for raising the questions! Many discover 'things' related to 'numbers' AFTER they buy their first Corvette and THEN decide to join NCRS. You'll want to purchase books and begin a support library for 'baby' and I strongly suggest joining your local NCRS chapter and getting active. Having access to local folks who've been there, done that, got the T-shirt can be worth its weight in gold! Here's some advice:
First, a 'numbers matching' claim is meaningless.... There are literally hundreds if not thousands of 'numbers' on a given car. Which number(s) are matching? Were the 'matching numbers' present put there by GM and its suppliers or added by other 3rd parties during the restoration process? Are the 'matching numbers' on parts that were the real McCoy original components that were assembled when the car was built in St. Louis or are they from 'borrowed' parts from other passenger car/truck vehicles installed during the restoration process.
See, the distinctions are manifold and sometimes gossamer. It's a question akin to how many angles can dance on the head of a pin and a claim of 'matching numbers' is almost meaningless, but it 'suckers' a lot of novices into believing their getting a completely factory original, untouched car when the truth of the matter is FAR from that....
At NCRS we put eleven judges on a car during a full day Flight judging session to determine some of these things and we know we make mistakes! To think you're going to make a significant determination of 'truth' by yourself armed only with a handful of writings and readings, is off course. You should get help in this area (a pro to look at the car with you and for you). PLUS, you should take a hard long look in the mirror and ask yourself what your 'end game' is in terms of owning the car.
Do you want a museum piece/trailer queen you're afraid to drive? If so, having everything 100% correct/original probably does have value to you. If you want a clean, reliable weekend driver you can have fun with and show occassionally, that a horse of a different color. Those 'matching numbers' begin to have less meaning & residual value....
Specifically, the '58-60 Techinical Information Manual and Judging Guide will answer a lot of 'numbers' questions for you. On the engine block, it'll tell you the orignal was a '519 casting and the process of putting a VIN derivative on the stamp pad didn't begin at the St. Louis final assy line until approximately the Christmas 1959 era. So, it's perfectly permissible for some '60 cars to lack this stamp altogehter.
Now, you say what's present is a stamp of F114D. This would be decoded as F=Flint engine plant product, built Jan 14th, intended for standard passenger car 2-Bbl carb with powerglide transmission application. Hardly a real McCoy Corvette motor.... Also, the casting date on the rear apron beneath the road draft tube will tell you more.
It'll tell you (if it hasn't been altered) when the block casting was poured and WHERE it was poured. Corvette engines in that period were exclusively the product of the Saginaw/Flint engine foundry/assy complex. They used single digit year codes for casting date (9=1959, 0=1960). Equivalent engines were produced from the Tonawanda complex and you'll see 2-digit casting year ID's on them (59=1959, 60=1960). So, not only do you want the 'numbers' to match, but it'd be nice to know the engine's cylinder case wasn't 'borrowed' from a taxi cab in the prior restoration/preservation process, eh?
First, a 'numbers matching' claim is meaningless.... There are literally hundreds if not thousands of 'numbers' on a given car. Which number(s) are matching? Were the 'matching numbers' present put there by GM and its suppliers or added by other 3rd parties during the restoration process? Are the 'matching numbers' on parts that were the real McCoy original components that were assembled when the car was built in St. Louis or are they from 'borrowed' parts from other passenger car/truck vehicles installed during the restoration process.
See, the distinctions are manifold and sometimes gossamer. It's a question akin to how many angles can dance on the head of a pin and a claim of 'matching numbers' is almost meaningless, but it 'suckers' a lot of novices into believing their getting a completely factory original, untouched car when the truth of the matter is FAR from that....
At NCRS we put eleven judges on a car during a full day Flight judging session to determine some of these things and we know we make mistakes! To think you're going to make a significant determination of 'truth' by yourself armed only with a handful of writings and readings, is off course. You should get help in this area (a pro to look at the car with you and for you). PLUS, you should take a hard long look in the mirror and ask yourself what your 'end game' is in terms of owning the car.
Do you want a museum piece/trailer queen you're afraid to drive? If so, having everything 100% correct/original probably does have value to you. If you want a clean, reliable weekend driver you can have fun with and show occassionally, that a horse of a different color. Those 'matching numbers' begin to have less meaning & residual value....
Specifically, the '58-60 Techinical Information Manual and Judging Guide will answer a lot of 'numbers' questions for you. On the engine block, it'll tell you the orignal was a '519 casting and the process of putting a VIN derivative on the stamp pad didn't begin at the St. Louis final assy line until approximately the Christmas 1959 era. So, it's perfectly permissible for some '60 cars to lack this stamp altogehter.
Now, you say what's present is a stamp of F114D. This would be decoded as F=Flint engine plant product, built Jan 14th, intended for standard passenger car 2-Bbl carb with powerglide transmission application. Hardly a real McCoy Corvette motor.... Also, the casting date on the rear apron beneath the road draft tube will tell you more.
It'll tell you (if it hasn't been altered) when the block casting was poured and WHERE it was poured. Corvette engines in that period were exclusively the product of the Saginaw/Flint engine foundry/assy complex. They used single digit year codes for casting date (9=1959, 0=1960). Equivalent engines were produced from the Tonawanda complex and you'll see 2-digit casting year ID's on them (59=1959, 60=1960). So, not only do you want the 'numbers' to match, but it'd be nice to know the engine's cylinder case wasn't 'borrowed' from a taxi cab in the prior restoration/preservation process, eh?
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