Messages

1

Decoding/Numbers / Re: Just Bought "Numbers Matching" 67 RS/SS, Did I Make A Mistake?

« on: October 07, 2010, 02:30:11 AM »

Thanks guys, I really appreciate your taking a look. I am glad to hear the pad looks good.

      I actually had the chance to speak with a seasoned classic car appraiser whom I had hired for a previous car I was looking at in another state (and did not end up getting, thanks to his excellent report and findings of discrepancy!). I asked what he would tell a customer who hired him to confirm the numbers matching on my car, given all the documentation I have and the numbers that do match. He would obviously point out the numbers discrepancy, but he has seen several well documented cars (from a few manufacturers) with one number off on the partial VIN and would highly suggest this not affect their decision especially given it was a number that was inversed. More than one number would be a different story, but in his experience this is not impossible.

      This has been an extremely informative experience, I have to say I probably learned more about decoding thanks to the whole discrepancy than I would have if the number had not been wrong. Thanks to all, especially Kurt and John. I know nothing is definitive, but I feel much better about this after all the detail we have gone into. I've already started putting some work into the car and am loving it. Looking forward to many years of enjoyment.

Thanks again
Rick

2

Decoding/Numbers / Re: Just Bought "Numbers Matching" 67 RS/SS, Did I Make A Mistake?

« on: October 04, 2010, 12:40:33 AM »

Cowl Tag....

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Decoding/Numbers / Re: Just Bought "Numbers Matching" 67 RS/SS, Did I Make A Mistake?

« on: October 04, 2010, 12:37:21 AM »

Post #2.....

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Decoding/Numbers / Re: Just Bought "Numbers Matching" 67 RS/SS, Did I Make A Mistake?

« on: October 04, 2010, 12:35:41 AM »

John, Curt,
               Ok, got the paint off, here are pics of the full pad, plus the close up of each, plus the cowl tag. I knocked a chip of paint off the cowl tag when trying to clean it, hence the silver patch at the lower right corner. Very interested in your thoughts.

Claus,
     Thanks for the example, looks like we both are in a similar situation, although you have both stamps the same, and I've got one right and one wrong. Its nice to know this happened often, and there are examples of this to support each other's case.

Whoops, had to split the post, the pics were too big, see 2nd post below also...

Thanks!
Rick

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Decoding/Numbers / Re: Just Bought "Numbers Matching" 67 RS/SS, Did I Make A Mistake?

« on: September 30, 2010, 01:05:48 PM »

Will do!! Thanks!

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Decoding/Numbers / Re: Just Bought "Numbers Matching" 67 RS/SS, Did I Make A Mistake?

« on: September 29, 2010, 06:40:48 PM »

JohnZ,
     I will use a chemical stripper to remove the paint, no abrasive material, and take some very high-res pics of the bare metal with my wife's nice camera. I was hoping to get your opinion on the stamp and will certainly get it cleaned off so we can make an accurate assessment. Thanks, I should be able to do this by the weekend.

Thanks again!
Rick

7

Decoding/Numbers / Re: Just Bought "Numbers Matching" 67 RS/SS, Did I Make A Mistake?

« on: September 26, 2010, 08:56:58 PM »

FINALLY!! Found it!

Thanks for your help Buddy, it was stamped right on the edge of the casing on the drivers side behind the linkage and buried under 1/4" of crud. The partial VIN matches the car's VIN, and does not have the 6/9 issue like the engine stamp. Maybe the worker saw the mistake in the engine stamp and corrected it for the trans? Here are pics below of the trans stamp, and another good shot of the engine stamp.

So, what I have is an engine code (V022IMS) that matches the protect-o-plate, and the VIN is one number off (189552 vs. 186552). Maybe I asked this before, but if the engine code matches the protect-o-plate does that mean this is 100% the correct engine, or could the engine from car# 189552 had the same engine code and somehow a previous owner found this block? This would mean the 189552 car would have happened to have an L48 engine built on the same day at the same plant, and had a Muncie 4speed. I guess it's possible with the volumes that were coming out of these factories, but unlikely considering all the coincidences that would have had to take place.

Thanks again all, I love the car, and having a blast enjoing it the way it is until I figure out how far to take the restoration. I find all of this decoding fascinating, it is so awesome to have a community of people who are this interested in the details of these cars and keeing them original!

8

Decoding/Numbers / Re: Just Bought "Numbers Matching" 67 RS/SS, Did I Make A Mistake?

« on: September 21, 2010, 04:25:30 PM »

Buddy,
  Do you have the exact location on the drivers side? Is it behind the linkage in a certain location? I'm hoping to pinpoint the area and scrape all the junk off.

Thanks!
Rick

9

Decoding/Numbers / Re: Just Bought "Numbers Matching" 67 RS/SS, Did I Make A Mistake?

« on: September 20, 2010, 05:51:17 PM »

This is great information guys, thanks!! So far everything fits, I'm glad to hear the tag number confirms everything else found.

I'll have to get some kind of small mirror on a flexible holder to look on top of the trans for the partial vin. My car was not an LA built car, but I'm not sure it could be anywhere else. Is that a pretty certain fact that only LA cars had the stamp on top, or just speculation?

Did anyone ever see it on the passenger side, maybe I need to remove the linkage and clean off behind there to see it? It just figures it couldnt be in the easy to find place

Thanks again!
Rick

10

Decoding/Numbers / Re: Just Bought "Numbers Matching" 67 RS/SS, Did I Make A Mistake?

« on: September 19, 2010, 11:49:21 PM »

                      Ok, finally got under the car today with a flashlight and a rag of paint thinner to clean off years of muck/undercoat fom the tranny. There was no partial VIN next to the transmission code on the passenger side where is should be. I did a search in this forum, and looked on the CRG website, and I understand on 67's it could be on the drivers side or the top as well. I checked the driver's side and could not find anything, but there are a few crevices I could not get to. I guess it could also be on the top, in which case I would need a really small mirror, or to drop the trans.

All the other codes checked out correctly:
Trans Casing: 3885010 (1967 Muncie 4spd)
Trans Code: P7A24 (4spd Muncie, 1967, built Jan 24th) which is before the assembly date of the car and would be correct.

There was also a small stamped metal tag under a bolt on the bottom of the trans toward the drivers side, with the number 3870357 on it. Any idea what this is?

               So can anyone provide an accurate location of the partial vin when it is stamped on the top or the driver's side? Is there any way to see it with the trans installed if it is on the top (which I guess would depend on where it normally is stamped)?


             All the date codes seem to be correct, so I would be really surprised if this is not numbers matching. I guess the engine VIN mis-stamp was worrying me, I'll just have to accept it as unknown if the trans was stamped wrong too until one day when i have to drop the trans.

Thanks again for all of the help!
Rick

11

Decoding/Numbers / Re: Just Bought "Numbers Matching" 67 RS/SS, Did I Make A Mistake?

« on: September 16, 2010, 02:17:45 AM »

Sorry, I'm really procrasinting on checking this. I havent even been able to drive her since last Friday. I will definately check by this weekend, work is kicking my butt!

Rick

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Decoding/Numbers / Re: Just Bought "Numbers Matching" 67 RS/SS, Did I Make A Mistake?

« on: September 13, 2010, 05:58:45 PM »

Good to hear. I wont be selling this car, I am keeping it to enjoy and restore for a very long time. I expect I may have problems with this discrepancy if I ever do sell it, but I'm hoping the rest of the documentation supercedes the apparent mistake made during the stamping. All I can do it present the documentation I have, and hopefully it will be worth more than a car that doesnt have the Protect-o-plate and original title. I want to base the level of restoration on my findings, so maybe I wont go quite as far as I would have if the numbers matched without question. Either way, I'll have fun doing it!

One question I didnt ask before, if the engine is stamped at the car assembly plant, does this mean the partial VIN on the transmission might also be stamped at the same time? By the same stamper? Maybe I'll find the tranny to have the same issue, I'll post what I find.

Thanks,
Rick

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Decoding/Numbers / Re: Just Bought "Numbers Matching" 67 RS/SS, Did I Make A Mistake?

« on: September 13, 2010, 04:56:26 PM »

Attached below is the block casting number (3892657). The full Engine Code is visible on the one of the previous pictures next to the partial VIN (V022IMS).

(whoops, just realized the "S" is not in the picture. I can re-take that later if necessary, but I am sure that is correct)

Is there any other number I should look for?

Thanks!
Rick

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Decoding/Numbers / Re: Just Bought "Numbers Matching" 67 RS/SS, Did I Make A Mistake?

« on: September 13, 2010, 02:08:22 PM »

See attached pictures, I have attached two of the partial vin/engine code with one being a little easier to read. I also attached the VIN plate from the door jamb.

The vin on the door jamb and the engine code on the block both match the Protect-o-plate.

15

Decoding/Numbers / Re: Just Bought "Numbers Matching" 67 RS/SS, Did I Make A Mistake?

« on: September 12, 2010, 05:45:45 PM »

I will post the pictures tomorrow, I have them on my computer at work. I have spent some time with the Protect-o-Plate today, the engine code on the plate (V0221MS) matches the code on the engine block, so I am thinking this might confirm the engine is numbers matching? Or could someone still have found the correct date code block with a very close VIN?

Thanks
Rick