Factory engine mis-stamp

[tom406]

It's always useful to see the factory inconsistencies before getting too bogged down in absolute "correctness".

I just had the privelege of looking over a really neat factory big block Chevelle, one-owner 40K miles. Engine code matches the POP, but the serial number stamping is just "7Z1317", whereas the VIN of the car is ".....7Z1318xx". I can just hear the guy doing the stamping cursing when he hit the 7, then sending it on down the line, never knowing the turmoil he'd inflicted on the collector car hobby 35 years later.

Has anyone seen anything similar? Of all the cars for this to happen to, its a shame it had to be on a survivor, rather than one of the thousands to grenade its motor within the first year. The car is so honest I don't see how a serious collector could deduct value for this, but opposing views are welcome for discussion.

[Mr70]

It's been seen before,and not just on Chevrolet cars.
Humans built em,Humans make mistakes.
If this example happens to be on a "SIRVYVAR,(Take that Bloomington Gold http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/naughty.gif ),Like you say,then all its other original details would also underscore it's credibility.

[Tim Greer]

Are you sure it wasn't a _machine_ stamping the numbers, and not a person actually manually typing them in, making that 'typo' scenario less likely?

[olredalert]

-----Pad stampings were not machine generated! They were done by humans. Often they used gang-type holders so the stampings were uniform but some assembly areas didnt use them at various times so they appear as if a child stamped them. Often, this is reason enough to take an expert along with you for the purchase. I also have seen many instances of human error in this particular area. GM was and is a huge corporation and things varied from plant to plant, sometimes widely............Bill S

[L34Pace]

I own a 67SS 350 that has a similar issue. Last digit in the partial vin is 6 and actual vin digit should be 9. The digit was inserted in the gang stamp upside down! Mistakes do happen. I feel that documentation is a cumaltive process of evaluating a variety of available known bench marks.
Pat

[Verne_Frantz]

Tom,
I've documented an original '63 Impala SS Sport Coupe built at St. Louis with it's original 2x4 409 and Muncie trans. The VIN stamp on the block matches the car's VIN, but the stamp on the trans is 7 digits off. The odds against this trans being from another car, and somehow finding it's way onto this car years later are too high to believe that could have happened.
Unless the dealer had ordered two cars at the same time, lost the trans in one of them due to an overzealous test ride, then swaped transmissions to sell the car, I'd have to believe the switch (or mistake) happened at St. Louis.
It's my understanding that the trans was already bolted to the engine when the VIN was stamped on both the engine and the trans, but perhaps, the two different VINs were stamped on the trannys while they were still on the pallet, and the wrong one got bolted up. I'm sure no "end of the line" inspector bothered to crawl under the car to check for that.

Verne.

[Jeff H]

I was under the impression that the engine and tranmission would be stamped at the same time so they both should have the mis-stamping the same. I've seen a COPO M22 transmission that was stamped off by 1 digit. I would check the transmission and see if it's the exact same stamping as the engine.

[NCGuy68]

On my numbers match 68RS/Z28 Van Nuys built car:

1. The Trans. VIN stamped number is 338806.
2. The Engine VIN stamped number is 338808.
3. The Body VIN is 338808.

All other numbers line up and seem to be correct. I consider the mis-stamp on the Trans. to be a legitimate factory error and I've seen others.


All other stamped/casting numbers line up.

[Tim Greer]

I had no idea--and never had to deal with that issue/problem myself. How can someone really know or have a good idea in such cases?

[ohhawk]

I owned a very original 1967 Chevelle SS (396/350) that had the same issue as yourself. All #'s matched except the last digit of the serial # was off by one (last digit) like your situation. I posted a similar inquiry as your own on the Team Chevelle site a couple years ago and received a couple of responses indicating they had seen this or knew of a car in the same situation.

[x44d80]

Not a engine mistamp but I have a 69 Camaro that the hidden vin stamp up on the cowl is 1/2 off, half way between a 6 and a 7 on the last digit, but the stamp at the heater blower location is right.