aquaroscoe

Are all VIN/option codes on the motor stamped in an aligned manner? I have what I believe to be a numbers matching motor, however the numbers do not look like they used a holder (stamped individually) rather than all at once. The engine Serial number option code number is very clean/aligned. The VIN (left side) number seems to have been stamped using individual stamps. Since the car has AC, A.I.R., PS etc. The pad would not have been easy to get to after assy, does this explain why the numbers would have be so erratic? Anyone have pictures of what they should have looked like on a similar optioned car?

1967 coupe, L-79, AC, A.I.R., PS, PB
-Matthew
Cloudysky@sbcglobal.net

ctjackster

hate to burst your bubble but no "option codes" are stamped on the engine block, aside from a two letter code that denotes engine configuration (ex.: 350 hp, mt, a/c). The stamp pad will have two different groups of numbers/letters stamped on it, and these were stamped independently so they will appear so.

you get your "VIN derivative" which is a sinlge digit number (denoting the model year) followed by the production number portion of your VIN - in my case that was 5114316 (a 65 with a 114316 production number from the VIN); you also get an engine assembly stamp that tells you which plant produced the engine, the date of engine assembly, and the configuartion, in my case F0329HH - F for Flint, 0329 for March 29th, and HH for a 327 ci 365 hp manual tranny.

post yours and we can help you decipher it.

aquaroscoe

I think all the numbers are correct E.g. The cast numbers, the VIN numbers, the letter code number .

The issue is more the 'look' of the stamping itself. The engine production number & letter code stamp looks perfect (right hand stamp). The VIN number (left hand stamp) looks like it was stamped individually, rather than combining all the letters of a stamp into a single holder so that it would be uniform.

ctjackster

I assume your engine assembly stamp ends in a "HP" suffix.

If you still have reason to be suspicious, you can then go deeper into detective work and check the block casting date code, a raised group of letters/numbers on the passenger side of the block, near the firewall - it's one alpha followed by two or three numbers - in my case "C175" means my block was cast on March 17, 1965, 12 days ahead of my engine assembly date - this cast-to-assembly window is rather typical (NCRS will allow a six month window, but that would be a serious red flag if you encountered such a time gap from cast to assembly).

If you think you may have a restamped block on your hands, you need to go deeper and check these sorts of things. You could also post a picture of the pad for debate, but then the secret is out if the determination is a restamp, which might then be available to a prospective buyer.

JohnZ

Can you post a close-up photo? It should look like this, with VIN derivative fonts, spacing, and alignment as shown (unless it's a genuine factory VIN anomaly, which is very rare):

aquaroscoe

Actually, it is KH (A.I.R.) option,

From the post above, your 7120401 is very semetrical. But I think they could get to the entire area while stamping. Mine is mostly covered there with the AC compressor and the various other components. ( this is the overall point of my earlier question. So I wonder if they could get in there to stamp things easily

ctjackster

if someone decked the pad and restamped it, you can be sure that there was some serious dissassembly and maybe engine removal going on first, not too difficult in the grand scheme of things

68435roadster

I think the stamp pads on the block were "stamped" before the smog/air conditioning/etc. were installed. I could be wrong, so anyone who can comfirm/correct this, please chime in. A close up photo of this stamping would be of great help.

JohnZ

The VIN derivative was stamped on the pad before any of those components were installed, as one of the first operations on the engine dress line; the engine was "naked" at that point, and nothing was in the way of the gang-stamp holder.

aquaroscoe

Thanks, that is what I wanted to know

ctjackster

DAYUM John you are good, next you'll come up with a picture of the line worker as he actually stamped my block

so that's what the gang stamp thingie looked like . . . .