Hey
I think this thread has moved passed the VIN Help stage... since you already own it. Maybe start a new one "66 Laguna Resurrection"

Personally, if it was an original 427/390 Auto car... there is absolutely no shame in restoring it that way.

 

If it is a big block or not i do not know and think that is difficult to find out since most parts that is different on a small and big block var is bolt on parts.
But the car looks to me like a original AC car. You have the AC dash and the AC outer assembly in the engine compartment.

 

good call... love the thread name you gave...

 

Because your car is a Corvette, and the serial number begins 114..., this engine in the eBay auction isn't really a lot of help to you unless you are going NCRS judging. The casting number and the date codes will work, but the engine stamp pad is all wrong and won't count. The serial number of the block 224754 and the assembly code T0315ID indicates it is a 425 hp 427 block. The reason it doesn't work is it is most likely an Impala, since the serial is 224754 from St. Louis, or 110,000 higher than yours and about 97,000 higher than the end of 1966 Corvette production.

Date-wise, you are in the right place with a February 18th block and a roughly February 22nd to 24th car.

But it won't be original, so all it does is comply with the rules of NCRS for getting a Flight award.

Most buyers in the future won't give you extra as only an original motor counts in the eyes of many.

Besides that, $6500 is a lot of money to spend on what is still a NOM block and you will still have a lot more to spend to get it period correct and more for NCRS correct. Figure $10,000 on the engine easily if you go this route.

I wouldn't.




1. As others have said, the battery on all AC cars and 1965 396 cars is on the driver's side.

The big block hood was the same on all big block cars. Only the '67 L88 had a hood different than other big blocks.



2. Having the paper trail is pretty cool. You might use it to track down the previous owners and find what happened to the original engine. You may get some original pictures.


3. Rule of thumb. Double all your prices. Then it won't hurt so much when you discover they are probably closer to triple your original estimates.


4. Cal Custom is probably the logo you see. These were cheap aftermarket parts that were everywhere once upon a time. They mean nothing as to the quality or origin of the engine. You could find those parts on a 200,000 mile beater someone wanted to dress up or on a well worked race motor built by a local guy.


5. More take a chance than like to admit. There are so many out there doing their best to fake a car, it is scary. And regardless of what many say, you only know you found a fake if you find it is fake. If a fake can fool you, then you don't know it is a fake.

As long as the price was good and you are happy, then that part doesn't matter. What does make a killer on the deal is if you have birdcage rust. This is either an extremely expensive fix or the mark of death for the car due to the work involved to fix it.

Before you get too far along, you should check the birdcage thoroughly. Do a search on here for "birdcage rust".




This break here looks like you may have a front end splice. There is also some fiberglass that looks extra to the left of the brake booster under the fender. It could just be the way it was installed, or the way the picture was taken, but it may be a section of overlap from the repair/replacement of the front fender or clip.

I think the way the bottom is cut that the sidepipes may not have been original ..You can check under the car for evidence that there were once under car exhaust hangers. The holes will be threaded in areas on the frame from where bolts went in. If the side exhaust was original, then the bolts would never have been in the frame down the center.




Good luck with your car.

 

New THREAD!
66 Laguna Resurrection