Help! How can you tell a authentic 427 c3 car from a imposter?

[kenvette69]

I have a 1969 427/400 automatic that I have owned since 1991. I have tried to verify the information on the authenticity of the car, but there was no tank sticker. It has the rear stabalizer bar, right tach redline at 5600, engine has matching numbers, tri power dates are in line with production date, but the rear end has u bolts on the half shafts. Any ideas of where else to look to verify? Thanks

 

[jims427400]

If you have original carpet, try looking under drivers or passenger leg areas. when I pulled mine up to replace I found a 2nd build sheet that matched the tank sticker on my 68 427 400.
Good luck,
Jim

 

[bill81vette]

Have you ever had it judged by the NCRS???
you could start there.at the local level..
another thing you could try is the get the judging manual that the NCRS uses
for your year vette. they are around $ 30.00 and take you step by step as they know it currently to be.
check on there web site..National Corvette Restorers Society

 

[Vettehead Mikey]

Got a picture of the engine stamp pad?

 

[Txbobcat]

A few years back Chevy announced that there are now more 427 Camaros than they originally made. I guess that means there is not a lot of info on these cars to help you document them.

 

[kenvette69]

If you have original carpet, try looking under drivers or passenger leg areas. when I pulled mine up to replace I found a 2nd build sheet that matched the tank sticker on my 68 427 400.
Good luck,
Jim

I pulled the tank down, it had at least 20 years of grime, dirt etc, but there was no sign of a tank sticker. I have read that the tank sticker at the factory was inconsistent with some cars not receiving a tank sticker at all. Is this true as well. No luck on the carpet either. Any other signs to confirm? I think the best would be to have a NCRS inspection, thoughts?

 

[kenvette69]

Got a picture of the engine stamp pad?

yes, let me get it up

 

[6880 Mike]

How can you tell a authentic 427 c3 car from a imposter?

You bought it new and have owned it all its life. Honest answer.

Having the NCRS look at the car will not confirm whether the car is authentic. It will only confirm the car is or is not correct in it's current configuration.

 

[red70vette]

Your question may not have an answer. The ability to tell a fake from a real big block depends on how many mistakes the person faking the car makes and the quality of the forgery. Now to tell whether a car is real is even harder. If they do a good enough job they can fool even the most knowledgeable of "experts". Perhaps the hardest thing to fake are the broach marks on the vin pad. A qualified person may be able to tell a restamp. If the job is done well you can fool the best of experts.

The bottom line is that there is no foolproof way to tell if a car is real it is all dependent on the quality of the forgery and the knowledge of the inspector.