Not to beg the question, but...

If you are assembling a car using parts from other cars of various mileages, what is the "true" mileage of the assembled product? Can you not just record the mileage (if known) for parts like the engine, frame, and whatever is important and call it "newly" assembled and restored with odometer reading ... Resetting the odometer to "zero" is not the true mileage for the engine, even if it is overhauled.

In the reverse situation, I had a car that had its odometer replaced with one that read zero at something like 15,000 miles. Everything was documented, and there was never a problem in licensing the car in Minnesota.

John

 

If the odometer gets turned back for any other purpose, you are breaking the law.

So your saying in Canada, if the speedometer breaks or goes bad, the car must be scrapped? And no one can replace it with a wrecking yard replacement? Here this can be done by checking a box on the title, that the mileage is not correct, when you go to sell it. The real mileage can be found with a title search. But turning an odometer "back" is illegal.

 

No, what I am saying is this. You have a vehicle with 100,000 miles on it and the odometer craps out. If it is a mechanical odometer, you can document the last know recorded mileage from the old one, work order, whatever and then record your mileage each year from the new odometer. Each year when we get our license renewed, they ask for the current odometer reading. If somehow that 100,000 became 89,000 because someone turned the odometer back somehow, then you would be breaking the law.
If it is electronic, no problem. Program the last known mileage and you are away to the races. Program it lower, and you are off to pay some fines. You do not have to wreck the car. That would be silly.
I am not sure what the law is with building a one-off vehicle with different states of used parts, but now I am curious and will have to go find out. Get back to you when I know.
Just read two articles where one guy went to jail for 450 days for multiple roll-backs and another was charged over $400,000 for multiple roll-backs.

 

Different here in Ohio. Only time you need to show title is first time you buy plates and when it's sold. A group called SEMA was trying to get a universal (at least in the US) home built vehicle law passed so it would be the same in all states, and easier to do. Don't know how that is going though. Some southern states didn't even have vehicle titles until the late 1990's.

 

The bottom line is that your MX-5 cluster mileage can be corrected .
This company specifically lists the MX-5 and will correct the mileage for $89-00 http://www.odo-pro.com/list-of-supported-vehicles.html
Unfortunately they are based in the USA, but there are hundreds of such companies operating in the UK and they all use the same basic software and programming methods.

 

The bottom line is, this Thread is about building a new car, not cheating multiple customers with false odometers on used cars. This entire hijacking by bwilliams60 has been irrelevant to the Thread Starter.

 

It's really interesting how the Law differs from country to country and even state to state. Over here in the UK we have to put any newly built vehicle (kit car) or imported (left-hand drive) vehicles though a very strict test called an IVA (Individual Vehicle Approval) but even before this test can take place we have to apply a Vehicle identification number. Once you pass this test the vehicle is registered as new and road legal.
It's funny, the odometer does not have to be 0, it's just I'd like it to be 0 on a new car. I've added a pic of the car I'm building in case anyone's interested or to prove its a new car .

If you are assembling a car using parts from other cars of various mileages, what is the "true" mileage of the assembled product? Can you not just record the mileage (if known) for parts like the engine, frame, and whatever is important and call it "newly" assembled and restored with odometer reading ... Resetting the odometer to "zero" is not the true mileage for the engine, even if it is overhauled.

John

This is a very interesting point and one I don't have the answer to, I guess its all a matter of opinion but this video did change my mine on overhauled engines (well the block anyway

 

That reminds me of the difference between a replica airplane and a restored airplane. Simply put, it is the data plate!

The 1500 HP engine is not your ordinary BMW 325. Although, the story about aging the blocks has parallels in precision machinery (pre-CNC era).

John

 

The bottom line is, this Thread is about building a new car, not cheating multiple customers with false odometers on used cars. This entire hijacking by bwilliams60 has been irrelevant to the Thread Starter.

Ouch, that hurt. I never intended to hijack anything. In fact, I provided a way to hack into the odometer so I am miffed by this statement. It was only meant as conversation. Sorry for any hurt feelings.
Great project by the way.
Out.