How to tell if a 65 was originally Fuel Injected?
01-16-2018, 06:03 PM
#1
Drifting
Thread Starter
How to tell if a 65 was originally Fuel Injected?
Title says it all...assume engine is gone... what are the tell tale signs? It's not on the trim tag right? Many thanks...
01-16-2018, 06:15 PM
#2
Team Owner
Member Since: Feb 2003
Location: Sitting in his Nowhere land Hanover Pa
Posts: 49,002
Received 6,943 Likes
on
4,782 Posts
2015 C2 of Year Finalist
Nothing on vin and trim tag. The only sure fire signs are engine stamp, a real POP, real window sticker, real sales invoice. For the car if the inner fender is original to the car look for the air cleaner mounting holes, same with rad support, and the fender emblems. But all that can be added.
01-16-2018, 06:20 PM
#3
Team Owner
Member Since: Mar 2003
Location: Greenville, Indiana
Posts: 26,118
Received 1,843 Likes
on
1,398 Posts
01-16-2018, 07:27 PM
#4
Le Mans Master
Nothing on vin and trim tag. The only sure fire signs are engine stamp, a real POP, real window sticker, real sales invoice. For the car if the inner fender is original to the car look for the air cleaner mounting holes, same with rad support, and the fender emblems. But all that can be added.
Last edited by provette67; 01-16-2018 at 07:29 PM.
01-16-2018, 08:04 PM
#5
Team Owner
Member Since: Feb 2003
Location: Sitting in his Nowhere land Hanover Pa
Posts: 49,002
Received 6,943 Likes
on
4,782 Posts
2015 C2 of Year Finalist
As Mike said the original FI only parts were sometimes subtracted by crashes. Also the from GM service rad support and inner fenders had the mounting holes for FI. To fix those crashes. But they were made for all HPs not just FI. Sort of one size fits all. I have seen many cars advertised as original FI only to discover a repaired front end car.
01-16-2018, 08:35 PM
#6
Team Owner
Member Since: Apr 2008
Location: Coloring within the lines
Posts: 27,330
Received 1,919 Likes
on
1,332 Posts
The best evidence, absent any verifiable original documents, is a engine assembly stamp with a matching VIN derivative and a engine build stamp matching the car that has a F/I engine code (HG, or HN if it has transistorized ignition) and has all of the indications of an original stamping (broaching marks, proper stamps, etc).
Assuming the original engine is gone, there are the body clues, but as Mike points out, these can be replaced or damaged.
Another potential partial indicator are the labels on the back of the instrument panel. Few would go to the effort to change out an instrument panel. There are two labels of interest:
1 - The date stamp - this should be rational to the car - i.e., built before the body assembly date indicated on the trim tag. This is a key indicator that it is (or isn't) the original instrument panel.
2 - The instrument panel style indicator labels. All solid lifter engines in 1965 used the "LB" panel, with the high red line tach and high oil pressure gage. If your instrument panel is untouched, the labels are most likely there (mine were there on my '65). You can read them two ways; remove the instrument panel (yuck), or get up under there with a good light and mirror (yuck). I found option #2 much simpler and less time consuming.
That includes three engines:
A - 396 big block (as of February). There are other signs that quickly eliminate or confirm that a big block was ever in the car, like the rear suspension.
B - The F/I - you've already been advised of the other clues.
C - The 365hp L76, of the three which would have the fewest available other clues as compared to the 396 and F/I.
I went through this exercise for my NOM '65 and concluded that it was almost certainly born as an L76 365 HP engine.
Assuming the original engine is gone, there are the body clues, but as Mike points out, these can be replaced or damaged.
Another potential partial indicator are the labels on the back of the instrument panel. Few would go to the effort to change out an instrument panel. There are two labels of interest:
1 - The date stamp - this should be rational to the car - i.e., built before the body assembly date indicated on the trim tag. This is a key indicator that it is (or isn't) the original instrument panel.
2 - The instrument panel style indicator labels. All solid lifter engines in 1965 used the "LB" panel, with the high red line tach and high oil pressure gage. If your instrument panel is untouched, the labels are most likely there (mine were there on my '65). You can read them two ways; remove the instrument panel (yuck), or get up under there with a good light and mirror (yuck). I found option #2 much simpler and less time consuming.
That includes three engines:
A - 396 big block (as of February). There are other signs that quickly eliminate or confirm that a big block was ever in the car, like the rear suspension.
B - The F/I - you've already been advised of the other clues.
C - The 365hp L76, of the three which would have the fewest available other clues as compared to the 396 and F/I.
I went through this exercise for my NOM '65 and concluded that it was almost certainly born as an L76 365 HP engine.
