Have a 79 Corvette supposed to be original motor stupid question should the color blue it is or orange hoping not switched out seem find any numbers on motor?

It's not a stupid question at all! Determining originality on a classic car like a 1979 Corvette can be tricky. The color of the engine isn't inherently indicative of originality. Chevrolet offered several engine options in 1979, and they weren't always painted a single color. The paint on the engine could have been repainted over the years.

To figure out if the engine is original, you need to find the engine identification number (EIN). This number is usually stamped on a pad on the block itself. The location varies slightly by year and engine type, but it's typically on the front passenger side of the block, near the cylinder head. It might be difficult to see; you may need a wire brush or degreaser to clean the area and make the number visible.

Once you find the EIN, you can use online resources (like Corvette-specific forums or websites specializing in decoding VINs and engine numbers) to decode the number. This will tell you what type of engine it *should* be for a 1979 Corvette with that specific VIN. If the engine type indicated by the EIN matches the original engine for your car's VIN, you've got a strong indication of originality.

Even if the engine number matches, there's still a slim chance it's a replacement engine that happened to be the correct type. Thorough documentation (original owner's manual, service records, etc.) would provide further evidence of originality. But finding the EIN is the crucial first step.