Need Help Decoding a Engine
 

Picked up a 71 Project Vette today and it came with a spare engine.

350 Cu In / 3970010 / A61

11S159592 V0107CJD

Thinking this is out of a 1971 Chevelle but the 11S of the above VIN is not working (see picture).

Dennis

According to Colvin's book, the 3970010 block was used from April/May of 1969 through 1979. It was used in Corvettes in both a 2-bolt and 4-bolt main 350 configuration, but none of these were CJD.

According to McComas "Lime Book" the CJD was used in 1970 in a 402 engine rated at 375 HP with a 4 barrel, 4 speed installed in Chevelles and El Caminos only.

Also, McComas shows that In 1971 CJD was a 350 rated at 270 HP using a 4 barrel and a TH350 tranny, and installed in Chevelles, El Caminos, Camaros, and Novas only.

No other CJD code engines were built.

The S in the VIN would point to St Louis but that doesn't make sense with the number sequence or suffix code.

I think you're right, I'd say that it could be a 71 Chevelle 350/270 L-48.

St. Louis didn't just build Corvettes, they also built trucks, and I think at one time, GM A-Bodies (Chevelle, Skylark, Le Mans, Cutlass). I'm not sure when Chevelles were built there, but I know that after the Corvette line shut down in 81, they still built trucks there for another 4 or 5 years.

Other than the exhaust manifolds, the Corvette and Chevelle L-48's are basically the same.

St. Louis Truck Assembly was a General Motors automobile factory that built GMC/Chevrolet trucks, GM "A" body passenger cars, the Chevrolet Nova, and 1954-1981 Corvette models.

There were actually two assembly plants as part of the St Louis complex in the '60's and '70's. The smaller of the two built Corvettes. The larger plant built trucks and passenger cars. The passenger line changed models over time and I don't remember what was built in '71 but you can probably do a Google search.

As for the engine stamp above, the first "1" indicates Chevrolet, the second "1" indicates 1971, the "S" is definitely St Louis. So, it was from whatever car line they were building in '71. I don't recall them building A-Bodies at that time, so my money is on an X-Body (Chevy II/Nova).