I am looking at a 1969 Camaro Z28 to buy, seller says numbers matching, original 75K, asking 80K$, what do you guys think? See pictures. Says Arizona and CA car. Thanks.

 

What is the stamp #'s on engine pad (PS front of head)?

Not going to comment on interior....

FWIW Z28 is the most cloned 1st gen so at $80k do your homework. #'s off rear end, trans, hidden VIN under cowl. All need to be confirmed.

 

At that value I would want a professional evaluation and a cert. There are more clones out there then there are real cars. There is also no way to be 100% sure. There are clones out there that can fake out a certification Pro.

The only cars you can be pretty certain of is the ones with full documented history's. Picture of the original owner with the car. I saw one car that had a speeding ticket from 5 days after he bought it that said it was a z28. No one knew in 1969 that people would be cloning cars in the future so there is no list anywhere and GM did not make anything that could not be altered or counterfeited. There are online printers out there that can print up all the documents needed to "prove" the car is correct. They can even artificially age them. Engine number can be restamped and even engine casting number can be changed by a semi decent welder.

Understand there is nothing illegal about building a clone for shows. The only thing that would be illegal would altering a vin number on the body or building the clone for the sole purpose of defrauding someone. Most States are buyer beware. If its buying from an dealer you can get him to certify it then you can go back on him if it is not assuming he is still in business, But the average Joe would just have to say the guy I bought from lied. Oh I forgot his name.

The current owner could really be 100% truthful and have no idea he got a clone to start with.

I knew a high-end car collector back in the early 90's he owned (5) 57 chevy duel carb convertibles. He showed me a picture on the last one he bought before the restoration. It was a rusted shell. I said cool how in the world did you fine the motor. He said they didn't they found the correct casting had the top of the engine skimmed off and had the motor restamped. He said a company out west had bought the stamping machine GM used out of the scrap yard and resorted it. They could stamp any GM motor pre 1969. That was 30 years ago. I am a tool designer myself now and I designing a low volume press to do this would be easy. I know a lot of machinist and tool makers that could do this process by hand punch. They just need the right size and fount punch.

 

What others said,the only way to be 100% sure is buying from the original owner or family with supporting documents and given the age those are very few and far between.
Great looking car but the interior is a red flag for me,any combination could be ordered but I've never seen a Z28 without a console that's housing gauges.
There's a few things in the engine bay that do not look correct for a low miles numbers matching car as well.

 

 

I owned a 69 Z-28 until a few years ago
There is enough wrong with this one for me to simply say it is a clone
The valve covers and air filter cover
The DZ motor numbers have not been shown
The interior is wrong
Those cars are worth enough that no one would install non factory parts on one

 

I watched a funny clip on you tube from like 20 years ago. It was a guy at a car show talking about his car. He said it was an all original one family 67 RS/SS. The camera man scanned over the car It had the RS badges (wrong) the later 68 hood vents and the worst part was it had a set of 68 doors on it. He also said it was one of the rare ones that came with a Corvette High output 327.

There is so much misinformation out there. You can almost not blame the current owners because they were fed a line of crap on day one. I have met several guys that said they had numbers matching cars but did not know how to verify them.

 

2 things that only came on a 69 Z/28 were 4 leaf rear springs and an 8 grand tac. And all 1969 Z,s had them.
I take that back maybe a copo car could have had an 8 grand tac.

 

I believe the OP is long gone?
I beg to differ on that tach but agree on the springs
I have witnessed 69 Z-28s with a console and no 8 grand tach
I had a matching number 69 Z=28 with no tach at all and no console (best deal I ever made selling that car)
The car serial number is stamped in the block, around the oil filter on Camaros
Where did you see the photo or determine he had no 8 grand tach 69RSDZ302?
And what makes you say they all had 8 G tach's?
I saw your profile 69DZ302 (Days of 47) and you got me by 12 years, so, I am not discounting your knowledge and damn sure not your experience
Mine was real and sold from Streator Chevrolet in SLC. It had the option sheet and all the papers with the car when I sold it (no tach)
Why do you suppose the OP did not show the rear end? or the cooling fan and clutch?
Mine had a 7 blade IIRR with little kick outs on the ends of the fan blades
Do you actually have a DZ 302 69 RS? (that would sure be nice) Post a picture

 

Here is my plain jane 68 coming along at the body


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