How do you determine if your car is a numbers matching car? 64 Convertible, 327/250 HP, 2 speed Powerglide

 

That definition has grown into many possibilities over the years. The number one thing is of the engine stamp pad is genuine GM stamp that the vin matches the vin of the car.

 

Right.

The Corvette is one of few collectible cars in which original parts on the car add in some cases tremendous value. Even if not original parts but parts correctly date coded to appear original bestows the same value increase. A #3 Corvette in fair condition with all of its parts date coded is worth more than a shiny fresh comprehensive restoration using non-dated parts or reproduced parts which is usually worth less.

Your 250 HP automatic car is far more likely to have its original engine, transmission and rear end given it was not a high performance model and likely to have enjoyed an easier life. Had it been one of the high performance versions with a manual it will have lived a much harder life.

The majority (but not all) of high performance vintage Corvettes today do not have original driveline components after 60+ years. Parts restamping became a solid science by the 1980's. But its fun to pretend!

Dan

 

As the guys above said, forget about those fancy car show / car auction words. They mean nothing. You are interested if you have the original engine or not. Post a photo of the engine pad and we can steer you in the right direction.

 

where is that located?

 

Matching numbers isn't all that important to me but the question was asked by a friend and I didn't know the answer.

 

In front of the passenger side cylinder head….Google Corvette engine pad and you will get a million hits….Please, DO NOT use anything harsh to clean the pad of oil or paint. No screwdrivers, no steel wool and no sand paper…..ONLY Q Tip and lacquer thinner.

Post one CLEAR closeup of the pad…or 2 photos…..one of each of the stamps….
your cellphone is good enough….natural light is best.

 

Your engine pad will have an "SC" suffix. Very easy to check.

 

My '66 327/350 Nassau Blue convertible is all matching numbers and date code correct through out the whole car but is only worth what someone will pay for that.
DFA

 

Here are the numbers on the pad as best as I could see. There are 2 sets of numbers going vertically from the bottom up. 4104241 then a space then F0925SC. The F0 might be FO I'm not sure. If I'm reading the number correctly F0925SC translates to Flint, Sep 25th, 250HP.
that makes sense since my cars birthdate is November 4th, 1963. Which would make my engine original to the car. Am I interpreting this correctly?
Thanks for the help.
Tom

 

The "F" represents the Flint engine assembly plant - a good start. 09 = September. 25 = the 25th day of the month. As previously mentioned, SC represents your engine and transmission type for 1964. If 104241 is the last part of your serial number, then we have a numbers matching winner! Ding! Ding! Ding! :-)

 

Thank you. Nice to know. Doesn't matter much to me but it might be a selling point one day.

 

BTW - that first "4" in the serial number string 4104241 also indicates the year as 1964. Did you confirm that the rest of the serial number matches?

 

“Numbers matching” used to be the most debated term until “restomod” passed it by.

 

Original to the car? Not necessarily. The only way to know for sure is to get it certified by an independent service. Yes, it cost money.

Numbers matching is easy,,,to fake.

If you feel comfortable, you can post a pic of the pad here and you’ll get some feedback.

 

So are there pictures posted on the thread? Not on mine. Not sure why that happens, some times they show up other times NO pictures.
???

 

I remember all the excitement of decoding everything when I bought my 64, and for the most part, my car was a very original, numbers matching car. I pursued that path for a while, having things restored rather than just replacing with an off the shelf part, because the numbers & date codes would be preserved. Then on parts that were not original, I would find them over time... but I never wanted to go have my car judged or anything, it's just not something that interests me at all. I have no plan on selling my car, and it's value isn't something I spend a moment of thought on, so it was just kind of a way to entertain myself with a challenge, while making my car nicer over time, as we all do hopefully.

I have moved away from that preservation of the old mentality over the years, and upgraded many things like disk brakes, dual master cylinder, offset trailing arms to accomdate wider rear tires, even added side pipes cuz I like the look. My next projects will be vintage air & a 5 speed trans, because I've decided long ago, its my decision, and nobody elses, to do what I please with my car, just as it is yours.

However you choose to enjoy the hobby, you can be sure youll find plenty of support, here in the forum.

 

Yes, numbers match. Thanks. As I stated before I'm not all that concerned with numbers matching or originality for that matter. Although is is fun researching the numbers game. I do plan to add Vintage AC ASAP just so I can enjoy the car in the summer months more than early mornings or late evenings. Summer heat in south Louisiana can be brutal and has been since I bought the car last month. Another nice feature would be power disc brakes. It has power steering from the factory already. And further down the road I'd like to upgrade the 2 speed Powerglide to a 4 speed automatic just because. I keep waiting for that 2nd and 3rd shift that never comes after the first and only one. LOL I had a 64 Coupe Restomod with an LS3 and all the bells and whistles before this stock 64 convertible. I much prefer the current car with a few upgrades that would allow me to cruise at highway speeds in a little more comfort.