VIN verification

[jdv69z]

So carrying this casting date just a bit further. Attached is a pic of my original bell housing. It has the circles like is being discussed here for the dating of the casting. It also has an 8 cast in it, and 68 is the year of my car's manufacture. Is that 8 a pattern number or something, and just another coincidence on my car, or does that indicate the year?

[bcmiller]

Jimmy, bellhousings have date circles like some of the Muncie parts. I can't see what it shows on yours.

On yours, I think the 8 is a foundary pattern/mold number.

[bertfam]

So carrying this casting date just a bit further. Attached is a pic of my original bell housing. It has the circles like is being discussed here for the dating of the casting. It also has an 8 cast in it, and 68 is the year of my car's manufacture. Is that 8 a pattern number or something, and just another coincidence on my car, or does that indicate the year?

Yes, bell housings are dated the same way transmission cases are, with two 1/2" circles cast into them. That's the "yes" part. As for the "no" part, there's no "year" indicator, so dating a bell housing is pretty much useless.

Attached is a picture of a 621 bell housing with 12 (December) and 4 dots (4th week). The 3 in the below picture (or 8 on your bell housing) is a mold (aka pattern) number and has nothing to do with the date.

Ed

[jdv69z]

So the 8's on my trans case and bell housing were just to confuse me!  They did.

[bcmiller]

We got off topic and we should probably split out the date circle posts. Might be hard to do though. I will try to do that later today.

[BobH11]

So my question for the OP is : did you pay full price based on the seller saying it was all numbers matching?

I paid 50,000. I'm not real sure what full price would be. I've seen clones going for way more, but I probably wouldn't have bought the car at all if knew it wasn't numbers matching.

[BULLITT65]

Well if the seller is a stand up  individual maybe you can bring some of this up with him, and work out a partial refund or sell the car back to him for what you paid? Worth a try

[BobH11]

I'm trying figure out what an original Z with non original parts is actually worth.

[BULLITT65]

well last time it sold for 24.5 in 2012, plus a nice paint job.

BUT, Are we sure it is a original Z? Did Jerry ever certify it as a original Z?
Have you done the easy stuff of verifying the hidden Vin numbers?
Does it have the X3 behind the rear seat (could be duplicated), but somewhere to start. Did it have the correct dated rally wheels? What other Z specific original parts does it have?

[bcmiller]

Bob, when you bought it, it was advertised as "numbers matching"?

Unfortunately, there is a lot of variation in what people call "numbers matching". 

Original engine, original transmission and original rear axle would be wording I would look for.  Some people use "born with engine".

Also - have you checked the partial VIN on the top of the cowl?

[BobH11]

I got the car from someone I know, he gave me the paper work he received which included pictures of the trans numbers and the engine numbers. He had bought the car in 2012, so I kind of thought he checked it out.

[bcmiller]

Dang.  Sorry to hear about that.  I would still check the partial VIN on the top of the cowl.  Sometimes that car be seen through the openings, without having to take the panel off.

It's tough to say what it is worth.