Do we know if the GT E engine was a VIN number match engine?
Rob
The original owner told me the original engine threw a rod in the 1970’s. He bought a short block from the dealer to replace it back then. It had at least one other engine in it after that. So no, no chance.
The vin is stamped on the heads. Find a date code correct block and you are numbers matching again.
The numbers match engine in Bart Lovley’s “Mecum Red GTE” we authenticated a year ago has the VIN stamped on the rough cast area of the block. On the left side in the back near the head mating surface. I have been around two 428 CJ motors from San Jose and they were stamped on the block on the left side in a “machined” area.
Rob
Weren’t all GT-Es produced in Dearborn?
My blue GTE which is now owned by another member here was the first to be documented on the registry with both heads and block being vin stamped so there are a few outliers but generally speaking it is considered correct to have a vin stamping on the heads only in 1968. Different story for 1969…
The 428 CJ’s I spoke of were not in a Cougar. They were in Torino’s.
What would they typically go for mind me asking?
Original unrestored SCJ, 4-speed matching numbers Eliminator? Difficult to say, since that’s the first one I’ve ever seen cross the auction block, and they seldom come up for sale.
There was a nicely restored SCJ, Auto, matching numbers Eliminator that sold for $154k back in 2013.
There’s a nicely restored SCJ, 4-speed, non-matching numbers Eliminator currently listed for sale for $110,995.
IMO, $100k was a good deal for that car. Where else are you going to find another one??
I do recall this video from WCCC at the 2013 Barrett Jackson auction of a 70 SCJ that went for 140k https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSTl_tTz_Wo
Yep! That’s the one I mentioned at $154k (including auction fees).
That 70 SCJ was my car that KTL restored. Tom drove the car on to the block. A moment I will never, ever forget. With tears in his eyes and both hands on the wheel, he looked at me and said he hoped this wasn’t the last one he would do.
That was a very special day for a lot of reasons, many beyond the car itself. But I will tell you this- I did 12 straight hours of detailing everything I could find on that car before it went on the trailer. At these auctions, details matter.
That same auction, another 70 428 CJ sold for 50K. With 2K in details, it would have brought 10-15K more.