viven44 Posted July 18 Share Posted July 18 I want to ask for opinions on how to gauge miles on a Bullnose truck I am really tired of telling people most times they have no idea how many miles is on the truck that they are selling I have only once come across a bullnose truck for sale that claimed it had over 300,000 miles and that’s because the original owner had pride in how well he took care of it.. many others pretty much claimed original xx,xxx miles and I’m getting tired of that… I have routinely come across “OBS” trucks with over 300,000 miles that looked pristine so I’m very sure Bullnose trucks are capable of feats similar to that Case in point https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/848076333404507/?mibextid=6ojiHh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thelastkeg Posted July 18 Share Posted July 18 I'm certainly not an expert but I'm 39 and I'm up to 74 vehicles that I've cycled through. Most of them what I would consider as bottom-feeder type (cheap and high miles, usually not running). I feel like seat wear, pedal wear, and the floor where the driver heel rests are all pretty good indicators. The way the doors feel and sound when shutting. But even then it's dependent on the driver habits and how well they were taken care of. My 68 Chevelle that is a family car and is known to have only 45,000 miles has no pedal wear at all, no heel wear, and the seats weren't cracked and still had firm padding (until I started driving it and now they've cracked a good bit). It also had the original ball joints that were riveted in which is a good clue for that application. My 85 bullnose that was my Papaw's has a known 135,000ish miles, but it's always had a floormat so the heel wear is misleading. The pedals have some noticeable wear but isn't down to the metal. Seat has one small crack and is still firm. My 2000 F350 with 260,000 miles has metal showing on the pedal. Seat padding has obviously had a lot of miles. The overall appearance of the body, especially the fiberglass dually fenders, show its high miles and road rash pretty clear. The note about driver habits - I have a 95 F150 with 205,000 miles that I bought from the original owner. I'll post a picture. The seat is immaculate. Still firm. Pedal wear isn't bad at all (dirty in pics but not real worn). But the original owner was a very small light man, and he used it for long trips. So if it didn't have the hundred thousand spot on the odometer, I would've assumed it had a lot fewer miles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viven44 Posted July 18 Author Share Posted July 18 I'm certainly not an expert but I'm 39 and I'm up to 74 vehicles that I've cycled through. Most of them what I would consider as bottom-feeder type (cheap and high miles, usually not running). I feel like seat wear, pedal wear, and the floor where the driver heel rests are all pretty good indicators. The way the doors feel and sound when shutting. But even then it's dependent on the driver habits and how well they were taken care of. My 68 Chevelle that is a family car and is known to have only 45,000 miles has no pedal wear at all, no heel wear, and the seats weren't cracked and still had firm padding (until I started driving it and now they've cracked a good bit). It also had the original ball joints that were riveted in which is a good clue for that application. My 85 bullnose that was my Papaw's has a known 135,000ish miles, but it's always had a floormat so the heel wear is misleading. The pedals have some noticeable wear but isn't down to the metal. Seat has one small crack and is still firm. My 2000 F350 with 260,000 miles has metal showing on the pedal. Seat padding has obviously had a lot of miles. The overall appearance of the body, especially the fiberglass dually fenders, show its high miles and road rash pretty clear. The note about driver habits - I have a 95 F150 with 205,000 miles that I bought from the original owner. I'll post a picture. The seat is immaculate. Still firm. Pedal wear isn't bad at all (dirty in pics but not real worn). But the original owner was a very small light man, and he used it for long trips. So if it didn't have the hundred thousand spot on the odometer, I would've assumed it had a lot fewer miles. Thanks for those tips. Any under the hood ? Other clues based on engine leaks ? Also, steering feel and play... any thoughts on this ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thelastkeg Posted July 18 Share Posted July 18 Thanks for those tips. Any under the hood ? Other clues based on engine leaks ? Also, steering feel and play... any thoughts on this ? To me engine leaks and worn components are just like that seat above, it's dependent on the driver and how well they maintained it. That Chevelle has a decent rear main leak even though it's my lowest mileage vehicle. Steering had some slop, because it was still riding on the original ball joints and bushings. But due to it being from the family, we knew the entire history and that 45k is accurate. I think it's more of what does the whole picture tell you? There's so much variability, but if a lot of clues are leaning to lower miles then that's probably true. I'm sure some others here will have clues on what components maybe to look for that are still original to the truck (like the riveted ball joints on a GM A-body). Also, for the level of vehicles I'm dealing with, whether it's 85k, 185k, or 385k, it just doesn't matter. None of mine are ever going to be even touching the Bring-A-Trailer sales amounts, so I'm really just trying to get some enjoyment out of them. And I always tell people that my level of enjoyment is inversely proportional to how much money I have tied up in it. So I tend to lean toward the vehicles that are needy and cheap, but have a certain look that calls to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArdWrknTrk Posted July 18 Share Posted July 18 Thanks for those tips. Any under the hood ? Other clues based on engine leaks ? Also, steering feel and play... any thoughts on this ? Look at where the pedal shafts pass through the steering column support. Those bushings get used every time you step on the brake or clutch and most people are completely blind to them. Steering box wear is another, but can be deceiving. I bought a Dodge Powerwagon dump from the local cemetery. It has never been registered, because it never left the property. Had 20x K miles and never got into 3rd gear either! Man, the steering was completely shot. It was terrifying to drive home! 😱 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viven44 Posted July 18 Author Share Posted July 18 Look at where the pedal shafts pass through the steering column support. Those bushings get used every time you step on the brake or clutch and most people are completely blind to them. Steering box wear is another, but can be deceiving. I bought a Dodge Powerwagon dump from the local cemetery. It has never been registered, because it never left the property. Had 20x K miles and never got into 3rd gear either! Man, the steering was completely shot. It was terrifying to drive home! 😱 Thanks for the additional inputs!! I am almost wanting to come up with a "questionnaire" for best odometer estimate. If there is anyone who can do that on bullnose trucks, it is this group here. As mentioned above, it is a combination of different factors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockhauler Posted July 18 Share Posted July 18 Look at where the pedal shafts pass through the steering column support. Those bushings get used every time you step on the brake or clutch and most people are completely blind to them. Steering box wear is another, but can be deceiving. I bought a Dodge Powerwagon dump from the local cemetery. It has never been registered, because it never left the property. Had 20x K miles and never got into 3rd gear either! Man, the steering was completely shot. It was terrifying to drive home! 😱 Just what does mileage mean to you on a vehicle that's close to 40 years old. It certainly doesn't give any idea whether the vehicle is in good condition either mechanically or body wise. A high mileage vehicle will show wear on components that get touched when being used. Like stated above pedals, seats, steering wheel, door panels around the handles. But previous owners could of changed all those components too, like me when I changed the color of one truck I also replaced the interior to a different color. Up here in the Canadian rust belt mileage on a vehicle means very little to me. I can deal with worn mechanical parts easy enough but rusted out body and frames are impossible to fix completely as the rust soon returns. What I see often are vehicles that are listed for sale as rust free, usually really means it got a paint job and a quick look underneath tells a different story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArdWrknTrk Posted July 18 Share Posted July 18 Thanks for the additional inputs!! I am almost wanting to come up with a "questionnaire" for best odometer estimate. If there is anyone who can do that on bullnose trucks, it is this group here. As mentioned above, it is a combination of different factors. David has pulled down the best documented mileage of our group. When he makes his annual pilgrimage to Gary's he sets his carb as lean as it will go. He has a 300 and I believe 2.75 gear. He has the factory air dam and has flushed out his headlight buckets and removed the passenger mirror in an effort to squeeze every drop out of a gallon. Drive 60 like a geriatric and I do believe he almost got 20 mpg one year. Then of course there was the year he had to turn back because of oiling problems, but that wasn't related to any of his hypermileing mods.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viven44 Posted July 18 Author Share Posted July 18 Just what does mileage mean to you on a vehicle that's close to 40 years old. It certainly doesn't give any idea whether the vehicle is in good condition either mechanically or body wise. A high mileage vehicle will show wear on components that get touched when being used. Like stated above pedals, seats, steering wheel, door panels around the handles. But previous owners could of changed all those components too, like me when I changed the color of one truck I also replaced the interior to a different color. Up here in the Canadian rust belt mileage on a vehicle means very little to me. I can deal with worn mechanical parts easy enough but rusted out body and frames are impossible to fix completely as the rust soon returns. What I see often are vehicles that are listed for sale as rust free, usually really means it got a paint job and a quick look underneath tells a different story. You bring up a good point ... I am talking from the perspective of living down in Texas where I have never encountered real rust. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viven44 Posted July 18 Author Share Posted July 18 David has pulled down the best documented mileage of our group. When he makes his annual pilgrimage to Gary's he sets his carb as lean as it will go. He has a 300 and I believe 2.75 gear. He has the factory air dam and has flushed out his headlight buckets and removed the passenger mirror in an effort to squeeze every drop out of a gallon. Drive 60 like a geriatric and I do believe he almost got 20 mpg one year. Then of course there was the year he had to turn back because of oiling problems, but that wasn't related to any of his hypermileing mods.. I am still jealous of the 460 mileage estimates from the others I must be doing something wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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