[bigwildgrin]

I was wondering if options, like power windows, power steering, A/C and the likes make a classic car worth more or does it matter? I've seen old classic cars for sale that advertise all their options, and have seen other cars advertising their lack of options, both as if it were a good thing.

and as a related question (sort of), I seen a 1959 corvette for sale that advertised it as being a correct numbers matching unrestored original that had an "unstamped engine block". maybe I'm dumb, but it seems to me the engine would have a number on it if it was the original engine?

[Deuce]

Some vehicles........Caddys, Lincolns and such........the more options...the more value.....


Other vehicles......mainly performance types.......radio/heater deletes and such improve the value.

People also "list" stuff to make their vehicles stand out or different from the rest of the crowd.

For instance.........my 40 Ford is a standard " business man coupe" or 3 passenger coupe. It has NO backseat. Some 40 Ford coupes are opera coupes...2 small jump seats..........other 40 Ford coupes have a regular (but small) rear seat.

The 1940 Ford standard business man coupe was the preferred vehicle of choice for MoonShiners ..back in the day. You could put MORE whiskey in it and it was the lightest 40 Ford made





Every SBC I have ever looked at had a number........
Maybe his is correct casting number wise but has been "decked" to remove the incorrect VIN number





.

[bigwildgrin]

if it is decked is the number lost forever?

and along the same lines I just seen a engine stamping kit for sale in deals on wheals. that sounds kinda weird. is this legal? is there anyway to tell if this has been done and should a person care if it has?

[Deuce]

Originally posted by bigwildgrin
if it is decked is the number lost forever?

and along the same lines I just seen a engine stamping kit for sale in deals on wheals. that sounds kinda weird. is this legal? is there anyway to tell if this has been done and should a person care if it has?

The number is milled off (by a machine shop while surfacing the top of the block) ......for engine preparation or to HIDE THE WRONG NUMBERS........but the FBI has a process that reads the number 'down in the grain' of the block. Sort of like reading a phone number off a piece of paper that was written on the other previous sheet.

It is fairly common now in the Corvette world to restamp numbers. I believe this practice to be dishonest but that's me. It is a delibrate attempt to mislead and cheat someone......IMHO.

If I pay for a numbers matching original vehicle....thats what I expect to get.....NOT some vehicle with the wrong engine.....disguised as the real thing.......

[Phat]

Not all SBC had # stamped in them.(castings yes VIN no) The guy is probably just trying to be honest. As far as matching # cars...most are not.(its mostly the corvette crowd that has a proplem) we stamp the engine block and trannies all the time. Would you rather have a original cracked and sleeved "correct" block or a good renumbered one that no one could tell. They now drill the number pad down pretty good and re-weld and deck so that it about imposable to check some stuff. besides back years ago....the #s did not match half the time anyway.