Chevelle engine in a C3
Thread Starter
1st Gear
Joined: Aug 2008
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Chevelle engine in a C3
Hi, I have been a big fan of corvettes and finally found a 79' that I like. It is a project car for me, I will make some mods. However the current owner has installed a 72' Chevelle engine. I am not familiar Corvettes that much so looking for advice from you Vette experts about the tricks or possible difficulties I am looking at. Where are the engine numbers indicating block size and horse power, etc. Thanks a LOT!!!
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 24,125
Likes: 15
From: Columbia Missouri
Hi, I have been a big fan of corvettes and finally found a 79' that I like. It is a project car for me, I will make some mods. However the current owner has installed a 72' Chevelle engine. I am not familiar Corvettes that much so looking for advice from you Vette experts about the tricks or possible difficulties I am looking at. Where are the engine numbers indicating block size and horse power, etc. Thanks a LOT!!!
First off is it a big block or small block?
There are casting numbers which can tell you what the block originally came in, and a date code to figure out the year, which could lead you to know what that engine had power wise in stock form. however, just because it used to have ??? HP that doesn't mean it still does. The only real way to measure current HP is a trip to a shop with a chassis dyno.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 6,247
Likes: 471
From: Glen Allen, VA
Chances are it's a small block, which is hte most popularly hot rodded engine in the world. What you can do with it is only limited by your imagination. I would page around here in the tech section and read up on performance mods to give you some ideas. (of course first you have to figure out exactly what you have).
Racer
Joined: Jan 2008
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I have a '77 vette with a big block that was originally out of a '73 Chevelle. It was a 454, but was rebuilt to a 427. I have not had any issues to speak of... just when I buy engine compartment items, I often have to use earlier big-block Corvette parts (things like the radiator shroud)...
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2000
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From: Southbound
Cruise-In II Veteran
Engine code and suffix will identify the engine and horse power. Large characters.
Second stamp on the pad (small characters) will be the VIN derivative of the Chevelle the engine was originally installed in.
Corvette shown. Chevelle will probably be similar.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 24,125
Likes: 15
From: Columbia Missouri
1. Engine casting number: located driver side rear facing the sky - right behind the driver side head. May be 3970010 ... ???
2. Engine casting date: located opposite this number on the passenger side directly behind the distributor. May look like A152 or B82 or C202 or some combination of letter and numbers ...???
2. Engine casting date: located opposite this number on the passenger side directly behind the distributor. May look like A152 or B82 or C202 or some combination of letter and numbers ...???
These pics will help you find those numbers if it's a small block.
