Black LS6 4sp Barn Find "Need Advice"

[TXSS]

I looked at a Tuxedo Black on Black LS6 yesterday. In storage 13 years last reg in 81. M-22 4sp, bench seat, real code 19 Chevelle. Extremely rust free original: floors, body panels, doors, cowl flapper hood, 837 alt, 811 WP, Harrison radiator. Looks to have it's original deep grove pulleys and fan, Frame is perfect. Correct tach, Malibu door panel emblems. Checks out to be all numbers matching with the exception of the carb, intake and dist. Docs could be in the car but as it stands "no docs". Pad is stamped T0403CRV, 12 bolt is stamped 0408 hard to read ratio, trans is stamped P0A13C w/vin. The vin on the block is stamped by the oil filter. Is that strange for an 04D built LA car. Seams late to have a vin stamped there.

What do you think it's worth as is and after a frame off and how bad does "no" docs hurt it?

I ask for a couple of reasons. One, I need to know and two, I've been advised that with the vin stamped by the oil filter and no docs the car will never be worth more than a clone and currently only worth the value of it's parts. Do others agree? That got me to thinking, which is never a good thing. If that's the case I find that very disappointing for a couple of reasons. No one could look at this car in it's current condition and doubt for a second that it's the real deal. However after restoration no one will have that degree of certainty. Not to get involved in a discussion about the moral and ethical questions of considering the financial aspects of a car deal but for me that's a fact I have to consider. I was hoping to do a frame off on the car. However, if clone value is all the money for this car that makes it very hard to do. What's a clone worth 40K-45Kmax. With the cost of parts, services + 4-500hrs labor that = a money pit. That would be to bad because this is a real deal black LS6 that needs to be done but It would be hard for anyone to put 65K+ in a car only worth 45K. With all the fake docs floating around, are the docs on a car like this so important that the lack of them kills the value of the car. I want to do this car but......

I've attached a few pics


Thanks in advance for your input
Rick

[MYSTERYCHEVELLE]

My take is always this.. A Well done car is a Well done car.. Quality always brings good money.. do the car right and someone will always want to pay the money.. Clones are taking nice money these days.. but only when done right IMO... this one, would not be a Clone.. so...if you can buy it at a good price ( that word good is for you to decide ) go ahead and Frame Off the car and document every step. Save the car!!! No to mention, could easily be a Build Sheet in tehre.. might even consider asking teh owner if you can look?? Give him a $100 to let ya look

Mike Crown

[Late BrakeU2]

Personally I would not invest that kind of time and money in a car without paperwork.Yes,there is bogus documentation out there and you need to be careful,but if you were looking to spend six figures+ for a done LS6 would you consider one without any?.
I just think there is an air of uncertainty as to the direction of the collector car market currentely,the costs or restoration will continue to rise but are we in a mild correction,or downtrend?. I would negotiate with the seller and lock up the car with a deposit,sale contingent on finding some paper-nice bones but short of that it can't be validated and that stigma will haunt it,jmho

[njsteve]

Paperwork? I dig that innovative carb gasket. What year newspaper is that?
Looks like an interesting project either way.

[69hurstSC]

i love cars in this condition! unrestored non-drivers seem to be rarer than there restored counterparts. between the Dana car and this LS6 thats a couple of very cool musclecars that you dont get to see in this condition very often.

[Rixls6]

Clean it up, straighten out the mess under the hood, and drive it.

But seriously, love the as found look. VIN on the block by the oil filter is definitely 70 Van Nuys built.

Are you able to read the partial VIN by the oil filter?

[king_midas]

Don't be too sure in your deduction that it is the real thing-- That car looks to have been ridden hard and put away wet, and is missing the correct shifter, etc... Also, check out the wear on the clutch pedal-- Make sure the mileage matches the pedals, as the pedals are the biggest tell-tale sign of all if a car is the real thing or not as far as matching the odo..

Don't forget that the LS-6 was a premier car back in the day, and was so to second-hand buyers as well; 10 or so years gives the car time to fall into the wrong hands, where it could have received parts from another car, etc... The VIN is convincing, but your right about the lack of docs, as anyone can put the VIN there these days. My brother and I used to do the same with Trans-Ams; there's more than one car that we transplanted the entire running gear, including radiator and alt, from one to another.

Your best bet is to give the person the $100 for right of first refusal. It may not even cost you that much-- I did that with an old German car, and it proved to be the best thing I ever did. Think of it this way-- If your heart got the best of you and you paid what this crazy market makes people think stuff is worth, and it turned out to be bogus, it would cost you much more than $100.

Just my $.02...

[firstgenaddict]

What is a real Black Ls6 with an M22 worth? 125k?
You would have to just document the hell everything possible when restoring the car... I do not know very much about the Chevelle's but I am sure someone will chime in on the VIN location on the engine... also I do believe it is fairly common to find build sheets in Chevelles... do not knowabout LA assembled cars though...

If it is the real deal (and from first observations it does appear to be) obviously having 65k in it completed would be a steal...