not illegal. The Fed's only get into it when a dealer is caught rolling back odometers.
Besides, mileage is not near as important as how well the previous owner(s) kept up with the maintenance and the quality of repairs.

Just a side note - digital odometer's can be changed with the proper equipment

Tim

just remember you roll ahead until it flips, not roll back. it's kinda a misnomer.
btw, i now own a cluster with 834 xxx kms on it

quote Originally posted by fierce_gt: just remember you roll ahead until it flips, not roll back. it's kinda a misnomer. btw, i now own a cluster with 834 xxx kms on it

Hehe mine has about 640 Kmiles today! The first row is a bit loose on mine so I can drive a few hundred thousand miles within a few days

I did the same job. The barrel from the old speedo will plug right into the newer 120 speedo cradle.

Arn

quote Originally posted by HIOSILVER!: I am SO sure Im gonna get flamed for this. But anyone done it and can explain how to? Before anyone gets in a tiff. This is for a car I am building from ground up and getting 3800SC and custom interior. I have no plans to get rid of this car! The car started out as a 58K ttop coupe and I have a 120 Speedo going in with 119K on the clock and I want to roll it back to 58K at least. Anyone? Rich

quote Originally posted by HIOSILVER!: Welp Just finished it. Reads 0000000 now. LOL. What a pain in the nuts. Did the rubiks cube thing till it got close then spun it by hand the rest of the way. Federal law be damned as I aint selling this car. Rebuilding it from the frame up I am going to be buried in it. Thanks all for the help! Rich

Well, congrads and glad you got one too. I feel the same way, Im going to get buried in mine as well. LOL

when i swaped the guages in my 2m4, i rolled the odo from 54k to actual milage of 219k out of pride! that car has never had an over haul, or engine replacement, and is still running.

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1985 Pontiac Fiero 2.5 SE, 220,000 currently going under the knife to become a chopped hard top custom convertible, watch for the build up thread
more pics of my 85 can be found here
1987 Pontiac Fiero GT, 141,500 miles! decklid window, silver guages.
1987 Pontiac Fiero 2.8 SE, 54,000 miles :( DOOMED, im cutting her up for scrap metal very soon! RIP

Have you ever imagined a world with no hypothetical situations?