Hi,

I finally was able to take a picture of the numbers on my engine block. Please tell me how fake and/or phony they are. FYI, they do match the tags in the car, but I can't figure out how to take a picture of them either. Every time I try, either the flash is too bright or the picture is too dark.

Anyway, let's start with these and go from there.

Cheers!

 

That stamping looks right as rain to me. Base engine auto cars seldom saw the hipo and 4speed cars did so I think far more have survived with “born with engines” and also less incentive to do a restamp.

 

I'm certainly no expert on engine pads but a serial number of 24529 on a '66 has an approximate birthday of June 20, 1966. This engine was assembled (according to the stamp) on April 25...two months prior to car assembly. Something to consider, I think.

 

I would not let it concern me. No 1st in 1st out quality control back then and this showed up like this from time to time.

 

Not a matter of FIFO. How would anyone know what to stamp on an engine pad, regarding options, two months prior to the engine being installed? I understand cast dates could be weeks or months earlier but date stamps and option codes???

 

Weren’t engine codes and dates stamped at the engine assembly location? Then VIN stamped on assembly line?

 

That is my understanding. The engine was assembled in Flint long before it was known what car it was going in, then shipped to St.Louis to be installed in a car with a partial VIN.

 

Read the next couple of posts for the answer. The built engines came in batches from Flint to St. Louis and since no 1st in 1st out fresher engines could be placed in front of older ones and it could happen several times before the older engine was finally used. This is one of the reasons that NCRS allows for up to 6 months between casting and assembly dates.
Also, an auto trans coded engine would sit longer than the more common 4 speeds

 

Also, if an engine had some issue when test run, like oil or waterleak and as sent back for repair, ,it could be several days to several weeks before it came back onlne

 

First, many thanks to everyone for all the great information. I truly appreciate all the combined knowledge of Forum members!

Next, I am SHOCKED, SHOCKED, that these numbers are not seen as fake or re-stamped or any of the other sins that so many posted block numbers seem to have that I have seen on the Forum in the few years I have been out here (kidding!). I do understand the value of such shenanigans for big-block cars and was hoping the seller was telling me the truth on this one--"numbers matching." I will try to get pics of the inside tags to post when I get better at taking pictures. I have NEVER been a "picture taking" person for good reason--I am terrible at both posing for and taking them!

Next, on this particular car. The NCRS says this car's GM Official Production Date was 06/20/1966 and the delivery dealer was Dealer Code 0, Zone 41.

This translates to the Chevrolet Zone Office in Wichita, KS

I have contacted the various DMV's in that and all the surrounding states to no avail, as one might assume after all this time has passed. I DID find some FL history for the car. Turns out one of my Buick buddies, and a prominent member of our Buick community, was a child when his dad's friend asked him to "check out" a car he was buying, which was this car. I spoke to George and he actually does remember the car--he and his younger sister were with his dad when he inspected it! How is that for a strange coincidence?

I found a previous FL owner and contacted them, but the man's daughter informed me that, unfortunately, he suffers from dementia and would be no help in this matter.

SO, a small-block (327/300) Power-glide roadster in Nassau Blue and White with C-60 ordered for the Zone Office would, one might assume, be for a daughter or wife of someone in the Chevrolet family in Kansas in those days. I have asked for leads to the history of the car in the Corvette publication, but so far, no more information is forthcoming.

Since I bought the car to DRIVE in my old age, I am overlooking the horrible paint job it received in the past--who would do that?--and have added power brakes, windows, a new 700r4 transmission, radial tires, and yesterday, a DeWitts radiator.

The car runs amazingly well...flooring it from a stop has it fishtailing almost beyond control, and it does get a nice chirp when shifting to second if I push it. Now, with the DeWitts, I can drive on our long local Club outings around Lake Okeechobee or to meetings that I would not have been able to previously. At 35 mph it is running at 1000 rpm, and at 45 mph at about 1250 rpm, so truly a joy to drive, and a huge savings on the VP gas I use exclusively.

Thanks again for all the information.

Cheers!

 

Am I the only one that doesn't see any photos in the original post??

 

Nope, I don't see them either.

 

I don't either. I took them with my phone and sent them to my daughter who knows how to send them in an email. She did, and I copied and pasted them in the post. Now that I have downloaded them to my desktop, the Forum will not let me upload this file type.

SO, here they are cut and pasted again. If anyone knows how to change the file type to be compatible with the Forum upload, I will be glad to try it.

Cheers!