Hey everyone! I haven't frequented here that much but, hopefully, I'm about to officially be a 2nd Gen owner for the first time. I have a 69 Z/28 I bought when I was 16 back 1976 and still own my 83 Z I bought new. I also had a 10 SS I bought in 09 for a few years. I'm real comfortable with 1st Gens so a 2nd Gen will be a learning experience.

I have a chance to buy a 79 Z. LM1, 4-speed with t-tops. It's supposed to be a running, no rust, numbers matching car. I believe it's been in the southwest its entire life. He says he's the original owner.

The photos show what looks like faded, original paint. If the title is good and all the numbers are indeed matching I will be taking it home this weekend. He sent a photo of the build sheet but I am not convinced it's the correct one. It shows it to be a black car with gold striping. The car's blue paint looks original to me along with the paint in the engine compartment. Someone would have went to the trouble of painting the inner fenders. The interior is shot but looks to be blue custom vinyl.

Now for the important stuff...

It appears that there could be several engine suffix codes on this engine. I found these: DRC, DRY, DRF, DRW, DRD. Is there a common code that's typically found on these engines? Do the codes differ depending on the plant? I am hoping the block hasn't been rebuilt and decked. Based on the stickers it may have been modified. I can see that emissions parts are also missing.

Same with the casting number. I found these: 3970010, 366245, 3911460, 14016379, 14316379. I believe the 3970010 is pretty common. What will I probably find?

 

Hate to say it but I smell a scam there,the build sheet not matching what looks like original paint and the owner claiming to be original owner.
That build sheet should have a vin number that matches the title and the car's vin on the dash.
If you are close enough to check it out I'd want to see all that and if the block hasn't been decked check the numbers on the pad in front of the passenger side head.
What kind of money are we talking about here,that car looks pretty rough even if it's not rusty and will likely cost more to restore than what it will be worth when finished.
Maybe if you get it cheap enough and it's what it claims to be and you do all the work yourself but you can get a nice late 2nd gen Z28 for $25-$30K that's ready to rock.
Good luck and keep us posted!

 

Yeah, it's a little sketchy but that's exactly what I'll be doing when I look at it today. I'm bring a jack and will be looking at the trans, rear end etc. I am not too concerned about the build sheet. If it's not correct it's just useless piece of paper. As long as all the numbers match that will be a step in the right direction. I'll do a VIN check too once I see the actual tag and hidden VINs. I assume the hidden VINs are under the cowl vent and behind the AC box like the 1st Gens?

He wants $3700. I don't plan on flipping it so the final cost won't be that big a deal. I know I'll have $20K in it by the time I am done.

 

I'd start pricing the parts you'll need before you pull the trigger,not to sure $20K even on top of what you pay for the car will do it but I'm no second gen expert.
Have to wonder about that seller,good luck.

 

Well, it was a no deal. It wasn't the original engine. I didn't bother looking further. The build sheet VIN matched the dash VIN. It had plenty of rust in the typical places.

And, it actually was originally a black car. The trim tag showed code 19 and I could easily see that it was repaint after closer inspection.

Once he realized, (or was called out), that it wasn't original he offered $2500. I just can't see going through an entire restoration on this one.

No biggie, I'll find one someday. Thanks for your input.

Larry

 

10/4, I'm sure you'll find a better car anyway with a little time spent searching.

 

Ha, from where I live $2500 for that car would be a steal. Around me all I would get for $2500 is a good title and a shell that needed quarter panels and floors and maybe some frame rail patching.