I have a question regarding my 1963 convertable. It has a NOM 350 ci engine in it. The car was assembled March 30, 1963. I plan to eventually try and find a correct date coded block for it and try to restore it to as close to original eventually.

It has a T-10 4 speed which I beleive is original. A Carter AFB and high performance heads which I also think are original.

The intake is an Edlebrock and the valve covers are also chrome after market.

My question is how can I tell if this was originaly a 250 HP, 300 HP or 340 HP engine? I doubt that it was fuel injected, at least it does not have the FI emblems on it. What really is the difference in these engines esthically. I know that the 340 HP had an aluminum intake but other than that, are there any differences?

I would like to get a correct intake and valve covers for the car now but I am not sure what to look for. I have noticed that some of these cars have painted valve covers and some have aluminum finned covers. Which ones are correct and why did some cars have one style rather than the other? Also, what does the line through the "o" mean? Was this some casting defect or something with the covers?

I see ads for cars for sale that will say 250hp or 300 hp etc. What difference does this really make? I would estimate that most of these original engines were rebuilt at one time or another and not to the original specifications. When I find the block, I would probably want to rebuild it using high performance parts, not necessarily being concerned with making it say, a 250 HP car, but more to make it faster.

Thanks in advance, guys.

 

if you think the carb is original post all the numbers. they used 4 different carbs that year for the engines. that would narrow it down

 

Assuming your tachometer is original, the redline would be a good source for what HP engine it came with.

 

If the instrument cluster is original, the 250 and 300hp engines had a 5500 rpm redline, and the 340hp had a 6500 redline.

What are the casting numbers and casting dates on the heads? They're under the valve covers. 250hp engines used 3795896 heads, and 300/340hp used 3782461 heads.

250 & 300hp engines used cast iron intake manifolds (3783244 for the 250hp with a WCFB carb, and 3799349 or 3844459 with an AFB carb for the 300hp) and painted stamped steel valve covers; 340hp used an aluminum intake (3794129 with an AFB carb) and finned aluminum valve covers; the flaw through the "o" didn't start until 1966.

 

Thank you for the quick responses, guys. It is a little cold today (10 degrees) to pull the cover off to try and locate the numbers you described. LOL

I do know that the tach redline is 5500 RPM so I guess that would rule out the possibilty of it being a 340 HP car. If I am reading your post correctly, assuming that the carb checks out to be the original, that this is most likely a 300 HP car? This I guess means that I should be looking for the cast manifold and painted stamped steel valve covers rather than the finned covers (I really like those finned covers better)?

 

37% had the 300 hp in '63; 32% had the 340 hp; 12% FI. The idea of installing a correct date code 300 hp is a questionable idea. Those engines are indexed to the VIN and your chances of finding the original engine is next to none. I would leave the 350 in it, as it is a better engine, and a 327 replacement, while NOM, would not add anything to the value of the car, imho.

 

I was under the impression that there was no way to verify if an engine was original back in 1963 and that the block was not indexed to the VIN until sometime later (1966 perhaps). I thought that as long as the block was date coded to coincide with assembly date of the car that this would increase the value of the car. Am I wrong here?

 

Generally speaking it depends on who you talk to. Original appearing engines are hard to fake in any case as there is more involved here than just a cast date. If you have a good fake engine, your car will be worth more to some people. If it's not a good one, you have spent money for nothing.

You need to do some searching in the old posts on this forum. There's enough info there to keep you busy until the weather warms up if you want to read that much.

 

VIN derivative was added to the block beginning part way through model year 1960.

Jim

 

If your '63 has a steering damper and associated brackets (or evidence of once having one), it was not a 340 HP or Fuelie. The high horse solid lifter engines used a larger capacity oil pan that interferred with the steering damper - thus the factory left it off.

Both the 340 HP and 300 HP had ther Carter AFB no. 3461S with the 4 speed.

Fuelie core support had a large air intake hole on L.H.S. that is different, but was also used as a replacement from the factory - so its not a defintive indicator.

Low-redline tach with evidence of steering damper is either a 300 or 250 HP. Tough to distinguish at that point without at least one original component.

--Doug

 

Thanks for the info. That may change my plans for down the road then. If there is no reason to try to find a date coded block then I may just look for the aluminum intake and fined valve covers and make the engine look more original. The 350 that is in it runs great so other than trying to find a correct block to increase the value of the car, I guess I will stick with the 350 if that is not an option.

 

only for Corvettes and other high horse cars with high insurance rates. I think they did that for the police so when the car was stolen and parted out they could keep track of engines that came up for sale. they knew no would steel your base passenger low horse 283. but while the high horse 327 were the ones to look out for

 

Extremely difficult to fake a 350 ci into a 327 ci engine....the 350 will not have a tell tail draft tube back at the distributor....Best to enjoy the car the way that it is...as only Vette owners would probably ever know the difference....

 

I was under the impression that there was no way to verify if an engine was original back in 1963 and that the block was not indexed to the VIN until sometime later (1966 perhaps). I thought that as long as the block was date coded to coincide with assembly date of the car that this would increase the value of the car. Am I wrong here? .

Yup. You are wrong.

 

If you're lucky enough to have a '67 350 block in your car, you can use the '63 style finned covers, no problem. If your block is '68 or later, you can use the later finned valve covers and maintain the PCV valve.

If you want to use the old covers with the later block, raise your hand for help.

 

I did not read the whole posting, but I happen too have a great running block the would work perfect for your car. Right now it is a 250 HP engine, but with a set of 461 heads it would work great for a 300 HP engine. For that matter, you can stamp it any way you want. I originally bought the engine to run in my 63 while I had the original engine and trans out to be rebuilt. Now, it is just sitting in the corner of the garage. The thermastat housing is correct, valve covers, heads are 250 HP dated one year earlier than the rest of the stuff. The intake is date "A 3 3" the block is dated "A 10 3".
Let me know if you are interested and I am sure we can work something out.
I am cleaning out my years and years of collect parts. I am not giving things away, but I am very reasonalbe on prices.
Actually, I am giving some of my big block stuff away. A 73/74 454 block. the heads and intake need to go as well. they are not free, but close. the block is free.