1973 Engine ID help needed

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Nov 26, 2006 | 07:35 PM

gleninsandiego

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From: La Mesa CA

1973 Engine ID help needed

I was looking at a 1973 Corvette for sale today. According to the VIN number and the center console, the car came with the L82, 350ci 250hp engine. The owner, who has had the car since 1984, claims it is the original engine. The owner had the engine rebuilt right after they first got it, but claims it is the original block ect. The receipts seem to verify this. However, and this is big however, the vin number is not on the metal pad by the water pump where I am used to seeing the vin number stamped. On the rear of the engine block there is a couple of numbers cast on the block. One number is 3970010. The other number was smaller and looked like 2273. On the sticker with the vin number, it said the car was assembled in 4/73. So my question is, do you think this is the original engine or was the block replaced sometime between 1973 and 1984?

Thanks
Glenn in San Diego

Last edited by gleninsandiego; Nov 26, 2006 at 08:27 PM.

Nov 26, 2006 | 08:10 PM

427SIXPACK

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From: LONG ISLAND

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NO #'s ??

Quote:

Originally Posted by gwgwgw

I was looking at a 1973 Corvette for sale today. According to the VIN number and the center console, the car came with the L88, 350ci 250hp engine. The owner, who has had the car since 1984, claims it is the original engine. The owner had the engine rebuilt right after they first got it, but claims it is the original block ect. The receipts seem to verify this. However, and this is big however, the vin number is not on the metal pad by the water pump where I am used to seeing the vin number stamped. On the rear of the engine block there is a couple of numbers cast on the block. One number is 3970010. The other number was smaller and looked like 2273. On the sticker with the vin number, it said the car was assembled in 4/73. So my question is, do you think this is the original engine or was the block replaced sometime between 1973 and 1984?

Thanks
Glenn in San Diego

NO #'s on the pad ???? i'd be a scared !!!
buy it & pay as if it was a NO MATCH car, most likely the heads were decked & the numbers removed at that time, but you can now never ever prove if it was a matching motor or not, & will always have a story attatched when it comes time for resale etc.........as well as never brining the same money as a car with the correct numbers on the pad. what is the vin on the car ? curious ? & where is this # located exactly ? photo avail ? how about numbers on manifold, bell housing - tranny, rear ????
ZIXXX PACKER

Last edited by 427SIXPACK; Nov 26, 2006 at 08:14 PM.

Nov 26, 2006 | 08:15 PM

wfo76

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From: MS

The VIN needs to be on the pad. Since he had the engine rebuilt the shop probably decked the block and destroyed the pad, very dumb thing to do but they do it all the time. Are the other engine stamp numbers on the pad? The 2273 first character should be a letter for the month but the date sounds right. It probably is the original block, but the wiped stamp definitely hurts the value so the price should be reduced accordingly. I would just act like it is an NOM car when haggling with the seller. Good luck.

oh, it's an L82 btw.

Nov 27, 2006 | 12:20 PM

Easy Mike

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From: Southbound

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Unless I miss my guess, your pad numbers were machined away at the time the previous owner had the engine rebuilt. Ask and see whether he/she remembers the block being decked at that time. Block number and casting date are otherwise correct for an April, '73 car.

Nov 27, 2006 | 01:27 PM

Tom73

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Joined: Apr 1999

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From: NM

This is one reason that the numbers matching thing can get a bit wierd.

You can have a matching number engine that is the original engine;

You can have an original engine that does not have numbers;

You can have matching numbers but the engine is not original;

or You can have a non-matching numbers and the engine is not original.

So, Which is best, Matching Numbers or Original Engine??

Nov 27, 2006 | 10:22 PM