VeroWing

Just came across this ad while searching C2 parts on Ebay. Watch out for some of those "numbers matching" cars being sold!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Engine-block...086371&vxp=mtr

396/425

You must be new. This outfit has been around for YEARS. They do a super job stamping motors. There are guys on this very forum who go to sleep at night thinking they have original engine cars and dont. Its why I preach that this whole engine numbers matching obsession is a joke. Unless you bought a car new or have known the car since birth, there is no 100% guarantee you have original motor. These classic engine joints are masters at their craft. They have built hundreds and hundreds of " matching engine" cars. its all a racket. Some just never figure that out,

1955 copper

Mike Terry

How many NCRS Top Flight cars do you think have Re-stamped blocks?? I would say about 1/2 anyway is my guess

redvetracr

our friend here Elmer once told me how a NCRS master judge (and Corvette parts seller) from Albuquerque and his buddies took a 300hp 327 midyear, waved a magic wand and got it a top flight award as a 365hp.

SW Vette

I figure the price premium for a "numbers matching" car should be the cost of renting a stamp.

ohiovet

The chances of renting a block stamp setup and making a "good" stamp is slim to none....
By the way don't forget to prep the pad.

396/425

In my opinion, you are absolutely off your rocker to pay 20k more more a numbers matching engine car. Unless you know first hand the cars history. Even then I dont think its worth it. Take my car for example....they popped the motor on it back in the 70,s. My block has been decked. its the correct casting engine. I could pull the motor and have it faked. That is if i didnt have a concience. I couldnt care less the pad is gone. Neither does anybody else to walks up to the car and says " man this thing is sick, I love these mid year coupes". Maybe if these corvette sanctioning bodies would just totally drop the engine pad requirement, the faking would quit and sanity would prevail. It would also get more membership and activity. We just went to a hot rod show here in our county fairgrounds theres no numbers matching geeks or people shaking their heads. The place was packed to the gills. Everyone was having fun. We saw alot of really neat cars.

SW Vette

That must be why "factory grind outs" are so common

Plastic Pig

Ebay



6 months later. Top Flight



Same VIN as Ebay ad.

big block ken

Why is it that I've never heard this opinion from an owner of an NCRS Top Flight Corvette with documentation to prove the car's provenance? No, I don't think you'll find too many of these cars at county fair, hot rod shows, where the trophies go to the car with the most chrome and loudest exhaust. I believe that many classic cars are easily worth double with the original drive train. Without them, there would be no bench mark cars or standard of excellence. And you should hear the comments that those of us who own them get.

tuxnharley

Holy Cr@p!

Now I remember why I am very happy with my NOM '67.

rtruman

plus you got the broach marks to deal with

396/425

Thats true, a do it yourself stamping is probably not going to fly, BUT the people renting these tools restamp motors. Broachmarks and all and they are very VERY good at it. There are hundreds and hundreds of cars out there with their product under the hoods and the owners have no clue. There are 2 outfits that I know of that will do a motor for you ....if youve got the money, theyve got the skill. Its all a racket like I said. If there is a market for something, somebodys going to figure out a way to supply it.
The corvette crowd ( for the most part not everybody) is addicted to numbers matching, and people will pay for it ,therefore you have created a business opportunity, and a couple guys have made a killing doing it. Its not their fault, its the people who pay them to do it.

427435

While my L71 was being checked over and dyno'd, I had some interesting conversations with the shop's owner. He had a guy near Chicago that was set up with a real broaching machine that would provide a properly broached and stamped engine pad for around $2000. All he needed, besides the $2000, was a bare block.

SW Vette

You should know there are many people in the Corvette business with the skills to assemble a car that appears exactly as if it just rolled off the assembly line. These originally were mass produced Chevies, not exotic handbuilt cars. No doubt there are hundreds, if not thousands, of proud owners certain of their car's provenance who've been fooled. That's okay -- as long as they're happy.

midstyle

Don't forget that this eBay listing, in addition to the firewall clip, included the first (?) Florida title, and rarest of all, the MSO (Manufacturers Statement of Origin) showing the SAE horsepower as 53.6, which confirms it was a 396.

rtruman

How do you broach a block with a hand tool or do you have to literally
put the bare block on some type of machine ,It looks like it only affects the pad area.

SW Vette

There are a few large, well known operations who will sell you a block with the casting date of your choice, broach it, and stamp it with any code you like. They have machines which will produce broach marks indistinguishable from those made at the Flint plant back in the day.

When you have guys get all excited and start writing checks for double the money just to have a stamp pad that gets the guru's seal of approval, there are always some clever folks who can spot a good business opportunity.

427435

He doesn't do it with a hand tool. He has a broaching machine.