[Tigers] "Numbers Matching" engine for Sunbeam Tigers

[Bill Waite]

If you do a search on various Tiger forums, you will find that there is literally no such thing as a "numbers matching" Tiger insofar as the engine is concerned.  The basic reason?  Individual engine numbers were never stamped on original Tiger blocks.  A given engine might have the proper valve cover identification number for a specific engine, but that valve cover can be placed on any engine.  The only thing that can be established for certain is if a specific engine is NOT the original.  Why?  Because the casting dates on the engine can only show if the engine "could" be original (or just a replacement carefully selected to match up with the build date).  If the casting date is not correct, then the engine is definitely not the original engine.  
The truth: let's say you buy a Tiger from the original owner (or documented second owner, etc).  It is possible (based on casting dates, etc) that the engine could be original.  In some cases, that is likely very true.  BUT... you cannot claim that a specific engine IS definitely the original.  Only that it is not the original.  You can prove it "might be" the original... but not that it is original.
An advertisement that claims "numbers matching" for a Tiger cannot apply to the engine.  It can be established that a given Tiger has a specific transmission tag  number or a differential number that could be the original, but a given engine cannot be claimed for any Tiger.  Only that it "could be" the original.
Hipo 289's were the first small block engines that Ford identified with VIN numbers (individual engine numbers).  Tigers were not originally produced with Hipo 289's.
BillGrand Rapids, MI 
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