What's it Worth Premium for numbers matching vs NOM

[Some Car Guy]

I’m pondering making an offer on a car, think it’s best to stay stealth on this post.

I have four direct comps, including one that was sold twice in around a years timeframe. What I’ve seen confirms the market for NOM auto. I also know of a 4 speed NOM and what it brought. All these cars I’m talking about are excellent colors, ones just about anybody would want and are easier to sell without a doubt. All are same engine from factory. All have very similar small options, insignificant really in that regard.

One I’m looking at is an auto and it grades out similar to one of the cars, main difference is the one I’m after has AC, but has column shift versus console. It Another AC car has some slight worts, but did sell a bit higher than the non AC car. 4 speed car is decent driver, had a few non original but easily changed parts. It sold highest of all the comps.

Trying to determine what value the numbers car has over what I know. Occurs to me to list them out so easier to understand.

A. Numbers auto on column, has AC, nice older correct resto
B. NOM auto console, sold twice for sure in 1 years time. No AC. Body and condition best match car A. Nice older correct resto.
C. NOM auto console, has AC, minor flaws like several paint chips and and the like, still nice car. Brought a bit over car B, not much. Mostly correct overall.
D. NOM 4 speed, no AC, very nice driver with some aftermarket stuff like radiator and headers. Only car not fully stock appearing, sold for most money by a good bit. 20% or so more.

Basically I’m looking for percentage that numbers car is worth over the rest since I know the prices.

 

[Some Car Guy]

This is a mainstream kind of car, all the examples mentioned in first post are popular colors, all small options are so similar as to not mattering in the discussion, and the engines are all the same. Only thing to consider is the trans type, where the shifter is located, and if it has numbers or NOM. also worth saying all have mostly or completely factory metal.

So what I’m trying to figure out is the numbers engine worth 2%, 10%, 50%, 100%, more etc.

 

[Davefinan]

For myself, I don’t worry if the engine is numbers matching. Correct displacement,yes. So I would say maybe 5% more on the original engine car and probably just because it may be easier to sell when/if the time comes.
I would much prefer a car with buckets and a console.

 

[70 sublime]

So say the console auto car is base car to compare to
Think 4 speed would be worth 10% more at least
Column shift ( and maybe bench seat ) would be 10% less

Now thow in the original engine is going to make it worth more to some people than it will others

All depends on the engine in question 318 no one will care as much as a 440 6 pack set up

 

[Plyrr471]

Barring all other considerations I’d put the value of a matching numbers car at a 20% premium, possible more. Sure, we’d all prefer a 4 spd and big block, if applicable, but I’d take a matching numbers column shifted car over a NOM 4 spd. I always look down the line at potential resale value as one day, the car has got to go. Good luck with your search, and let us know how it pans out!

 

[YY1]

"People" have already worked on most of this, except the engine numbers.

 

[Some Car Guy]

I’ve always wondered how those guides determine those prices. Clearly from thirty years in the hobby, I can safely say a 4 speed is worth way way more than 5%. My experience is like 20-30%, maybe even more.

The seller in this case is asking 75% above what the NOM comps are.

To fill in a blank, this is a performance car.

 

[DeltaV]

The answer: 4 speed car

 

[Dutchrebuild]

All depends on make, model, engine.
I don't worry much on a 318 or 383 car. I don't believe numbers matching is worth a substantial premium.
I worry a bit more on a 440- 4bbl car...numbers matching I would pay a bit more for.

But when you get into 440-6bbl cars and hemi cars, numbers matching can add a significant premium.
Some years back, a buddy was trying to get $140,000 for a beautiful 6-bbl 4-speed Super Bird...a perspective buyer only wanted to pay $100,000 because of non matching numbers engine. When we told him the numbers matching engine was included in the deal, he paid the $140,000

 

[6PKRTSE]

So many fakes and forged musclecars out there these days. Numbers matching means nothing to me. Value to me is the quality of the car overall. Although I am not in this hobby for the Value. I enjoy and drive my cars and always build them better and faster then original anyway. I have never wanted some museum piece.

 

[Some Car Guy]

So many fakes and forged musclecars out there these days. Numbers matching means nothing to me. Value to me is the quality of the car overall. Although I am not in this hobby for the Value. I enjoy and drive my cars and always build them better and faster then original anyway. I have never wanted some museum piece.

Sounds good to me. If you can convince this seller of the same I’d appreciate it. He apparently does not agree.

 

[dfrazz]

While fair value is always a consideration, you should really think about what is important to you and what you want to do with this car. Are you going to drive this car long distance (reliability, gears, OD/5 spd is important), or just go to local shows or just take it out 1-2x a month? Does it matter if its a numbers engine, or are you going to spend $10k to build a stroker or Gen III hemi? Are you content with an auto (column or console) or are going to spend $5k on a manual swap or another $7k for a 5 spd? What is your favorite color or are you going to spend $30k or change the color? How is the interior (color, condition, carpet, headliner)? What about the gauges, do you want stock, do you want a tic-toc-tac or prefer digital? Brakes, steering, etc. These numbers far outweigh the incremental differences you are talking about. Buy the best condition car with the right color/engine/trans you can afford from the get go and you will save more money in the long run.

 

[Some Car Guy]

While fair value is always a consideration, you should really think about what is important to you and what you want to do with this car. Are you going to drive this car long distance (reliability, gears, OD/5 spd is important), or just go to local shows or just take it out 1-2x a month? Does it matter if its a numbers engine, or are you going to spend $10k to build a stroker or Gen III hemi? Are you content with an auto (column or console) or are going to spend $5k on a manual swap or another $7k for a 5 spd? What is your favorite color or are you going to spend $30k or change the color? How is the interior (color, condition, carpet, headliner)? What about the gauges, do you want stock, do you want a tic-toc-tac or prefer digital? Brakes, steering, etc. These numbers far outweigh the incremental differences you are talking about. Buy the best condition car with the right color/engine/trans you can afford from the get go and you will save more money in the long run.

Zero of that is under consideration. These are all done cars I’m trying to compare. All that matters is what you’d pay, or would have to pay, for a matching car above a non matching one.

 

[440 PHIXX]

The “matching numbers” that matter to me are the rad support and trunk gutter. A matching number block is kind of important in the optional engines in a Chevelle SS, GTO, Buick GS, 442, any big block Corvette, LT-1, 327/375 of the muscle car era. GM cars didn’t indicate the engine in the VIN or body tag until 1972 when the era was over.

 

[YY1]

I tend to favor "real" HP cars without numbers matching engines.

IE an RM21/23 real Road Runner without it's original engine.

That gives me a discount, but is still a "real" RM VIN Roadrunner.

How much discount?

I wish I had an exact formula, but I'd guess in the 20% range.

 

[kiwigtx]

For many cars and most of the population having matching numbers comes down to being able to gouge more money for the same car.

Probably 90% of people don't care.... most Chevy and Mustang restorations claim to be Matching Numbers, but there are not many ways to prove it....so plenty get away with unsubstantiated claims. Ma Mopar did the future generations either a great service or in some views, a great dis-service by naming, numbering and dating nearly every part. Now we have threads started by clowns who are worried about the date code on a throttle spring FFS.

Sure it's nice to have provenance, but really in a couple of years it won't matter much at all to anyone but the finicky few.

 

[440 PHIXX]

View attachment 1974820

For many cars and most of the population having matching numbers comes down to being able to gouge more money for the same car.

Probably 90% of people don't care.... most Chevy and Mustang restorations claim to be Matching Numbers, but there are not many ways to prove it....so plenty get away with unsubstantiated claims. Ma Mopar did the future generations either a great service or in some views, a great dis-service by naming, numbering and dating nearly every part. Now we have threads started by clowns who are worried about the date code on a throttle spring FFS.

Sure it's nice to have provenance, but really in a couple of years it won't matter much at all to anyone but the finicky few.

Yes. Especially Chevys from that era as they had actual upgrades on their top of the line engines compared to the other GM divisions. Much easier to duplicate when all you need to have is the sequence number on the block. Yeah there’s dated castings and plant codes but no VIN codes like M,J,V,U,and R. No body tag code other than 6 or 8 for the engine. SS would be there, but what engine? In ‘72 they finally put the engine option in the VIN, but GM threw in the towel in ‘71 with 8.5-1 compression across the board.

 

[Some Car Guy]

That’s really great guys that you don’t care. The market does and that’s all that matters. If I could fork over NOM money for this car, I would.

 

[70 sublime]

You say the seller of this car you are looking at wants a 75% premium because it is matching numbers ?
Well it will come down to who else believes it is worth that much more ??

If no one else does the seller will own the car till he drops his price but it sounds like you want a matching numbers car yourself
If you buy the car as the price comes down that just means no one else will ever pay that much extra for the car if you are thinking about a future sale because you wanted it the most and was the person to buy it now

There is also pride of ownership that will have a value to you so how much is that worth ??

I know I felt like I paid too much for every Charger I ever bought but time was on my side and did sell them for more than I paid in the end

It will come down to how much time you have to own this mystery car ?

Your money and you can not take it with you when all is said and done

 

[440 PHIXX]

That’s really great guys that you don’t care. The market does and that’s all that matters. If I could fork over NOM money for this car, I would.

It’s not that I don’t care. Perception is perception. A different engine block is a negative for “mopar guys”… but 80% Asian sheet metal from 2026 and “numbers matching” is more original. I’ll never understand it.