Over years of working in a mechanic shop and shopping Craigslist, I’ve noticed here and there that people will claim that their old car is still equipped with its original factory-installed fuel pump or fan belt or water pump or whatever, despite the vehicle’s high mileage. “Pulled the brakes apart today. The car is still using the original brake rotors.”
Usually this is 3 or 4 owners in.
Unless they have access to every service record from day one, and know that they aren’t missing any, how do they know that it’s an original part? Do they just see dealer-installed OEM parts and assume they’re the original ones? Kinda confused here. Maybe I’m missing something obvious.
My dad has a pristine 1971 AMF Harley Sportster. It has less than 5,000 miles on it. I asked him once “why don’t you ride it around more?”
He said “everything on that bike is original…including the tires”
In this case my grandfather bought the bike brand new and never really did much to it.