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Old Mar 30, 2013 | 11:43 PM
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Default What about this engine pad...

What do you think about this engine pad....

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Old Mar 31, 2013 | 12:12 AM
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nope......
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Old Mar 31, 2013 | 01:55 AM
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I like.
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Old Mar 31, 2013 | 06:54 AM
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Mike;

I assume you are thinking what I am thinking...factory regrind.

The original suffix code of LA (427 / 390 hp in a passenger car) is clearly visible. Changed to a suffix code of LM (427 / 390 hp in a Corvette).This is a late production (Dec of 1969, build date Q03) car that was banged up about 30 years ago.

It has been in dry storage since then.

I think that the changes between LA and LM were intake manifold, exhaust manifolds, carburetor, distributor.

There seem to be an inordinate number of 69 engine pad "corrections", relative to other years.

Yet another mystery.
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Old Mar 31, 2013 | 08:57 AM
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Old Mar 31, 2013 | 10:26 AM
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Originally Posted by emccomas
Mike;

I assume you are thinking what I am thinking...factory regrind.


There seem to be an inordinate number of 69 engine pad "corrections", relative to other years.

Yet another mystery.
Yup, factory regrind. Al G has all sorts of info on these. I'll take this engine over one of the 'pretty ones' any day.
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Old Mar 31, 2013 | 10:37 AM
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Originally Posted by Mike Ward
Yup, factory regrind. Al G has all sorts of info on these. I'll take this engine over one of the 'pretty ones' any day.

OK - school me on this one - I am not familiar with factory regrinds. How does one determine a factory regrind??? Thanks BK3
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Old Mar 31, 2013 | 10:39 AM
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Originally Posted by Mike Ward
Yup, factory regrind. Al G has all sorts of info on these. I'll take this engine over one of the 'pretty ones' any day.
I recently re-read Al Grenning's articles on grind outs to refresh my memory. This "grind out" seems consistant with those.

This engine will be questioned the rest of its life, but I think it is explainable.
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Old Mar 31, 2013 | 10:45 AM
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Originally Posted by bkvette3
OK - school me on this one - I am not familiar with factory regrinds. How does one determine a factory regrind??? Thanks BK3
Al Grenning and MIke Antonick both wrote articles for The Restorer (NCRS publication) about engine pad grind outs.

"Factory Engine Pad Regrinds", M. Antonick, Winter 1996 issue
"Real Life 1963-1967 Engine Pads", A. Grenning, Spring 1995
"Looking at Engine Pads from a New Angle", A. Grenning, Fall 1994.
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Old Mar 31, 2013 | 11:01 AM
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Hi bkv,
In my mind the 'uglier' the grind out is, the more likely it is that it was done at during production.
They did some real BEAUTIES!
Regards,
Alan
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Old Mar 31, 2013 | 11:09 AM
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Originally Posted by emccomas
Al Grenning and MIke Antonick both wrote articles for The Restorer (NCRS publication) about engine pad grind outs.

"Factory Engine Pad Regrinds", M. Antonick, Winter 1996 issue
"Real Life 1963-1967 Engine Pads", A. Grenning, Spring 1995
"Looking at Engine Pads from a New Angle", A. Grenning, Fall 1994.
Thanks - will research the above. Is there archived articles on the NCRS site??? Would love to read these articles and learn.
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Old Mar 31, 2013 | 11:18 AM
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Originally Posted by bkvette3
...Is there archived articles on the NCRS site?...Would love to read these articles and learn...
You can get a boatload of Restorer articles on CD. They are always listed in The Driveline.

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Old Mar 31, 2013 | 11:21 AM
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Originally Posted by bkvette3
OK - school me on this one - I am not familiar with factory regrinds. How does one determine a factory regrind??? Thanks BK3
Much like original broach marks running fore-aft on a block (which are very very difficult to reproduce accurately), factory grind outs mostly have a typical look to them, one characteristic being just how sloppy they were as Alan noted.

They were, like this one, most commonly done before the engine was installed in the car so only the engine code was ground out and restamped and not the VIN.

Although a counterfeiter could possibly grind out and restamp a low HP Corvette engine and make it into a high HP version and maybe get away with it, in this case the engine was originally destined for a different car line. It was ground out and stamped before it left Tonawanda.
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Old Mar 31, 2013 | 11:40 AM
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Cool topic - Gentlemen, thanks for the lesson. (I am getting smarter every day. ) BK3
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Old Mar 31, 2013 | 12:33 PM
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Hi,
Not to steal this thread but....
Here's the transmission stamp on my 71.
The code looks fine, but obviously they screwed up the VIN derived stamp. Nice job Xing it out!
It appears they got it right the second time.
Regards,
Alan
'P' Muncie, '1' Model year (not year of production), 'T' December, '21' Day, 'A' Wide Range. Mid January 71 built car.
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Old Mar 31, 2013 | 02:35 PM
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Originally Posted by bkvette3
Thanks - will research the above. Is there archived articles on the NCRS site??? Would love to read these articles and learn.
FYI
I tried to find a Restorer article written by Gene Gamache about "M codes" so that I could read it (I am a member)

Emailed the ncrs web people after my search and they said the archived articles can not be read but if I know the year, I would need to buy the cd $50.

Perhaps someone can make a copy of the article you need.
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Old Mar 31, 2013 | 03:58 PM
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Hi bkv,
I have those RESTORER issues.
I'll make copies of the articles and mail them to you. (That'll be easier/quicker for me than scanning them.)
Send me a pm with your address, and I'll do it this week.
Regards,
Alan
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Old Mar 31, 2013 | 04:27 PM
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Originally Posted by bkvette3
Cool topic - Gentlemen, thanks for the lesson. (I am getting smarter every day. ) BK3

that makes two of us Blair! very interesting info that i was totally unaware of, this is a GREAT hobby huh? Rick
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Old Apr 1, 2013 | 04:55 AM
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Factory grind outs are rare, but not as rare as some people think. And there is a "pattern" to them that is recognizable once you start looking at them.

And it is almost always a "judgement call".
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Old Apr 1, 2013 | 10:05 AM
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Hi emc,
Your right about the 'patterns'
They're what makes Al G's presentations so interesting... he shows you a pad that you say NO WAY!.... and then he shows you the next one or two in sequence.... and they're just as ugly!
Regards,
Alan
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