L88 or L89?
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 11
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L88 or L89?
I pulled a '68 motor out of a '67 I have owned for many years. I always thought it was an L89 motor that had long ago lost the aluminum heads and tri-power carb. However, I recently tracked down a previous owner (wasn't easy!) and he was the one who put the motor in the car. He insists it is an L88. The pad is stamped T0520IU 18S422390, block casting 3935439, date code E10 8. Could this be an L88 block?
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 3,079
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2024 C3 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
The "IU" suffix code identifies it as a 427/435 for manual transmission, with aluminum heads, assembled/stamped at Tonawanda on May 20th. I would say it was/used to be an L89 tri-power engine. The casting date code of May 10th would be appropriate. The VIN derivative stamp says it was installed in the 22,390th car built out of 28,566 total cars in 1968. If the car still exists, somebody would want that engine REAL bad.
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
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From: Crossville TN
Well, do what the 'big boys' do...build a clone car and stick the engine in it. Next, you pay a Gemini astronaut a chunk of money to go with you to Barrett-Jackson and "hawk" it as being real.... 
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 11
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Alan,
Hadn't heard of NCRS DRIVELINE...will give it a shot. The previous owner said he had the block from the 70's and rebuilt it to put in the '67. It's bored .03 over and he put in 11/1 aluminum pistons and a nice aggressive Crane cam. Any idea what it's worth? I think it would take a lot of work to get it back on the road.
Hadn't heard of NCRS DRIVELINE...will give it a shot. The previous owner said he had the block from the 70's and rebuilt it to put in the '67. It's bored .03 over and he put in 11/1 aluminum pistons and a nice aggressive Crane cam. Any idea what it's worth? I think it would take a lot of work to get it back on the road.
