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Decoding/Numbers / Inaccurate Partial VIN on Engine!?
« on: September 09, 2018, 03:11:33 PM »
First and foremost, I would like to say thank you so much for Camaros.org, the website, the information, and all those who contributed! It truly is an amazing assimilation of information!
My question revolves around a 1969 Camaro I just purchased. I found it sitting in a field with 37k miles and what appears to be all original equipment. It is the L65 option, as it's mostly dated February '69, 350/350 with multi leaf springs, 10-bolt, and all looks original.
Based on the explanation from the seller, it's all original as he got it from the original owner who passed away. I know how little to trust these stories so I started slowly comparing all the vins and partial vins and build dates as I pull the car apart for restoration.
Absolutely everything seems completely normal, all numbers match and build dates are in the right sequential order etc.... except one very intriguing difference.
The partial vin on the engine, by this time in production from what I have read, had switched to down by the oil filter and mine is there. It is has an L128 casting date and V0207HD build date which seems to match all the right details, build order compared to casting, 350 tranny and build date of car etc. The very hard to read partial vin in the casting by the oil filter is the oddity because it is literally missing a digit AND it has an '8' stamped in place of a '0'. The rest of the numbers are accurate and in the correct order... but it's just so weird! I remember reading somewhere that sometimes they would use a different stamp if one broke and sometimes they would make mistakes but to see it missing a digit AND swap a digit?
I know it's easy to be skeptical but honestly I'd bet my life savings this is the original engine. I would really just love to hear some feedback from others about have you ever seen this, can you confirm it's happened on other engines, is there an explanation, do we know why or how? Any documentation that shows GM workers would occasionally mess up? Thanks so much for any help!!
Jason
Florida
My question revolves around a 1969 Camaro I just purchased. I found it sitting in a field with 37k miles and what appears to be all original equipment. It is the L65 option, as it's mostly dated February '69, 350/350 with multi leaf springs, 10-bolt, and all looks original.
Based on the explanation from the seller, it's all original as he got it from the original owner who passed away. I know how little to trust these stories so I started slowly comparing all the vins and partial vins and build dates as I pull the car apart for restoration.
Absolutely everything seems completely normal, all numbers match and build dates are in the right sequential order etc.... except one very intriguing difference.
The partial vin on the engine, by this time in production from what I have read, had switched to down by the oil filter and mine is there. It is has an L128 casting date and V0207HD build date which seems to match all the right details, build order compared to casting, 350 tranny and build date of car etc. The very hard to read partial vin in the casting by the oil filter is the oddity because it is literally missing a digit AND it has an '8' stamped in place of a '0'. The rest of the numbers are accurate and in the correct order... but it's just so weird! I remember reading somewhere that sometimes they would use a different stamp if one broke and sometimes they would make mistakes but to see it missing a digit AND swap a digit?
I know it's easy to be skeptical but honestly I'd bet my life savings this is the original engine. I would really just love to hear some feedback from others about have you ever seen this, can you confirm it's happened on other engines, is there an explanation, do we know why or how? Any documentation that shows GM workers would occasionally mess up? Thanks so much for any help!!
Jason
Florida