I have a 1959 Corvette, VIN J59S107544 built in May 1959. The Block casting number is 3756519 and number on the right front boss is "FI04E".
I know the F stands for Flint, I for January and 04 the fourth. I can not find an "E" suffix code under 1959 in the NCRS 1953-1967 Corvette Specifications Guide.

 

I think it's a shift code.
"E" = early shift
"L" = late shift

 

From Alan Colvin's "Chevrolet by the Numbers", the "E" code is a passenger car engine, 185 horsepower, Turboglide transmission.

 

Thanks for the help Freak, I'll remember to shift early.
Dick

 

Thanks, Loren.
Does the "E" suffix you referenced go along with the 3756519 block casting number?
Dick

 

Yes, it does - the 6519 block was used on '58-'62 passenger car and truck as well as on '58-'61 Corvettes.

 

I just had a chance to look it up in a Corvette engine book, and a Chevy engine book. My earlier guess was wrong.

 

Thanks John,
I'm a little disappointed in the results, but thanks for the help.
Dick

 

Thanks again.

 

What's the casting date (behind pass. side head on bellhousing flange)? If it's within six months prior to the car's assembly date, you've got 525 of the 613 points allocated to the block.

 

Thanks again John. Sorry about taking so long to reply, but I thought I had it figured out. It took me a while to get the casting date, I could not see it and had to use "play dough" to make an empression and then read that.
The date is L309. Which I interpreted to be December 30, 1959, but I read an artical yesterday that says the last digit is the model year. That could then mean the block was cast December 30, 1958.
What's your thoughts?

 

L 30 9 is December 30, 1959 (calendar year, NOT model year); whatever article you read is incorrect. You'll still get 350 points for the right casting number, but you'll lose the other 288 for the casting date and the pad stampings.

 

Thanks, John.
Dick

 

I'm new to this. Just read about the fellow with a 59 Corvette with only 5 digits on the engine code stamp. My car also has only 5 digits on it's engine code stamp and I can't find anyone who knows why. My number is F6IID and I know it is not the original engine. The casting number on the rear of the engine has the correct 519 number. Someone at the recent car show suggested it 5 digit code may be for a Chevy (not a Corvette) block and someone else said maybe it is a "replacement factory block". Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

3 digit data codes were used until sometime in January, 1960, where the date codes included a leading zero for the month. Also, single character suffix codes are generally passenger car 2 bbl applications.

So, F6IID is a 1957 to 1959 flint assembly, assembled on Jun 11th of the year, and is a 2 bbl, powerglide passsenger car application.

However, F06IID would be a 1960 to 1964 flint assembly, assembled on June 11th of the year, and is a 2 bbl, powerglide passenger car application.

Same logic applies to a DG engine code (58-61 Corvette, single 4 bbl, powerglide)

58-58 would be F6IIDG; 60-61 would be F06IIDG.

All Corvette engines from 1956 to 1962 have a two character engine suffix code.

FYI: We break up the engine code stamp as follows:

1956 to early Jan 1960
1st character - Engine assembly plant (F or T)
2nd to 4th - three digit engine assembly date code
5th (and 6th if present) - engine suffix code

Late Jan 1960 to 1962 (for C1s)
1st character - Engine assembly plant (F or T)
2nd to 5th - four digit engine assembly date code
6th (and 7th if present) - engine suffix code