Sales receipt VIN only number off

[lumpofcole]

Hello all-
     I ended up looking at an advertised "SS 396", only to find out that the seller himself had been duped when he bought the car 10 years ago.  I was pretty close to buying this car, so my caution has increased with each car that I look into.  The latest is an advertised 2nd owner SS 396.  I have attached the pictures that I have questions about.

1)  something seems to be weird with the cowl tag rivets...all of the things listed on the tag do seem to match the car though.
2-4) The dash VIN, engine partial VIN, and protecto plate VIN are all the same.  My concern is, the original sales receipt has the words written on it "Serial Number", and then a valid 68 VIN that is not the same as all of the others.

Can anyone explain this?  Everything else seems to match on this car, although I am waiting to hear back about the transmission and rear axle codes.

Cheers,

Cole

[cook_dw]

Do you have any hi res photos.  Pics are too small to make out fully or Im getting older and need to schedule an eye exam..

If you cant post them you can email them to me if needed.

[lumpofcole]

These are the only ones he sent me, and I had to reduce the size slightly to fit them all in one post.  I'll attach as many as I can of the original photos.

[lumpofcole]

receipt

[69Z28-RS]

$3355 wasn't a bad price out the door for a very nicely equipped '68SS...  
(Wouldn't we all like to go order one like that today?) *G*

Gary

[cook_dw]

Ok here are the questions that pop up in my head.

1.  The order paperwork shows 07/26/68 which is a Saturday.  The plant wouldnt have gotten the paperwork until the following week which if they started the build that week it would have been a 07E not 07D..  Anyone else agree or disagree.?.

2.  The vin on the pad looks a little odd to me.  Not saying its a restamp just one of the characters looks different than what I am used to seeing.


On the flip side the pad could be fine and the vin on the paper work could be a car they let him drive until the one he ordered came in.  Also the plant may go by when the order was placed for when the build date is to occur (but I dont have the warm fuzzies about that)..


Bottom line Id have the hidden vins checked and then double checked.  And if you still have concerns see if there is a member close that can look the car over or have Jerry verify the car.

[lumpofcole]

I hadn't thought of the VIN being for a loaner car...it is an earlier number.  I didn't realize they did that.  I also realized that the receipt appears to be for an order, but it wasn't signed by the purchaser or the dealer.  I will have to find out if there is any other documentation. 

[cook_dw]

I dont recall the order form looking like that.  Also if you look it states "To be delivered on or about: ASAP    1968"               Someone else will have to comment on that.  Only reason I say that the vin on the paper work could have been from a loaner car was due to the fact that the dealer would not know the vin until the car was delivered.?. Someone correct me if I am wrong on that comment..

[1968 Z28]

That sales receipt is sure in good shape for a 45 year old document.  If this document is the real deal, I would think that is a sales receipt for a new vehicle in stock....there is a stock number already assigned to the vehicle and the VIN is already available.  This receipt could be one that was written for a particular vehicle and the buyer changed his mind and purchased another one.....might account for the fact that the document wasn't signed.  The buyer then might have received both receipts and the wrong one was kept.

The POP is also dated 8/7/1968, so that would be only be a little over a week from the day the sales receipt was written....To short a time to order one and receive it.  They might have found one from another dealer that the buyer liked and purchased that one.

Just my two pennies.....

[69Z28-RS]

Dealers would be notified ahead of time when a car was being shipped to them, and have copies of the equipment, etc, so this car could have been 'enroute' via hauler, and had a buyer lined up.   I know that I've asked about specific cars/equipment in the past, and had the sales people check and tell me they would have one like that in a week or two...

[z28z11]

Wouldn't this have been past the cutoff for a new car order anyway ? I thought late May was usually the end of ordered units.

It does remind me of picking up a leased car a few years ago locally - I had ordered a new Chevy, leased vehicle: dealer taking courtesy delivery of the car called and told me the car was in and available. I picked the car up, drove it for a week (550 miles) only to have the dealer call me and very apologetically tell me they had given me someone else's vehicle. Checked the VIN and sure enough, it didn't match the one coming in on the lease order. I've double checked every car I get ever since -

The salesman on the '68 might have looked at the wrong unit when he went to write it up - it happens.

Regards,
Steve

[1968 Z28]

Steve....i wondered about the order cut-off date myself.  Don't remember when it was back then.  That's why I was wondering if it might have been for a car that was already in stock.

[MO]

My guess is that receipt is for a car the dealer could have traded for; that's why they knew the vin and the receipt says deliver ASAP. Another reason I think that is because the option cost for the 396 is not on it.

[z28z11]

Isn't that covered under the "SS equipment - $263.3" at the top of the option listing ? I can't find my White Book to compare the price to the option, but it looks correct for anything 396 up to and including an L78 -

Regards,
Steve

[69Z28-RS]

CRG lists the SS options and prices as such, probably based on 'initial pricing at beginning ofyear?"..   the purchase order was at the end of the year, and typically is a bit more:

SS/350-4bbl   -L48      $200
SS/396-325hp -L34     $250
SS/396-350hp -L35     $350
SS/396-375hp -L78     $470
SS/396-375hp -L78/L89     $868.95