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View Full Version : QUESTION about low mile motors forsale



colt zantop
12-05-2004, 06:45 PM
Ive been thinking about this........How can you find out if "seller A" on ebay who has a 15,000 mile LS1 forsale really have a motor with 15,000 miles? how can you find out how many miles the motor has? the reason I ask is becuase I bought a used LS1 for the camaro with low miles (17,000) and Ive been thinking.... how can I really prove that?????

any input would be great...maybe im dumb and missing something????

colt45

BRIAN
12-05-2004, 06:52 PM
Run The Vin On ******

Bill Howell
12-05-2004, 06:54 PM
If you know your motor came out of a wrecked or salvaged car: 1) take picture if possible of vin and odometer. 2) Have the seller give you a notarized statement about the motor and the car's actual miles.

You really don't know if what you read on ebay(etc..) is correct or true. That is why it is so risky to make such purchases.

colt zantop
12-05-2004, 07:02 PM
I got a copy of the title and everything with the motor......17,102 miles, I got it from a place in ohio but still...it seems like it would be easy to fake...and thats scarey!

Bill Howell
12-05-2004, 07:14 PM
Actually if you had the copy of the title(vin) and can verify that your motor came out of that car, you are pretty safe. Documentation is everything, so tie up any loose ends now, not down the road when you go to sale. Your obligation to the next buyer is to represent the car & motor honestly and I feel you are doing that with the paperwork you have. Of course, document your odometer now so you will know the total miles on the engine later.

KUL FIR CHICK N
12-05-2004, 07:27 PM
I'm not positive, but I think the engine computer stores the information for the odometer. I know some cars do, just not sure for the LS motors.

I would be more interrested in how the motor was maintained and driven than the mileage. You can kill a motor in 17k miles with a loose nut behind the wheel, which may explain why a car with that few of miles is totaled.

Pop off the valve covers and check to see if they changed the oil before it broke down to sludge, maybe do a leak down test to ease your mind, and go on down the road.

I have seen someone kill a motor in 50k miles because he almost never changed the oil. It had about 1/2" of sludge in the pan, clogged the pick up screen and spun a bearing.