original- the car is correct according to its original vin/trim/build sheet... cloned cars are competing against original cars at national buick shows? never been to one...
The real problem with re-stamping is this - lets say the car was owned by Mr. Righteous and he's the most honest, upstanding citizen on the whole planet with only the best intentions and NEVER plans on selling the car but want all the #'s to be "correct" so he stamps the block, Trans, carb, and dist. to match the info he received from Wayne - his Vin does state the car was a factory original stage1 3 years after, a meteor crashes into Mr. Righteous while picking daiseys in his garden ... the family decides 6 years later to finally sell dear ole Dad's car and finds the doc's saying the car is a stage1, the new buyer checks and all the numbers match !! He gets a great deal on the car but having aints in the pantz, he goes through cars like we do underware ... and flips it 3 months later at a car show representing it as a real stage1. new buyer decides to show his "Deal of the Century" to a friend, who has his friend Yoda, knowing of all things Date Coded, come over to see it as well. Yoday says "Nice car have you indeed, numbers matching indeed it is not !! Restamp this block and parts are unfortunate for you - Fruadulent purchase you did make". ... this has already happened at least once on this board, I think twice where the car was unknowingly misrepresented but found out later.
WatsonJ, There are several judges of national shows that are fellow members. The Buick judges use a 400 point scale to judge from that is very similar to the other GM A-body scales. There are items that are unique to each make but many that are the same. What I can tell you is that they all check the stampings and date codes on the parts that determine if it is the proper part, then go on to evaluate the condition and quality of the restoration of the part and then the car as a whole. They will know in a few minutes of the car is or is not what it is represented to be. That is the reason there is a difference in value of a gold, silver and bronze level judged car when it crosses the auction block. We as a group tend to want to preserve, restore and reunite as many cars and people as possible. It's a moto or sorts. So, as an example, IF the BB transmission, that you have, is stamped with a VIN of a car that still in existance and can return "home" to the place it was "born in" that would be the preference of many member here. This same idea applies to the other parts that may make a particular car "whole" again. I hope that answers your question and clarifies a couple of discussion point from my perspective.
Baldwin, Wisconsin... spent alot of summers there at relatives farms. Exit 19 heading from Saint Paul,MN. My cousin still has a farm in hammond. Lots family buried over there! Afdahls, Larsons, Tollefsons... the list goes on! Im in Roseville MN Welcome!!!
Thanks! I'm a friend of Kurt Afdahl, and familiar with the other fellas! I farm right down the road from Kurt and his dad...
Thanks for everyones replies on "how far i should go", i can use your advice in making my decisions.. i am intersted in being able to show this car at a buick show, but i know it will take a lot of work to get it to that point. Don't mind if i ask another question (if there is a forum on this topic, maybe point me in the right direction): What spare tire/jack package did my GS have? Regular sized tire? How was it mounted in the trunk? Were all 1970's the same? A previous owner had changed the configuration of the mounting brackets in the trunk, at least that's what the body man and i believe. Here's a pic of what was welded in-
It had a bumper jack and a tire iron. If you want to be precise they were date coded. The tire/rim combination it originally had could vary. This will be on the paperwork. Some for sure had G60-15 Goodyear Polyglass tires which are still made but expensive. In a radial the closest size I recall is a 245/60 -15.
Is there any documentation that show pictures of the mounting brackets in the trunk? The welded piece in the trunk is NOT original, correct?
