How many of yall are numbers matching, do you still have your origional knees, teeth, vertibrae discs. I can`t say that but I am still fun to be around. Numbers matching dosen`t much matter to me as long as my car is fun and reliable.

 

My numbers could match less.

 

I understand what you're saying. I have a number matching, low milage, 99% factory original. The guys in the Corvette Club I am a member of told me to stop driving her and trailer her up to Bloomington to get her "Survivor" certified. I will take her there some day but I bought her to enjoy her. Yes, I love the fact that she is so original and a rare find but I dont plan to sell her and I bought her to drive in parade's, take to local charity car shows and drive around town on nice days. Am I going to be hurting her resale value...probably but thats only IF I sell her, but letting her sit in the garage and waxing her once a month isnt much fun.

 

I think I am fixin' to buy a 79 with a crate motor in it.... like he said I am in it to enjoy driving it, not for a collector item...It depends what you want your vette for. I don't care about originality myself, as long as it is mechanically and structurally sound. Get what YOU want!

 

And think of the bigger picture too. You'll actually be driving a car that was meant to be driven. Thousands of miles of pure enjoyment.

If you decide to never drive it and keep it as a trophy, how much will the value be increased if you decide to sell in 10 years with say...30K less miles?
Extra $10,000 maybe?
Buy a new Corvette and it loses that much as soon as you drive it off the lot.

 

 

I have always been a bit amused/confused at the different definitions people have for "numbers matching" There is "original" and "numbers matching" and "car or date correct". To me original is the most rare and probably worth more to someone although I have seen some clones bringing real money at the auctions. It is also amazing to me how many "number matching cars" are full of non-original parts like some original LT-1 I have looked at with "improved" heads, pistons, hydraulic cam, aftermarket manifold, headers etc. How far can you go before the original car is lost?

I have cars that are about as far from numbers matching as they can get but one of my favorite projects has been what I call - car and date correct. While several of the parts are not original to that car most all of them came from the same type, hp and year of car I am rebuilding so the codes and dates line up with the build. I am doing it because I wanted to redo the car as it would have been in the year it was produced. It will NEVER be a original number car but it will perform the same and have "matching numbers" including date codes with the exception of the vin not appearing on the block (the other vin parts are original)

I did not do it to ever have it judged and certainly not to sell it - I did it because it was fun finding each missing piece.

 

All too often the seller has a different definition than the buyer.

 

That implies that in most cases that category are worth more, simple as that.


Not so much by the words etc, I'm just amused that people bicker over the terminology.
Educated or not in the world of Corvettes, everyone knows what's implied with the phrase "numbers matching", whether they care or not.

Someone would be a complete fool to not advertise a car that has original engine, tranny and diff as anything but matching or original, even if in numbers only.

Not a smart thing to do; limit your market and reponses so you can be politically correct in only some people's mind.

 

How many is too many?

 

Depends on the website. Here, the bashers and haters who still use the term 'numbers matching' thinking that it means something seem to outnumber the fragile nail types about 50 to 1.

 

with a few exceptions (Yenko's, Berger's, RS/S etc.) there is nothing much special about a numbers matching camaro. a 160 hp 350 2bbl berlinetta? Who cares...The same year 350 in the vette had better heads, more hp, etc. I think folks who buy the vette want to make sure someone hasn't pulled the better motor out to stick in their 74 nova and shoved in the low power engine from a caprice...most folks couldn't tell the difference visually so they need the reassurance of the numbers matching hype...Just my opine.

 

I had my nails done over the weekend. Killer.

 

your primary concert is to not overpay for a car. you can usually buy a better condition non matching car for the same money as a less condition numbers matching car..

doesn't matter really as an investment either.. does a numbers matching car appreciate faster than a non numbers car? probably not. as long as you enter the market properly, your car will hold value or appreciate as long as the condition holds.

 

I was talking with someone last week about how special the "Corvette" itself is among american auto manufacturers.

The Mustang is an everyman's car. Always has been. You could, and still can, purchase the car with anything from a V6 to a fire-breathing high-horsepower V8. The price spectrum, and audience, covered by the car is vast.

The Camaro is Chevy's answer to the Mustang. Always has been. You could, and still can, purchase the car with anything from a V6 to a fire-breathing high-horsepower V8. The price spectrum, and audience, covered by the car is vast.

Chrysler, AMC, and others have produced numerous cars that could fit a variety of these uses and in some ways be similar to the Corvette (like the Viper?) but none have been as refined and long-lived as the Corvette nameplate.

The Corvette is COMPLETELY different. While I concede it started with a 6 cylinder until it "found its place", but has since been more of a race car than anything else. Particularly in the 1965 to 1975 period. There just isn't another car that can be directly compared to it, then or now.

The original purchase price was higher and the car itself is more "prized" among owners than, say, a Mustang. Nothing on the Mustang, but there were MORE THAN 10 TIMES the number of Mustangs produced in 1970 than the Corvette. Numbers never breed value.

I'm not saying that a 'numbers matching' Mustang isn't worth more than one with an aftermarket engine. To some purchasers, anyway...

What I AM saying is that the Corvette is intrinsically more valuable and less likely to be altered.

How many people are excited about stuffing an aftermarket engine into an Aston Martin? Not many.

 

I have NOT read every post in this thread.. But I'm going to answer your post anyway...

I am the original owner of my 72 4 sp convertible.... I REPLACED the original Engine (after blowing it up at the drag strip) in or about 1976 or 77 with a 327 350 out of a wrecked 67 Vette ...

To this day I still KNOW (not think) I own a better car...and to be honest would not sell it for a cheaper price because it has the RIGHT ..but WRONG .... engine in it as far as I personally am concerned...

Its just a better car what else can I say...

Bob G.
64 72 76 79 88 and 98 Corvettes

 

You don't need to say anything more...

 

If it’s an investment grade Corvette with rare options and drivetrain then the “numbers matching” quality may be of more importance to me. However if I see an average optioned Corvette that was built right and with the quality that I expect out of a restoration, I don’t care if it’s numbers matching or not. Bottom line is it’s your money so does it matter to you?

 

And don't forget "one owner". A guy I know used to sell cars with that title all the time and if pressed is response was "yeah...I'm the only one that owns it".

 

I don't mean to compare value...seems there are more transplants in Camaros than Corvettes. The transplants don't seem to be hurting Camaros any. Could be wrong though.