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ok, I give up.  Just trying to get a little help from the experts so I wouldn't get myself into a car that I lose $$$ on.   Thanks again.

I don't care what anyone else thinks, until I want to sell it.

Thanks guys.  I think this gets me in the ballpark.  I'll probably just walk away from it.

The link was posted because it was a known clone car for example.  I thought it was pretty clear, but maybe I was wrong. 

I am sure you think the car looks very nice. To an educated eye, not so much. If that is a clone, person who orchestrated it was not interested in an accurate portrayal, so is it really a clone when so much is wrong or just someone's interpretation and, therefore, just a modified car?

That's not the car and I never said this one looked nice.

Or, try this.

https://littlerock.craigslist.org/cto/5942218044.html

This car is advertised as a clone, is a 454 and has an exhaust that I'd ditch from day one.  If a factory built 396/4 speed car and in original condition, maybe this car is worth something in the $40k's.  I can't imagine this car pulling anything close.  So, how much value is lost by building the car into something it wasn't.  Maybe its not easy to put a number to that.........

I've been looking at a car that was thought to be original, but learned it isn't.  Now trying to decide what to offer, or to just walk away.

It isn't advertised as a clone and I don't have proof it is.  So I don't want to stir anything up.  I guess I just need to know what value is lost.  I know what a 396/4 speed car of this quality should bring, so how much is lost since it isn't original.

Let's say its a $60k car if factory built big block/4 speed.  What's the same car worth if cloned?

What's a 1969 SS clone car worth?  Very nice restoration, just completed, no miles, nice options and colors.  Assume a high quality build, but started a small block/automatic car and is now a 396/4 speed, M20, 3.73 posi.

All good points.  I'm going to take a look and see how the car drives, then make a decision from there.  Learned a lot through this process, and I appreciate that. 

As I understand it there is more than one casting number used and they aren't just for the 302.  So, I guess I have to rely on the casting date and stamps.  Is it possible to see the rear of the crank through the Muncie bellhousing?

I'm headed there Friday to check it out.  I think that if the engine cast date and assembly stamp line up, then the date puts the vin location near the oil filter. If that's the case, it's hard to fake unless the vin didn't exist there in the first place.  Maybe someone didn't like how faintly visible the original was?  Or maybe other engines that used the same block didn't have a vin there at all, meaning it is easy to fake?

The data I'm finding so far seems to match up.  These numbers could be re-stamps, but if they match up to the casting date and assembly stamp, and also the right time frame with the trim tag, is it likely that this is the original stampings?  Or at least likely that the pad was restamped for a decked block?  What else can be done to verify that this is a 302, or that it matches the car?

Another

Pics of engine stamps.  Any feedback on these?  I don't have the casting date just yet. 

Care to share with me?  Maybe you could message me the info?

Can anyone help me identify this as a real or reproduction trim tag?  VIN range is N575XXX on this car and best I can tell that range matches this body build.  Partial VIN is stamped on the rough casting near the oil filter, which I think also makes sense for this build.  V1219DZ stamped on the pad.  No further information at this time.

Thanks for the help!