[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by brians

Keith:
One was always able to get the 69 and newer invoice by calling Pontiac customer service prior to PHS but they would black out prices. (They always stated 68 and older were not available)

Was the post 69 set up differently than pre 69 in Pontiac or was it actually Fred Simmonds pulling each request?

In the early days it was Fred personally, before/after work or at lunch time. PHS was formed to outsource that activity when it got to be too much for Fred alone.

I'm not sure why there would be a distinction "pre '69" and "post '69" and can ask Fred the next time I see him.

Prices were blocked out because, as mentioned, the documents were maintained as financial records. Since they were still somewhat "contemporary" PMD was apparently still sensitive about cost information getting out into the public.

Obviously that is no longer a concern...

K

[69goatboy]

Originally Posted by james66GTO

The seller reported that the casting date is within a month and a half of the build date (although he couldn't get a picture of it). It is a WT block which is correct. I believe the seller is being straight with me and telling me everything he knows but his information only goes so far.

My .02 worth (and I freely admit that my .02 is worth less than others .02) is that when I hear the phrase that is bolded above, it says to me that the numbers do not match, but whomever restored it tried to make it as close to correct as possible.

Otherwise, the seller would simply state that the numbers match instead of talking about how close the casting date is.

[Greg Reid]

I've got the biggest gap between the block casting date and the car build date that I've ever come across.

[GTO JOHN]

james66 recheck the block the Fremont plant stamped the vins much higher than other plants. Many are stamped near the exhaust manifold mount surface several inches from the EUN and YS stamping.

[1oldgoat]

Here is a picture of the VIN stamp on a Framingham built car. There is no telling where it will turn up. Seems like they just stamped it wherever they felt like.

[james66GTO]

Really appreciate all the input guys, very helpful - especially Keith and that article - very interesting. Well, here's the update; Ram4king and GTO John were dead on. The VIN was up high and upside down. There was one unusual thing about it though - it was stamped on different lines, if you will. The top line was 29Z1 and then an extremely light 2 and then on a 'lower' line it had the rest of the VIN. Anybody else seen that kind of a VIN arrangement on a Fremont engine? Thanks

[GTO JOHN]

I have seen that once before on a Fremont block. I thought it looked strange too but it's obviously a real block because who would perform a restamp like that anyway?

[charles bledsoe]

I have a 69 Fremont built car and the VIN is stamped the same way. What John says above makes good sense, I never thought of it that way. If someone was going to forge a VIN, I'm guessing they would want it to standout without any question.