Motor Serial Numbers - Mystery?

[dtuttle123]

Let's see if there's a logical answer here.  There have been a couple of messages about miss-matched engine and body numbers, and speculation as to whether that might effect the value.  I have a 1967 250SL, and when I got it, and the datacard, I looked for the engine number, to see if they matched - I know where they are stamped on the block near 5/6 plugs.  On my 250SL, I have no numbers on the block, except the "250" mark, but if I look closer, there are two small holes where a metal plate might have been attached. The vehicle has 144K miles, and my mechanic always said that the engine is very strong, which would lead me to believe that it was replaced at one point.  What's your guess - could this have been a dealer replacement where they attached a serial number after the install?

Doug
1967 250SL - 4 Speed
Orient Red

[Ben]

Yes thats my guess !

It seems that the new motors were supplied with no numbers and you either transfered the existing plate, if there was one, or re-stampted the block. I never heard of a dealer bothering to re-stamp the block !

Regards,
Ben in Ireland.
'64 230SL 4sp.

[Cees Klumper]

I have a replacement engine that still has a small metal plate where the number should be - it says something to the effect of having been delivered to the UK and is official MB-looking.
I picked up a set of the dies with which one could stamp the engine number into the block at a hardware store a number of years ago. A restorer once told me that it is possible to machine out a non-matching engine block number and stamp in the 'correct' number, so I suppose there are people who do that. My current engine is a replacement block without number in it, and I like to keep it that way just fine.

Emotionally, and to me at least, there is added value to having the original engine in the car. As to actually how much real dollars of added value that this translates into, I think is difficult to say. As Dan Caron once commented, you really don't see 'matching numbers' in advertisments of Pagodas being mentioned as a selling point.

Cees ("Case") Klumper in Amsterdam
'69 white 280 SL automatic