The ridiculous term "numbers matching" may be "crap," but having the original motor is worthwhile...whether YOU or anybody else tries to debunk it. The resale market will dictate the value, not you. Okay?

 

And with posts like the above, I wouldn't blame the OP if she never posted again.

 

Man, if that ain't the pot calling the kettle black. Ward, most of your posts are the epitomy of sarcasm and just plain nastiness. Give me a break. Why don't you go find a charm school to attend, then get back to us.

 

Getting back to the thread......
Very few people make profit on a car that they restore. You would have to do all the work yourself and be really good at it to do so.
Figure out what you really want first. Do you want a nice car that you will enjoy driving? Or do you want a correct show car? Then build it the way you want it.
If you think you are going to sell it for a profit......sell it now.

 

Listen guys, I'm not sure what has everyone so annoyed. What would make you assume that this post is somehow a hoax? As far as the opinion of "Faster Rat" it is just that, his opinion and he is intitled to it and there are probably more out there who feel as he does. I don't remember arguing about the matching numbers deal, just asking a simple question....
As far as being scared away because the boys are being a little snarky, don't bet on it!
The reason I post and not my husband is because he has two jobs and doesn't have the same time I do to ask questions and sit on the computer. There is no conspiracy here.
I said from the get go that I don't know much about cars. I am learning as I go and telling you what I have been told.
As far as our purchase goes, the gentlemen we bought it from has been our friend and neighbor for well over twenty some years. I remember him driving the vet for a short 3 months before he put it away in the garage due to a family issue. It has stayed in there since. He bought the car from a woman whose first and last name I have who lives in Brea. She had the car for a short while in Texas and then came back here. She purchased the car from a man who was in the military but can only remember his first name and apparently he was the first owner.
It was she who had the car repainted grey and the interior black. I assume she did it because she bloody well felt like it. She was probably not someone who would give any thought to the value of a car in it's original state.
That is all I know..I am still investigating...
Really guys, you need to take a chill pill.....

 

what is ultra ultra extraordinary here is that you picked up a rust free, original engine 69 for 2K... it just doesn't happen.. especially to a novice.. talk about being in the right place at the right time..

and since you are a novice, and got the car so extraordinarily cheap, don't worry about the numbers game.

if you have 5K to put a crate engine in it, do it, if not, then sell the car for something more reasonable, like 13K.

 

It really has nothing to do with you. In the few years that I have had the pleasure of participating in this forum, I am constantly amazed by the number of members who, for whatever reason, trivialize the importance of having an original motor car. A car can only be original once. It can be modified or restored an infinite number of times. Therein lies the difference. Some of us have worked hard for our money and are concerned about how we spend it. Others, evidently not. More power to them and to each his own. When I give advice to people who come on this forum and are concerned about how they are spending THEIR money, I try to frame my response around what the current market appears to be. When it comes to these silly toys, it is ALL ABOUT THE MONEY. You have expressed your concern well.

 

Complicated question. The more 'original' and the better the condition of the original features, the more people are willing to pay for it. The three features you mentioned all act interdependently of each other to affect the value of a car.

It's always a good idea to keep the original parts, functioning or not and numbered or not. Many of us threw away the smog pump back in the '70s thinking that it was 'evil'. Correct replacement systems now retail for $1500.

 

So even if we change out a non functioning part we should keep it around. Someone in the future could very well need a 69 gas tank or an engine block and being willing to take a chance on the crack and their ability to repair it safely?
I think that the inside of this car will have to be redone. Some of the blue is showing through the painted interior and it just looks bad. The seats aren't too bad but they are black so maybe not original or recovered, I can't tell. The cars plate on the door states that it should be lemans blue with bright blue interior. If the inside is anything like the covers for the t-tops, it must have been bright!

 

So.. if the neighbor drove it and put it away ... and the person who had it before them drove it.. when did the engine get this crack? Maybe it's just a surface thing? I only say that because the other folks seem to have driven the car just fine... no?

 

There are buyers out there, mainly collectors, who place a huge amount of value on original parts, especially the engine block since it has a serial number which ties it to the car. What some of us are suggesting is you may want to replace it rather than take chances on a repair if you mechanic has expresssed skepticism about the odds of success. When it comes time to sell, there may be a buyer who will try to have that crack repaired so they may have the original block reinstalled. So far as the gas tank goes, the tank itself isn't particularly valuable but the sheet attached is, proof of how the car was configured. Maybe a bit less valuable for a base model small block vs a big block which are often made up. Other parts which have date codes may be of interest to a future buyer who absolutely wants original parts and may be willing to have them repaired rather than replaced with parts which would not pass for originals, often the most expensive repair.

I personally think the numbers game has been taken way too far unless we're talking about a low mileage original, high end version or rare model, sometimes to the point of absurd, but this appears to be what brings in the most money. How much more depends on desireability and rarity.

 

Sounds like you got a great deal.

Post some pics of this crack. It's not in a common place and would be interesting.

As far as the matching numbers thingy, your intent of use and recapturing monies spent, pretty well dictates that. If you don't want to make a garage queen out of it and don't care about obtaining top dollar when done with it, don't worry about it.
It has been my experience, that if you mod it and trash the numbers parts, potential buyers will use it as a bargaining ploy, and if you keep it all matching parts, working or not, it just eliminates that tool. Very few owners actually do the correct show thing anyway, but I always save the parts anyway.

The interior can be recolored properly to look great with paint, only the seats and carpeting ideally need be replaced.

The block crack can also be repaired properly, if the original is that important to you, but it will have to be totally re-machined after welding. Pm me if you need the info.

 

Yvonne: 68 bright blue; 69 bright blue will be nearly the same.


You and hubby may want a copy of this:


This is also good:


Same here:


Order the 1969 assembly instruction manual (AIM).

Gentlemen: some of you owe the lady an apology.

 

I'm curious too.

 

For $2K purchase price put a crate in it, save the motor if you have room and drive the hell out of it and enjoy it.

 

Greetings from Long Branch NJ,Americas first seashore resort and 7 time US capital....
talltxin I think you summed it up in one sentence ....save the motor....put it aside get a crate motor,drive it,enjoy it,cruise with it in the California sun,and fix the interior and or other things over time as you go....continue to ask questions....go to swap meets....check out the forum classified for any parts that you may need.
Good Luck to You and your Husband with your project
Lee