Patrick91914 Posted January 1, 2009 Share Posted January 1, 2009 Ebay item 260338307553 is listed as a '65 GS; however, if you look at the VIN #, 494475H905024, the car should have small emblems. The large emblems that are there are also misplaced. My car has an 11C build date and has a higher VIN #. So, I'm confident that something is fishy. Buyer beware. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ejc65 Posted January 1, 2009 Share Posted January 1, 2009 Over the last two years I have seen more 65 GS's on E-bay then where ever built from the factory. Most of them are a far cry from badge placement, to badge size, even 401 GS's. Hey Patrick the ROA library says "Badge" size changed in the second week of December but I have come across a handfull of 12C 12D and a 01A small "Badged" GS's. How certain are we as too the change in these "Badge" sizes. A good friend of mine owns one of these cars a says he thought it was between Dec. and Jan. with no exact date. I personally own a 12C car with small "Badges" under restoration Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick91914 Posted January 2, 2009 Author Share Posted January 2, 2009 I have a small emblem car with the VIN ending in 5960 and I think it's has a late-Nov'64 build date. The VIN on the Ebay car is lower than mine and has large emblems. With that said, if everything else is there (LX code motor, posi, dual quads, BS Code Tranny, dash and exterior emblems, distributor, etc.) then the car is a GS. Could one make a GS? Sure. It's tough finding a correct motor and tranny. Would it be a "real" one? I say yes as long as it's complete. The GS package is an option, not a car identified by the VIN. This car could have been rebadged because an owner along the way liked the big emblems and changed them. Who knows? You mentioned the so-called GSs with 401s. With cars like these, it's hard to tell the car's pedigree because after so many years the motor could have been swapped out and a LX 425 could not be found. I have the good fortune of having a spare LX 425 in my garage; however, I doubt many people, if any, are in my situation. So, the question becomes, "I blew the motor in my 65 GS. All I can find is a 401. Do I stop calling my car a GS?" Again, who knows? I say enjoy the car you have and build it your way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tim63riv Posted January 2, 2009 Share Posted January 2, 2009 Hi Guys,If anyone knows these cars, it's Tom Mooney, hopefully he'll chime in. Engine swaps have always been a source of frustration for collectors, especially if the replacement cannot be documented. I believe it stays a "factory" GS if it was delivered that way, and the engine replacement separates it from a numbers matching car, but it remains a GS.Clones never use to be a huge problem, especially when there was little difference in price between a 65 Riviera and a 65 Riviera GS. Now that the "price gap" has widened, clones will be more of an issue. I have no problem with a person who clones a GS for personal enjoyment reasons. Where the rub comes is when someone is doing it for pure profit by passing the clone off as the genuine article!Take Care,Tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ejc65 Posted January 2, 2009 Share Posted January 2, 2009 Unfortunate for me my lx block along with 2x4 set up was gone on mine when I bought it. but luckily the BS trans and 3.42 gears were all intact. However I since have bought a 425 and milled all the numbers off the block, but I refuse to re-stamp it for that exact issue I assume one day I may part with my GS but I would not want to give the impression that it is a matching number block. I have been ripped off like that in the past I bought a 66 chevelle 396 ss 4sp only to find out it was originally a automatic car. The guy did a great job on the conversion & fooled me, but that kind of stuff really ticks me off and I sold the car for what it was and took a loss. Besides I may never sell my GS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RivNut Posted January 2, 2009 Share Posted January 2, 2009 Perhaps it's time we stop thinking of these Rivieras as a separate model and start thinking of them as 65 Rivieras with the A9 option which is what they really are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick91914 Posted January 3, 2009 Author Share Posted January 3, 2009 <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: RivNut</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Perhaps it's time we stop thinking of these Rivieras as a separate model and start thinking of them as 65 Rivieras with the A9 option which is what they really are. </div></div>My point exactly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lrlforfun Posted January 3, 2009 Share Posted January 3, 2009 OK Riviera People; A Vette is still a Vette even if it has a 6 cylinder in it just the same as a 65 Riv is a 65 Riv! If you want a 66, get a 66. If you want a Volksie beetle, get a Volksie beetle. Mitch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tim63riv Posted January 3, 2009 Share Posted January 3, 2009 Patrick and Ed,In a perfect world, you are right. Unfortunately, the truth is the GS is lumped into the car world mystique just like the Z-28, the Hemi, the SS 396 and all the other performance options added to a base model car. The baddest, fastest and rarest will always command a premium as long as someone is willing to pay it. Too bad we don't have the factory build information like Pontiac does!Take Care,Tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ejc65 Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 Can't agree with you more Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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