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VIN/Engine number mismatch by 1 digit


TheBMan

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Okay Monte Carlo gurus, here's a good one for ya... I'm looking at a car that has a VIN/engine stamp mismatch by ONE digit. 208338 for the VIN, 208339 stamped on the engine. Has anyone ever seen this before? It's a low mileage original owner car. The engine was rebuilt quite a long time ago which makes me wonder if the pad was machined when they decked the block and they re-stamped the block with the wrong number? I guess it's possible. Has anyone ever heard of or seen this kind of error from the factory?

The block is also stamped with CNN suffix code which correctly indicates 1970 350/250hp with Turbo 350 (it's a 1970 car and the build sheet indicates L65, which is the 350/250hp).

The odds of this must be astronomical if it's naturally occurring.

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Sometimes a number doesn’t get stamped very well. I’m wondering if the 8 is slightly off and could look like a 9? Do you have photos of the stamping on the block?

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33 minutes ago, Canuck said:

Sometimes a number doesn’t get stamped very well. I’m wondering if the 8 is slightly off and could look like a 9? Do you have photos of the stamping on the block?

Pretty unmistakable, I think. 🤷‍♂️

image.thumb.png.19ab81f6bdeefe831c49f8cc05556838.png

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I wouldn't be surprised if there were more mistakes like that made, back then all the motors were built in one plant and then shipped out to another.  I can only assume they stamped the numbers in at the assembly plant as the car was put together. I would find it hard to believe that the stamping was done at engine assembly plant.

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2 minutes ago, cny first gen 71 said:

I wouldn't be surprised if there were more mistakes like that made, back then all the motors were built in one plant and then shipped out to another.  I can only assume they stamped the numbers in at the assembly plant as the car was put together. I would find it hard to believe that the stamping was done at engine assembly plant.

First part of the stamp was done at the engine factory, vin was stamped one assembly. That’s why they generally don’t line up. I do believe your assumption is correct. 

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I guess I could see that happen at the assembly plant. Do you have a build sheet to look at?  If all the external parts are correct I think I’d be ok with it. Now that all depends on the price of the car. You could use it as a price haggling point also. 

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@Dtret I have a partial build sheet (part of it is illegible). It does confirm L65 which would be suffix code CNN on the block in 1970. This car is indeed a 1970 and the block has suffix code CNN stamped next to what I showed you. All indications suggest that it's original. Being a one-owner car helps.

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Yeah, quality control and clerical accuracy wasn’t quite the same 50+ years ago compared to current day. 

The Protect-O-Plate for my ‘70 shows T1227CRN for the block while the stamping itself shows T1222CRN.  I was sweating it until the good people here explained how stuff like this was commonplace. 

And then there’s the disappointment of finding a second Build Sheet in excellent condition in the passenger seat back when then interior was redone… only to discover it belongs to a car built 3 vehicles later (166013 vs. 166016).  Both cars were born with black vinyl buckets, but somehow the wrong seat wound up in the wrong car. Or was it the wrong Build Sheet wound up in the wrong seat?  Either way, these things happen and likely happened regularly. 
 

D8FDE064-7F2C-453E-BE95-5F692786717F.jpeg

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Last musing…

The Job Sequence Number (Box #1) and the Body Number (Box #8) between both cars are six (6) numbers apart.  Yet the VIN only reflects a difference of three (3) numbers.  

Yeah, my money is on linemen smoking wacky stuff and taking liquid lunches 🤣😂

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Glen, both of those build sheets indicate well equipped 70 Monte's.  Both of them equipped with the light monitor fiber optic systems.

rob

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1 hour ago, Rob Peters said:

Glen, both of those build sheets indicate well equipped 70 Monte's.  Both of them equipped with the light monitor fiber optic systems.

rob

I wonder how hard it is to find parts for this system… I’d like to eventually return my ‘70 to stock (or as close to possible), and it does not currently have it. 

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2 hours ago, Glen said:

I wonder how hard it is to find parts for this system… I’d like to eventually return my ‘70 to stock (or as close to possible), and it does not currently have it. 

Are any of the parts on the car.  If not, can you see where the holes for the fender where the light bezels were.  Also the turn signals would have a hole in them where a rubber grommet attached and the fiber optic line passed through the rubber grommet or do you think everything was removed.  There was also a black bezel in the center of the package tray that monitored the tail lights and the license plate lamp.

rob

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12 hours ago, Rob Peters said:

Are any of the parts on the car.  If not, can you see where the holes for the fender where the light bezels were.  Also the turn signals would have a hole in them where a rubber grommet attached and the fiber optic line passed through the rubber grommet or do you think everything was removed.  There was also a black bezel in the center of the package tray that monitored the tail lights and the license plate lamp.

rob

It appears whoever had the car in Wisconsin removed this system when they did the bodywork and paint. There’s no bezels on the fenders. I’ll have to take a look at the turn signals to see if the grommets are present.  I also don’t recall a bezel in the package tray when I had the interior redone, so who knows. Won’t be the end of the world without it, but it’d be nice to have such a rare option back on the car and functional. 

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I've seen the same factory mistake on the engine stamp once before. It happened sometimes. I think you can be very confident that the car has the original engine. 

Dan

 

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Glen, Occasionally you will see partial or complete fiber optic systems on EBay. Definitely not easy to find. There are different optic systems from GM as certain Chevrolet models, Cadillac and Oldsmobile had them too but they are all different. I had the front half in my Monte when I purchased it. It took me quite a few years until I was able to find the back half. Keep your eyes open. If you are coming to Carlisle, both Rob Peters and I have them in our Monte’s. Come take a look and some reference photos. 

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