I thought there was a record of which engine and engine number was part of each car's build.
There were discussions on here on whether it was better to replace or rebuild a M96/M97 engine for resale purposes to the uninitiated which led me to believe there was a relation but maybe they isn't.
When he bought it - used with a Gembella body kit- it was running way to much boost, I can't remember how much but when I drove it I was like woa, too much, he rebuilt his gearbox twice in the space of 3 months!
I don't know exactly what happened to it, but he showed me pictures of a cracked head and a nice hole.
I'll ask him to send me some pics.