What Vin Tag?
Al posted an old newspaper ad for his GTR from years ago and it stated in the ad that one of the ID tags was missing.
There is a pic in Torana Tough showing the PSN scratched into the reverse side of the Compliance Plate and that youtube video of Al's car showed the Body ID plate albeit out of focus and unreadable.
Ben has confirmed to me that by the numbers he has on record that AL's GTR is one of three 000m dealer coded Elizabeth build cars completed on the 13/04/1972 that were at Exp Engineering at the time of the XW7 programme but that is about all the numbers prove.
I really don't want to get sucked into this whole discussion, because it has become way too personal IMO, but I do have a couple of comments. And a query. My query is, has anyone who is involved in these discussions had the fortune to physically view and examine Al's car? I have only seen photos, and as anyone who has bought items off Ebay or via other sources knows, photos don't tell a complete story, and can often be interpreted differently.
Regarding the VIN tag, that was the norm for Adelaide LC's and LJ's. The PSN was scratched onto the back of the ADR tag, meaning a lost VIN tag (which happened relatively frequently with these cars given the repairs to front enders over the years) for an Adelaide car was not as big a problem as it was for a Brisbane car. Brisbane cars had the last four digits of the body number written in wax pen on the back of the ADR tag. So finding the PSN of a Brisbane car that has lost its VIN tag is much harder. Finding the PSN for an Adelaide car is done by simply turning over the ADR tag.
I am also trying to figure out the second paragraph though Dave. I reread earlier the article written by Ben Stewart in Issue 84 of Australian Muscle Car. He categorically states on page 68 that Al's car is the pink V8 development XU1. In your recent discussion with Ben, is he now denying that certainty? Or is the last part of that sentence your thoughts? I don't know Ben (though a work colleague is closely acquainted with him via his HT 350 Monaros, so I will be having a chat with him later this week). If they are indeed Ben's thoughts, and not just your's, he probably needs to make a correction in AMC to state that he is no longer certain about the car, as per what he published in AMC #84, so there can be no question of his own credibility.
And please, no one take anything I am saying as a personal affront. It is not meant to be in any way.