I agree, but sometimes if you want a particular car you have to pay to get it. My motor has a matching numbers stamp that several guys who know (Ron Bunnell among them) say could easily be the original motor. Seller had no proof, everything else checked out, and I own the car. I'm over it. I paid the value associated with a real car with a real motor because seller was unwilling to discount it for lack of Moses's concurrence, and silver/black leather L78's in fine condition with real KH wheels are not plentiful.


But to go out and stamp a motor knowing its not legit for the purpose of screwing someone, that's inexcusable.


Dan

 

I will eventually sell or give away this car as "matching #'s" only as I can't prove the originality..........That being said.........This car has a lot of integrity....and deserves to have a better "stamp"........I'll let my heirs or the next owner make the decision on what to call it.

 

Unfortunately, that's where the deception will begin. You may have enough integrity to inform someone of the re-stamped however the next owner probably will not. That's why this is such a heated topic.

Gary

 

Completely agree. This thread makes me feel icky.

 

Randy at Engine Limited does a first class job.

I have judged cars at NCRS events knowing the engine pad was restamped by him but I could not find something specific to make a deduction against it, so no deduction was made.

FYI: The OP's question was "Where can I get a good quality restamp done", not "How do you feel about me getting a good quality restamp".

Someone explain the difference between restamping the engine pad, and restamping the generator tag, or distributor tag, or radiator tag, or rear axle assembly, or....

Restamping an engine for restoration purposes is not an issue (with possibly one state being an exception).

Selling a car with a restamped engine is not an issue.

Selling a car with a restamped engine, and claiming that the restamped engine is original is fraud. There are already remedies in place to handle that.

 

Someone explain the difference between restamping the engine pad, and restamping the generator tag, or distributor tag, or radiator tag, or rear axle assembly, or....


Let's see, the former is tied to a vehicles identity and the latter is not.

 

Not necessarily. 1953 to mid 1960 Corvettes do NOT have a VIN derivative.

Is restamping those year engines OK?

 

Oh boy, everyone back to your corners...I think we should all agree to disagree and that we all have varying opinions on the topic.

 

Is there an engine suffix stamped on the block? If so, then my position is the same.

 

I'm of the opinion that 20 years from now no one will really care.

 

People get so bent dicked over the word "restamped engine".

Even more stupid is the crowd that believes just because a part cast date is within 6 months of the car build date it must be a original part to the car.

Most of these parts were still warm from the casting when installed at the factory.

 

This place is much better than asking on the NCRS TDB. Much kinder treatment of such things here.

 

Having the original born with engine in any car is ONE indication of a well maintained and cared for vehicle. To some buyers it is very desirable and should not be faked.

 

One of the really nice things about having a car that is NOM and that you intend to keep for the long term and just drive, rather than worrying about its investment value, is that it frees you from all this "originality" nonsense and lets you GAS about what other people think.....

 

I agree. And if I blow my original engine I will proudly go with a modern set up. A restamp somewhere down the line will end up fooling someone into believing they have something they don't. And what else is being hidden?

 

What about stamping a virgin block (i.e. a block with correct brooch marks but nothing ever stamped on the engine pad).

Technically that is not a "restamp", since nothing was stamped to being with.

OK, I am really not trying to be argumentative, but trying to point out the inconsistencies with the "it is a crime to restamp the engine pad but not other parts" analogies.

This is one area where I think we will all agree to disagree.

And what about the scenario where a non VIN derivative car has a Corvette engine (lets say it is a 57 220 hp, manual trans - EF code) and it is replaced with another 57 Corvette engine (say a 283 hp FI, manual trans - EL code). Assuming the date codes are OK for the FI engine, this would be pretty much undetectable.

An original Corvette engine has been replaced with an original Corvette engine (no restamping has taken place), but the car no longer has it "born with" engine.

True story - a while back a black / red 57 283hp FI manual trans Corvette was offered for sale. Someone on the forum checked Mike Hunt's old Corvette data. Mike's data (from many years ago) indicated that the car at that time (same VIN number) was a copper / beige 250hp, automatic car.

There are so many ways to replicate / replace the "born with" engine and make it undetectable that this is really a losing battle. We place such a premium on the "original born with engine" that we encourage the very thing we are trying to prevent.

 

The original question could easily have been, who can fake my car to look like it has an original engine? When someone looks at the engine and says "is it numbers-matching" what will you answer?

 

Your story about the 57 is exactly why I am against the practice of restamped engines, color changes etc. Someone down the road will most likely get screwed. Buyer beware!!!

 

The issue becomes a matter of semantics; "matching numbers" is not the same as "original". Top flight certification is attainable with a restamped engine, or with an unstamped engine for that matter, as long as the casting date is within 6 months of the build date.

Claims of originality should always be accompanied by bulletproof documentation if a price premium is expected.

Any restamp good enough not to receive any deduction in flight judging is worth something - exactly how much is the question.

 

I certainly won't; I'll prob be propped up in my wheel chair in the nursing home and won't know a fart from a yawn