Hey all, always searching the web for a convertible that I am looking for,(1968-72 original condition by the way!!), so I come across some, at least to me, interesting things. Here is a 1971 convertible that has a odd look to the engine pad.


So the suffix stamping seems to be two different stampings, different depth and fonts. The "VO3" is one and the "30CJL" is another. Some ghosting underneath??? Never seen that before and not sure why that would be as such. What is everyone's opinion, GM or Bubba? HMMMMM???

Love to hear your thoughts!! Thanks Ike

 

Certainly questionable. Those stamps were individual and got replaced all the time (damaged, lost, etc); the same digit may not be the same font in a single stamp. But, the different heights of digits in the same stamp is "suspect". If the S/N stamp on the transmission and on the frame look the same, they could be original. If they don't match (the same gang-stamp was used), it would seem to be an "altered" stamping, I think.

 

So the engine block is for a 270 hp 4 speed car, I have personally never seen a low hp 71 engine ever re-stamped. The assembly date is correct for the vin. There are a number of instances where the the flint Michigan engine plant stamped blocks with different characters and even accidentally used I's instead of 1's etc. Here is another 71 original engine stamp for a 270hp car. Notice the different zero's used and the alignment of the vin stamp?

 

the 30 looks different?

 

 

This one might be okay. I agree the 3s are different, but stranger things have happened. Date and VIN are good for an April car.

 

Look at last 2 numbers in vin stamp. Compare to trans stamp if possible. As DKM said, unlikely a forged stamp, but someone could have been trying to get car back to numbers-matching. OTOH, correct numbers don't add THAT much value to a non-special car. It could actually be a clue as to the attention to detail somebody invested in it. Also possible it is orig motor and some of numbers came off when decking and was decently fixed.

 

 

Here's a post about stamp fonts from Alan 71 that I saved.

 

Where are the broach marks? Even when someone screws up a pad by using something abrasive to remove paint from it, remnants of the broach marks can usually still be seen near the head, and/or near the water pump. Maybe it's the picture (or my old eyes), but I'm having a hard time seeing anything that resembles broach marks on that pad.

It's not uncommon to find mismatched fonts in engine stamps, or slightly uneven stamps too. The stampings were done using a gang holder, but the individual digits were pulled from a tray, and there were often a mix of fonts in the tray. Chevrolet wasn't building show cars, so they didn't worry about the fonts always being the same. The "30" in the engine stamp, doesn't bother me as much "824" in the VIN stamp does. Even with a gang holder, it's possible for a digit or two to be misaligned, but the misalignment of the "824" just seems a little too extreme to me?

It's possible that someone would restamp a base L-48 engine. If you had an original engine car, that had the block decked during a rebuild, you might want to restamp it. Also, if you had a very nice original L-48 car, with the wrong engine, and wanted it to be "matching numbers", it would be a lot easier and cheaper to find a base 350, and build an L-48 car, than to create a LT-1 or 454 car out of an L-48 car.

I'm not sure this is a restamp, but the lack of broach marks, and the alignment of the VIN stamp, might be cause for concern. I wonder what the engine casting date is.

 

The numbers were not all that consistent.

 

I have seen crazier things. Like a 1965 396 car that left the factory with a two bolt main truck block and a small block radiator. People passed on the car but it was all original, un-restored and delivered new to Nickey Chevrolet. The car eventually won top flight, survivor and bowtie awards and was documented by Al Grenning. I have also seen factory grind outs that got re-stamped over. It happened in te Flint and Tonawanda engine plants. The factory line worker grabbed the right numbers and letters, put it in the gang holder and hit it with a hammer, never realizing that years later we would be scrutinizing the numbers in forums and judging events

IMHO it is the original engine stamp. I would go through the rest of car and numbers and if it is the right car for you I wouldn't let the engine stamp stop you from getting a good car. Good luck!

 

Very interesting post. I always wondered how the numbers/letters were stamped. Now I see the tool to do it.

 

Great posts and photos all, I will add it to my reference material. Just I reminder. I am not considering the car for a purchase but ran across it for sale and the pad was interesting and obviously different.

I have seen the same thing in other collectibles, we obsess about small markings that meant nothing during the production other than for identification for warranty or tracing defects. But I love these things, interesting to put back together the history of production process.

Thanks again for all those who post and share their expertise. Ike

 

Observation: In this particular situation - Original or carefully restamped....it has not materially changed the value of this car either way.

 

Well I am going to respectfully disagree. At least to me originality is really important. It is one of the aspects I love about these cars. But the "poor folks" like me really can't afford/ don't want to invest in these high end $$$ cars were originality really alters the value by a large amounts.

So I think it still affects the value for certain buyers like myself To what degree, clearly not to the extent it does with high value cars but if I was considering this car ( I am not) and it was determined that the block was a restamp, which it probably is not, I would walk away unless it was an absolute steal. Just my 2 cents!!! Ike

 

The block stamp looks original from here. The "ghost" stamp comes from an extra hammer bounce. Not that unusual.

My '69 Camaro steering box has a "ghost" double hit on the assembly date stamp and I know it is factory.

 

I'm still not 'shot' on the height difference of the last two digits in the S/N. Something is amiss....

 

Sorry no other helpful pics were on the ad. I did not feel it was right to bother the owner for a tranny pic since I was interested!!! Ike