When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
according to my black book, 13350 is a Feb 72 built VIN. Birthdate around feb 9th.. makes the trim tag stating 'C03' extremely suspect.. now a december built engine assembly 8 weeks prior becomes feasible ( 7 weeks prior if you count the usual Xmas 1 week shutdown.. did they do that back then?) but the '1' in front of the stamp would alert me to some deviation also.
looks so far like a real LT1 with AC but with a obviously wrong trim tag and a funky engine assembly stamp.
we could sure use photos of trim tag, engine stamp and block date code...
The full VIN is 1Z37L2S513350. The engine block casting number is 3970010. I'm waiting for the date code from the rear of the engine block also. As I said, car was built on Sept. 3rd, 1971.
According to that VIN, the car was built in Feb '72, approximately the 9th of Feb. Better take a closer look at the trim tag.
Last edited by Ravine Speed; Feb 22, 2010 at 05:43 PM.
Reason: mistake number
The full VIN is 1Z37L2S513350. The engine block casting number is 3970010. I'm waiting for the date code from the rear of the engine block also. As I said, car was built on Sept. 3rd, 1971.
I'm still waiting to hear back from the dealer on the block casting date and exact pad number. But in the meantime I found something else suspicious. The VIN number on this '72 LT1 is 513350 (13,350th made). According to the Black Book, this would put it's production in Feb.'72. BUT the trim code tag has CO3, which is Oct.3,1971. Therefore its VIN number should be about half of what it is. The block stamped VIN matches the VIN on the pillar post. So...what about the possiblity of someone placing that LT-1 engine (and possibly trans, which wasn't checked) with a matching VIN tag into a regular '72 Corvette body. Without being able to view the VIN stamped in the frame rails, I guess it's difficult to prove huh? Man, this thing is getting ugly.
I'm still waiting to hear back from the dealer on the block casting date and exact pad number. But in the meantime I found something else suspicious. The VIN number on this '72 LT1 is 513350 (13,350th made). According to the Black Book, this would put it's production in Feb.'72. BUT the trim code tag has CO3, which is Oct.3,1971. Therefore its VIN number should be about half of what it is. The block stamped VIN matches the VIN on the pillar post. So...what about the possiblity of someone placing that LT-1 engine (and possibly trans, which wasn't checked) with a matching VIN tag into a regular '72 Corvette body. Without being able to view the VIN stamped in the frame rails, I guess it's difficult to prove huh? Man, this thing is getting ugly.
Dude, we need pictures! Pictures of the important numbers. Pictures of the engine itself. Look at the two posts prior to this one. Sometimes, letters can be hard to read. The experienced folk here will know what to make of your trim tag, stamp pad, casting date etc. when THEY SEE THEM! This is not a criticism. They want to help you, just help them help you
Yep. I know. I'm waiting for the pics. What can I say... I forgot the camera at home!! Plus I had cataract surgery recently and can't see very good close up. I should have felt the numbers like braille and written them down. But hey, aren't these mysteries FUN!?
The trim tag showing a G makes much more sense. The only unexplained feature is the extraneous 1 at the beginning of the engine machine code. Is it possible that the pad is a factory re-stamp and that the 1 is a leftover from the 1st stamp??
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16
Check the other things
Besides the "L" in the VIN denoting the LT-1 engine, there are a number of 'one of' items for a true LT-1 car. If the car is really an LT-1 A/C car, (the VIN with the the L in it) will also have the lower RPM tach and a 3:55 rear end (the only one available with the A/C LT-1).
Also, if you lift the rear rug the fiberglass next to the three storage compartments will have "C 60" painted on the floor to inform the production people to seal the astro ventilation flaps under the rear window. A/C LT-1s were only produced between Jan 72 and Apr 72.
My error. The engine numbers located on the boss on the right side of the engine are V1213CKY there is nothing before the V.
The engine number is stamped 12S513350 – The code for that is 1 Chevrolet Division, 2 Model year 1972, S manufactured in St. Louis and the last six production sequence numbers (13,350).
The number in the rear of the block near the bell housing is LT010. The "T" could be a "1" and the last zero may or may not be accurate. It is very difficult to see. Can someone interpret this?
The trim plate is "G03" indicating that the engine was produced in February of 1972. The engine being produced on December 13 of 1971 and the car being manufactured in February is starting to make more sense especially if they stopped or reduced output between Christmas and New Year’s. If someone could make sense of that date code on the back of the block it might be the last clue to match the engine to the body. And that mark under the carpet is an excellent point. I'll try to check that out.
My error. The engine numbers located on the boss on the right side of the engine are V1213CKY there is nothing before the V.
The engine number is stamped 12S513350 – The code for that is 1 Chevrolet Division, 2 Model year 1972, S manufactured in St. Louis and the last six production sequence numbers (13,350).
The number in the rear of the block near the bell housing is LT010. The "T" could be a "1" and the last zero may or may not be accurate. It is very difficult to see. Can someone interpret this?
The trim plate is "G03" indicating that the engine was produced in February of 1972. The engine being produced on December 13 of 1971 and the car being manufactured in February is starting to make more sense especially if they stopped or reduced output between Christmas and New Year’s. If someone could make sense of that date code on the back of the block it might be the last clue to match the engine to the body. And that mark under the carpet is an excellent point. I'll try to check that out.
There should be two numbers at the back of the block, one a part number, the other a casting date. "LT010" doesn't sound like either one. If it instead says "L 10 1", that would be a casting date (assuming a proper part number) of December 10th, 1971.
If that is true, and you have engine assembly of 12/13/71, and trim tag date of 2/3/72, then your dates are in the right order (casting before engine assembly, engine assembly before body build).