Majer3rd

Hello,

I have acquired a 1979 Corvette L48. I was checking the engine to see if it was number matching but cannot find the partial VIN code on the block near the engine code stamp. The engine code stamp is V0621TJC, which I see TJC is a C20 to 3500 truck engine. There is no VIN code on the area where the engine code is stamped. The casting number is 3970010 which is a vague number in that it can be from 69 to 79 in a car, truck, or van.

How do I tell if this engine is original to the car or if it was a swap?

BKarol

If the suffix is TJC then it is a swap. 79 suffix codes begin with a "Z" and not having a partial vin says it all.

Mike Ward

That's exactly what it is.

Majer3rd

Thanks for the verification.

Well then, its clearly not a numbers matching car. I was going to decide on rebuilding the motor and since its not matching, I will swapping it with a 92 Camaro G92 motor and tranny or rebuild it. Since it is an l48 car and not a l82, this could be a good thing if it is a 4 bolt main block. Is there a way to determine this without dropping the pan?

Easy Mike

That will take care of any guess work.

FWIW: you can build a nice two bolt engine. 4 bolt is not necessary for a driver.