BLACK62

I am new to this forum and unfortunately my first post is not very pleasant. When I was 22 years old I had a black 1962 Corvette - red interior. I decided at this stage in life I should buy my dream back and purchased another - same exactly and paid $99,100 because it was "numbers matching" and I didn't look at any that did not have the original engine, so paid the premium. Once I paid for the car I got the ownership showing the last owner and called him hoping for some positive history. I was shocked to find out that he sold the car to the dealer with NO engine and after an expert examined my engine it was 100% fraud - the engine had been stamped and the dealer lied. How do you like that for over $100,000.00 with tax!!! I contacted the dealer and they admitted it was not the original engine, so I said - just refund my money and I will go away - NOPE - won't budge. Basically - too bad and also warned me about the fine print somewhere in the contract that forbids me for telling this to others! The truth cannot be published. Can you beleive this? 100% true and sad too.

mrmtrtrnd

Welcome to the Forum but I'm very sorry to hear that your dream car turned out to be a fraud. I hope something can be done to rectify the situation

VETJAZZ

Find a good lawyer to look for loopholes. Good luck.

gilhuly

welcome to the forum!

Good luck with your situation....

BLACK62

Thanks for the comments. I am going to try and settle with the dealer and if I am not successful, I am going to write all the details here with the name of the dealer and owner, plus write all magazines that have an interest. This fraudulent stamping for profit needs to be out there for every unsuspecting buyer to know. There are few 50 year old Vettes around with the original engine, yet many ads claim they are "numbers matching". There are kits that allow them to grind off the old engine pad and with one hammer blow - the matching number appears. It theft no matter how you frame it - extracting money from someone by fraud and misrepresentation!

Sabre34

Very sorry to hear of your predicament. Hopefully an attorney will be able to resolve this for you. Unfortunately, it will cost you some more money before it is resolved. On a positive note, a black over red '62 sounds beautiful. Best of luck and welcome.

BLACK62

Thanks for the note - just curious, but do you here this story very often? I see you are a senior member here..

ccrazor

Welcome to the forum, and hope you can get your problem fixed..

Bills Z06

Welcome! Sorry to hear about your "screwing" by the dealer. If I was you, I think I would spread the word to every source imaginable and have a good lawyer in my back pocket in case your efforts to settle with the dealer fail. Good luck!

Wyndridge3

Try posting this question on the C2 forum. Good luck.

dahogan

Sad story. It is a nightmare. However "Numbers Matching" does not mean to everyone that the car has its first and original, born with from the factory engine.

Sabre34

PM sent.

BLACK62

What else would it mean? Why would someone say "numbers matching" if it was not? I mean not original. I can't imagine what else it could mean unless you are referring to someone stamping the engine pad to make it numbers matching and then claiming it to be? Which would increase the rarity and price. I don't get it?

RadarP3C

Yes, this sounds like fraud. You say the dealer admitted they knew the engine wasn’t matching. I would talk to your local DA.

Sorry to hear your troubles and I’d go after the dealer with both barrels. This is not the time to be “nice.”

BLACK62

Thanks for the support - I agree with you, but I am a Canadian and I don't know what a DA is, unless a "district Attorney" and they may not care about us. But there must be some regulatory body that oversees this type of misrepresentation? I think it is illegal to spin back speedometers? So , this is similar?

dahogan

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c1-a...l?ref=esp-link

BLACK62

OK thanks - I see why you answered that way now. Bottom line is still that it means to anyone that it is the original motor and body that came from the factory, except to those people who wish to deceive others. Otherwise a person would not stamp - OR stamp and say correct motor - not original.

nerddason

WTF - Lawyer up, and take them to the cleaners. Sorry to hear that.

WICKEDFRC

That is some shady chit right there. Yeah, the numbers were "matching" but they failed to disclose the truth that they were not ORIGINAL MATCHING NUMBERS. Really, if the ad said "Numbers Matching" and a collector knows that means an original engine on an original chasis....It don't mean "A swapped out engine with a new stamp that matches the original engione just to make more money and we screwed you sucker".

I would photo, download, or get copies of the ad that lured you in and compare that to "The fine print" that translates to "We f'ed you over just to make a buck".

Man, sorry to hear about this. Totally wrong on so many levels. They didn't by chance throw in a "Coach" bag and a "Rolex" watch, did they?

Welcome to the forum.

pluslt

I'm sorry to hear about your experience. I've heard of this happening before and I think its deplorable. In fact there was an article in one of the vette mags a couple years ago where someone bought a car with some significant history to it only to find out they too had been deceived. I hope you don't feel like you were a fool because there is not likely anything you did wrong other than trusting the seller to be honest.

Out of curiosity is the car worth significantly less without matching numbers? I understand that it was worth more to you and it is what you specifically sought out, but since you were in the market, what difference in value did you place on the car because the numbers did not match? Was it $10K, $40k? I would at the very least lawyer up and go after the dealership for that amount of money.

Good luck.