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The base engine for all C3s was a small block Chevrolet; 327 CI for 68 and 350 CI for all other years. Higher horse power small blocks were optional. Until they were discontinued, big block engines (427 or 454 CI) were optional. Do you have any original documentation with your car?
for a 68-70 you will need a tank sticker to be 100%. Without a tank sticker you have to look for tale-tell signs such as fuel lines, tach redline, HD differential, etc.
does anyone know how you would determine what type of engine a c3 was original supplied from factory with?
Thanks
As others have already said, depends on the year. Assuming you’re asking for a specific car, post the year and what’s in it now and we’ll go from there. As a for instance, for a 72 LT-1, the VIN will tell you what the original engine was but for a 70 LT-1, there are pages of clues that you have to work through. Without original documentation, hard to be definitive on these.
Originally Posted by Nowhere Man
starting in 71 the vin tells you the engine it was born with.
I think the VIN shows the motor in the 1972 model year, manufactured late in 1971.
Sorry I should have been more specific. I know it's a 350 but was it a standard 350 or an lt1?
If it’s a 1972, easy enough: the fifth digit in the VIN would be a K for the base engine and an L for the LT-1 (255 HP that year). For the 70 and 71 models, no such definitive reference but rather clues. There are different tachometers, ignitions and differential ratios but a simple clue is that LT-1s only had a single fuel line on the passenger frame rail. The stock 350 had two, a feed and return line.
Last edited by CA-Legal-Vette; 01-06-2019 at 12:32 AM.
...I know it's a 350 but was it a standard 350 or an lt1? And it's a 71...
There is a pad on the block at the front of the passenger's side head. There should be two stampings on the pad. One identifies the engine and the second is the VIN derivative of the vehicle the engine was originally installed in.
Here's a sample of a pad.
...isn't there a tag on the console that says what engine was in the car?...
Yes and no. The last thing to rely upon is the console plate since they are easy to change. You can make your car into an L-88 by adding the L-88 plate if you want. The engine suffix code is the most reliable ID.
is the yellow in the stamping or highlits added by you? it is an obvious attempt at restamping. poor attempt. CGZ is 71 corvette LT1. such a bad job they may as well have used an L88 code. wouldn't be much less believable.
01-05-2019, 08:27 AM
