L78 TAG (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2453636917&category=50452)

http://i6.ebayimg.com/01/i/01/29/0b/72_1.JPG

FWIW, as you know Mike, there is nothing to 'prove' it's a L78 tag. The trim code of 756 is for a black interior, not white.

Of course you're right, nothing on the trim tag makes it an L78. But I think I see Mike's point. If you read the auction wording, the seller says he has still the rusted shell and a numbers matching M22 trans. Presumably, the rusted shell still has the VIN plate attached, and I would bet a dollar to a donut that the winning bidder of the auction will be "offered the opportunity" to purchase the trans and shell (or most likely just the VIN plate) for a nominal additional fee. To the best of my knowledge, in 69, the M22 was only available with the L78 engine, so.........someone could put the VIN plate on a clean shell, install the trans and PRESTO you have a 'back-door verified original' L78 Chevelle graemlins/angry.gif graemlins/sad.gif

There are people searching for this very thing. A good resto shop could remove the VIN plate and attach it to another body and it would not be easy to tell. Its been done, see below.

There are some people in this hobby (or should I say business for many) that see nothing wrong with doing this, they think is just saving a L78. Here, read this THREAD (http://www.camaros.net/forum/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=6;t=004013;p=1) and you will find some who are not at all bothered with removing VIN's etc.


I have to throw this in for all the doubting Thomas'. In 1997 I investigated a case where someone paid $75,000.00 for what he believed to be a Yenko Camaro. The VIN and the title are on the Yenko list. The problem was that the real Yenko was stolen and stripped in 1986. The shell was recovered and the insurance company turned the car over to a salvage yard. Back in the 80's there was no requirement for a salvage title to be issued for theft recoveries. So, the salvage yard owner had a Yenko Camaro shell with an original (unbranded) title. I hope you are all starting to see where this is going. After the shell sat a couple of years, someone figured out what the car was and decided it would be great to rebuild the car. The shell was not usable. But, they had another coupe. They cut out the con numbers and replaced the firewall, transferred the public vin plate and the trim tag, re-stamped a 427, Muncie M22, and 12 bolt differential. This car was no Yenko by any stretch of the imagination. So, I hope you see that the point is, be extremely careful when you mess with the vin plate.

Post Script: The two gentlemen involved in the project received a five year invitation to be guests of the Missouri Correctional System.