NUMBERS MATCHING

NUMBERS MATCHING REFERS TO THE FACTORY STAMPINGS ON MAJOR VEHICLE PARTS, MOST OFTEN THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION, MATCHING THE LAST SIX DIGITS OF THE VEHICLE’S VIN. In some cases, this is extended to other components, such as the rear axle, body panels, carburetor and chassis. With so many of us hot-rodding our trucks and throwing in latemodel drivetrains, having matching numbers isn’t super important to most owners, but in the restoration game, not having matching numbers can be a deal-breaker. Some will go to great lengths to track down the original components, which can get pretty expensive, as you would imagine, but the up side is that doing so often dramatically increases a vehicle’s value.

In the end, if you’re not planning to sell your ride (or at least not planning to make a killing on it), don’t stress about it and keep cutting.