Tag, Vin Deck ?, do these stampings look ok?

**69LM1** · #1 10-17-2006, 04:26 AM

I got "part" of a firewall, less than I expected. It was supposed to be a full firewall. The engine was supposedly brought to a machine shop and "freshened up" by the seller. So, if I understand correctly, no one is finding fault with the actual stamping, just the deck and the way it looks? Some have even emailed and said the suffix looks ok, but the vin is suspect?

I have no problem admitting if I got ripped off, I just want to be able to articulate to the proper people when I go after the guy if that is the case. Questions will be:

1. If it's fake, how do all the dates line up, vin, TT and Block casting.

2. If just the VIN Stamp is fake, there is no vin by the oil filter, so how can just the VIN stamp be fake?

3. What in particular distinguishes the stamp(s) as fake? (I know, you don't want to publically state this, yet, no one has emailed or PM'd me with any info on this, just an arbitrary Yea or Nea).

Thanks!

Rich

**Rick H** · #2 10-17-2006, 04:46 AM

Well since you asked. The engine and VIN stamps should be two different font sizes and from what I can see they look the same size. One or both are not correct.

Rick H.

**69LM1** · #3 10-17-2006, 05:01 AM

"The engine and VIN stamps should be two different font sizes"

OK, anybody have a stamping pic they can send me for comparison?

If I am going to go after this guy, I need to have my ducks in a row.

Anything else?

**Rick H** · #4 10-17-2006, 05:59 AM

RicH,
Go to the LS6 engine pics in the thread about the engine. Heres the link. Look at the pad stamps . The fonts are different sizes.

http://www.chevelles.com/classifieds...=76&page=2

Rick H.

Jeff H · #5 10-17-2006, 06:01 AM

Comparing the stampings to some in Jerry's book, they look to be the right fonts and you can tell the VIN stamp is smaller than the suffix code stamp. The only thing that looks a little funny to me is the 'H' looks a little crooked. It looks like someone put white paint in the stamping and the distorts the view of the stamping a little. But most of the letters and numbers match the stamps in Jerry's book so it looks legit to me.

**69LM1** · #6 10-17-2006, 07:05 AM

The VIN is smaller. I will try and get a better pic tomarrow, in the light.

I used white chalk to help bring out the stamping.

Even though the VIN stamp font is smaller than the suffix on this block, it is bigger than the VIN stamp font on my small block LM1. I am not sure if the SB vs BB makes any difference.

**69LM1** · #7 10-17-2006, 07:55 AM

OK, Using the 2's since both the suffix and vin have that number, from the top of the loop of the 2, to the straight edge at the bottom of the 2:

Suffix Code 2: 6 millimeters
VIN 2: 4 millimeters

Thanks,
Rich

**PeteLeathersac** · #8 10-17-2006, 06:08 PM

Regardless of how good of a job someone's done on their choice of fonts, sizes etc, the swirls are enough to know it's been altered. .

This one also fails the 'blind man test' where sometimes it's best to close your eyes, pay no attention to what you see and feel the pad. . Besides the belly jobs, often altered pads have lost their edge sharpness as creative operators of portable machines often whiz a bevel into the edge...like this one has! .

Gotta' say I'm surely not into your firewalling game!!! .

Also, why are you so concerned things are so correct when it's all going to be hooked to a repop body anyway...to get back at the guy who sold you firewall and bad stamp stuff? .

~ Pete

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