1969 350 Engine Pad (Thoughts?)
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 2,480
Likes: 12
From: New York
1969 350 Engine Pad (Thoughts?)
Hey Guys,
I'm interested in purchasing a 69 350/350. Here is the engine pad picture. Please let me know your thoughts. It is painted which for me is a red flag but again please take a look.
Thanks,
Dave
I'm interested in purchasing a 69 350/350. Here is the engine pad picture. Please let me know your thoughts. It is painted which for me is a red flag but again please take a look.
Thanks,
Dave
Administrator
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 53,986
Likes: 6,212
From: About 1100 miles from where I call home.
The assembly date (prefix/date/suffix) is unbelievably bad and incomplete.
Paint on a pad doen't necessarily bother me, but after seeing this disaster that could change my mind.
Buds got a point. Its among the worst I've ever seen.
Paint on a pad doen't necessarily bother me, but after seeing this disaster that could change my mind.
Buds got a point. Its among the worst I've ever seen.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 31,278
Likes: 4,372
From: Westminster Maryland
I heard/saw Al Grenning's pad presentation a few weeks ago. He has an absolutely huge library of pad pictures. Some pads from the factory are so bad you just want to laugh.
I've pretty much given up making a call from a picture, and maybe after looking in person, too.
This pad does not seem to be typical of production.
How do the cast date of the cylinder block, and the build date of the engine and car correspond?
Is there any other documentation with the car?
I'm surprised the paint is still on the pad. I'd think the owner would realize that any serious buyer is going to want to see the pad surface. However good or bad it may be.
So ????
Regards,
Alan
PS: We are to believe that we have a pad that both Flint and St. Louis goofed on.
I've pretty much given up making a call from a picture, and maybe after looking in person, too.
This pad does not seem to be typical of production.
How do the cast date of the cylinder block, and the build date of the engine and car correspond?
Is there any other documentation with the car?
I'm surprised the paint is still on the pad. I'd think the owner would realize that any serious buyer is going to want to see the pad surface. However good or bad it may be.
So ????
Regards,
Alan
PS: We are to believe that we have a pad that both Flint and St. Louis goofed on.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 1,165
Likes: 24
From: Boston MA
So if your not sure what these guys are talking about...let me see if I can get it right, this more of quiz for myself then anything...that "1" to the left of the serial number is not supposed to be there...all of the other numbers have shadows, but thats not unusual...and this engine was not assembled anywhere on either Thursday 02JAN09, or Sunday 01NOV69, but the month is missing a digit, and there it no T F or V to indicate where it was built.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 2,589
Likes: 5
From: Salisbury Maryland
So if your not sure what these guys are talking about...let me see if I can get it right, this more of quiz for myself then anything...that "1" to the left of the serial number is not supposed to be there...all of the other numbers have shadows, but thats not unusual...and this engine was not assembled anywhere on either Thursday 02JAN09, or Sunday 01NOV69, but the month is missing a digit, and there it no T F or V to indicate where it was built.
Administrator
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 53,986
Likes: 6,212
From: About 1100 miles from where I call home.
So if your not sure what these guys are talking about...let me see if I can get it right, this more of quiz for myself then anything...that "1" to the left of the serial number is not supposed to be there...all of the other numbers have shadows, but thats not unusual...and this engine was not assembled anywhere on either Thursday 02JAN09, or Sunday 01NOV69, but the month is missing a digit, and there it no T F or V to indicate where it was built.
The 1 to the left of the SN is supposed to be there, however, the "1s" for SN digits are the style with no base... that one is like the assembly date 1s. As stated above, the 5 should be an S.
You kinda got an 80 on your quiz.
Also, Im seeing a shadow of other letters not completely decked at the bottom of the pad... anyone else see it?
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 15,892
Likes: 42
I doubt that this is an attempt to restamp with intent to deceive, it's most likely a rebuilder's stamp with his own S/N on it. Not rare. Whether the engine is the original that the car came with will never be known for sure.
Did anybody check the casting number and date of the block?
Did anybody check the casting number and date of the block?
Pro
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 742
Likes: 5
From: McMurray PA
I saw the listing for that car a few days ago. Lemans Blue/bright blue is a great color combo and factory side exhaust too! - but then I saw that pad photo. 
I think their hoped-for price is a bit high - that car needs some $$ thrown at the interior especially. It's okay as-is but has lots of little flaws that will eventually trigger the compulsion to put new carpet, console, trim, etc. in it.
Terry
I think their hoped-for price is a bit high - that car needs some $$ thrown at the interior especially. It's okay as-is but has lots of little flaws that will eventually trigger the compulsion to put new carpet, console, trim, etc. in it.
Terry
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 1,165
Likes: 24
From: Boston MA
some photo chopping done on the pictures. notice the disappearing seam on the headlights.
Whats with the goofy inserts on the door panels?
Didn't the factory fill in the rear valance so there is no seam?
I better stop...I just saw that is where I bought my car from, and they were very upfront about the condition...and I was very pleased.
Its hard not to pick at a car.
Whats with the goofy inserts on the door panels?
Didn't the factory fill in the rear valance so there is no seam?
I better stop...I just saw that is where I bought my car from, and they were very upfront about the condition...and I was very pleased.
Its hard not to pick at a car.
CF Community Team
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 9,330
Likes: 359
From: Delaware
St. Jude Donor '25
just noticed it was just listed on Ebay...............seller says he wants to hear from interested buyers only and not critics, though he claims it's "matching"............well it is, just fake matching........
Administrator
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 53,986
Likes: 6,212
From: About 1100 miles from where I call home.
Administrator
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 53,986
Likes: 6,212
From: About 1100 miles from where I call home.
I saw the listing for that car a few days ago. Lemans Blue/bright blue is a great color combo and factory side exhaust too! - but then I saw that pad photo.
I think their hoped-for price is a bit high - that car needs some $$ thrown at the interior especially. It's okay as-is but has lots of little flaws that will eventually trigger the compulsion to put new carpet, console, trim, etc. in it.
Terry
I think their hoped-for price is a bit high - that car needs some $$ thrown at the interior especially. It's okay as-is but has lots of little flaws that will eventually trigger the compulsion to put new carpet, console, trim, etc. in it.
Terry
It's not an awful car, except for the pad. It brings up an interesting question, though. On one hand, they have a right to not be bothered by wannabe "experts" bugging them about their car for sale. However, when you make a big deal about the "numbers matching" and the "HW" suffix... blah, blah... then show that pad, followed by an entire paragraph warning you not to bug them with criticisms... well.. it kinda suggests they know how phony it is.
