ak l71

http://s514.photobucket.com/albums/t343/akduck1/Please let me know if you think that this is a restamp or not?
<a href="http://s514.photobucket.com/albums/t343/akduck1/?action=view&current=IMG_3638.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i514.photobucket.com/albums/t343/akduck1/IMG_3638.jpg" border="0" alt="stamp pad"></a>

Durango_Boy

Here it is in image form.

mrvette

Yup, i'ts real, i'ts really been stamped.....

ak l71

how do you determine that it is a restamp?

RunningMan373

My inexperienced eye says pretty good restamp.,, Don't know if it was consistant, but the order of the numbers are reversed from mine- no one would bother to restamp- motor:

78Vette-SA

I would suggest first checking the Casting number and casting date and compare that to your cars build date.

Then, as far as the numbers go, an LR is a 69 Big Block and in your case, with the "T" stamp was built in the Tonawanda factory as opposed to the "V" Flint factory. Were BB's cast in Tonawanda? I don't know but there are other signs on the block to tell which factory it came from.

The order of the numbers, BB vs. Small Block, is reversed sometimes. So that is not necessarily an issue, but if you really want to know that is more homework for you.

As far as the answers you will get here, they will be nothing more than a guess at best so you cannot rely on these responses to validate your engine. If it is of that much importance to you, I would suggest both contacting someone from your local NCRS (who also may not be able to confirm it but might help you put the pieces together) and then if you really need to know more, lookup and pay Al GRenning to confirm it for you based on other engines stamped the same day and compared.

Alan 71

Looks like someone was a little aggressive cleaning the pad, and put some horizontal lines on it and then tried to touch up the broach marks.
What does the transmission serial number stamp look like? It was done with the same stamp as the engine pad and should look very similar and have the same characteristics.
Regards,
Alan

ak l71

the trans in not the original to the car we know that, it is from a 68. thanks for the reply, but the pad has only been wiped clean with slovent.

7T1vette

It looks original. If the casting numbers and dates are correct, I'd be hard-pressed say otherwise.

FB007

EXACTLY

mrvette

I personally know people who fake NCRS all the time....

including last winter.....

nothing new, move along.....

which is why I would never pay a dime more for 'matching numbers'....too easily faked....

so overpay for a car, be my guest....

chris75stingray

well it looks like there are straight grind marks like it's been decked yet around the stamped numbers and letters it looks as if the steel is raised.
if you can measure your deck height you will be able to tell if it's been surfaced. i think it is supposed to be .025". but even then maybe the block never had a stamp on it and it was stamped with your numbers

LYLE

The VIN is for a Dec. 4th build so it could be real. Pictures are hard to tell. With the head off like it is see if the maks on the pad continue acrossed the surface of the block and look the same as the ones on the pad.

morganjd

11/20 stamp is right in line with a 12/4 build, on the close side. I assume this is your vin? What is the casting date of the block? Lr is for a 69 435 hp 4spd car! Is this what you have?

ak l71

the car is 435 4 speed and there is a build sheet, but the cast date is unreadable, ground off.

FB007

THAT is an alarm bell. Restamps can be made passable. Casting dates are tough, and there is ZERO reason to grind one off.

ak l71

FYI this is a restamp

BarryK

I'm not surprised.
broach marks don't look correct and overall the actual number stampings looks to be TOO neat. i've seen very neat and straight stampings but most actually tend to not look that straight and perfect. I'm not knowledgeable enough to start evaluating and judging on the size and font used for the stamping but whenever I see anything that is that consistently straight across and neat it starts ringing alarm bells in my head.

ikwhite

Well for my 2 cents I would have to guess that it was a restamp. If you look closely at the pic you will see that the L and the R have what appears to be a faint but obvious ghost images of themselves, along with some of the other letters and numbers, as if someone tried but failed to stamp directly over the original letters and numbers or what was left of them!

ikwhite

riski

Can an NCRS person please comment on the authenticity of this pad?

When NCRS people judge a car, what criteria do they use to evaluate the originality of an engine pad?