Hemi Charger Question

[Bluestar]

A friend of mine is very interested in buy this car.

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,12240.0.html

I have a bunch of questions posted over there regarding this car.  The question I have here is on a 69 Charger, what does Numbers Matching mean?  Is the VIN stamped into the block and transmission?  I thought the motors and tranny's were necessarily matched to the VIN on Mopars?  How much does a date correct motor affect the value?

[hemigeno]

Here's the rundown for a totally numbers-matching car:

>> Serial Number matches the title
>> Fender Tag matches the body stamping (for a '68, the SO# not the VIN is stamped on the body, found on radiator yoke & trunk lip, maybe elsewhere)
>> Fender Tag matches the VIN plate
>> Engine is dated correctly and the serial number stamping matches the Fender Tag/VIN
>> Transmission's serial number stamping matches the Fender Tag/VIN

It's strange how in the advertisement, the guy says that the body stampings match, but the fender tag is missing.  How would he know what the SO number is without the Fender Tag?

Also, every 4-speed R/T (440 & Hemi) came with a Dana rear axle.  The 8-3/4 in there is not correct for a 4-speed car, but as mentioned elsewhere, those were often swapped out over the years for whatever reason - especially since you can't get gears (numerically) lower than a 3.54.  In '68 the only ratio for a 4-speed was the 3.54 Dana, since the 4.10's were first offered in '69.

The pictures also don't show the torque boxes and other areas that could better prove its Hemi background.  Without seeing a whole lot more, the questions far outweigh the answers and it'd make me leery of the whole deal.

The value on a non-numbers-matching engine in a car is totally up to the buyer, and you'll find all sorts of opinions on this topic if you ask around.  When you don't have the numbers-matching engine, having a date-correct motor is much better than something way off, but again that's dependent on the individual.  There's not a chart somewhere that definitively states how much of the value is lost or gained, it's anybody's guess.

Geno

[triple_green]

If it is not numbers matching and original to the car, then the finished product will probably worth half what it would be if it was all correct and matching.

3X

[Bluestar]

He claims to have the fender tags, but has misplaced them at the moment. FWIW. Seems on the up and up since he did end the auction as he said he would until he found them.

The car has also alledgedly been documented by Govier and that reproduction Tags could be made should the originals not turn up.

The car itself is kind of like the Katrina 1970 on Ebay at the moment.  Assume everything needs replacing and anything that doesn't is a bonus.

Thanks for the input.