Just thinking, were special order engines like the L88 and L89s "batch built" on certain days, or do you think they had the pretty standard 2 week-ish from engine assembly to being mated to a car under normal production ( lack of strikes etc).

 

the parts to build them where nothing really special and would have been in inventory

 

1971 LS6’s were definitely batch built. I suspect L89’s and L88’s were, too.

 

So if they were batch built ( which I think makes sense), do you think the build dates would be further out?

 

For the most part, yes. But not always, because if they just built 10-12 of them, and your car was built the next day, they didn’t go to the back of the engine storage room, they grabbed the closest ones, which were the most recent ones put in the storeroom.

 

John, they were definitely batch built... Some batches were relatively small so it can be hard to draw a conclusion on what that assembly date might be, other batches were so large, they ran almost continuously. Also throw into the mix that not all of these engines were going into cars. An L-88 batch, for example, might number fifteen engines, with three going into cars, two for warranty replacement and the remaining ten for OTC sales.

I'm with you Mike... They grabbed whatever engine was easiest to get to. I don't think that FIFO was in the General's vocabulary back then.

Regards,

Stan Falenski

 

Thanks for the insight fellas!

 

I do not believe the L89 engine was batch built. The L89 435 is the same block and internals as a L71. The difference is the aluminum heads as used on the L88 in 69. I have a 1969 L89. My car was built H05, March 5 1969. My block is a 512 block cast on B49, February 4 1969 , and assembled on 0220, February 20 1969. I do not know about the L88 engine.

 

Thanks JD, interesting. I was hoping to have an L89 owner respond. Is your car documented / original engine? Thanks again.

 

Yes my L89 is an original unrestored, 12,xxx miles original engine, trans, rear end, original with tank sticker and pop, convertible 4 speed. I'll PM you. Do you have one?

 

GM was not in the business of building engines to store on a shelf in the event that maybe someone was to order one. Production orders were submitted on cars being ordered for a customer or dealer stock, only than would GM build an engine or order stock to build said car. GM supply chain was pretty much an on-demand type system. Stuff was coming in daily to feed the assembly line.

 

No, they weren't, but they were not in the business of running inefficiently either. GM certainly looked at incoming orders and adjusted their production process accordingly... They just didn't do it on a car by car basis; it was done on a revolving basis over a period of time for a large number of cars. Engine requirements over that period of time were still built in batches (however small), not ones or twos. For the 1969 L-89 example, production averages out to about 23 cars a month. GM probably did three of four L-89 engine builds at Tonawanda every month (of course, they would know the exact number of cars ordered with L-89s... I can only use averages as an estimate) and used in the cars so ordered. Observation of L-89 engines built in 1969 bear this out. Having owned a 1969 L-89 for many years, I used to keep track of all sorts of information including engine build dates. Can't remember where it is stored, but I still have it somewhere. Knowing what I do about L-89s, I can almost guarantee that they were built at the same time (either before or most likely, after) L-71 engines were built... So that brings the number up considerably from 23.

I stand by what I said... Engines were built in batches.

Regards,

Stan

 

No, not lucky enough. Mine is an L79 but I have owned it since 1985.

 

I own an unrestored L89 and own the 67-69 L89 registry. This includes engine stampings on a number of original cars and documentation back to 1980. The data would support the fact that they were built in batches. Also, the dates on blocks, heads, alternators etc on L89 cars are not all within the weeks of production. For example my car is a Jan 14 build car and has original engine parts from August through November with an engine stamp in Nov. Rear is Dec, Alt is early Jan. I have data that F41 shocks are are far back at 7 months on some L89's standard shocks are closer to the built date. I have no evidence that in 69 any L71 engines were used for L89's and a grind out occurred unless it was an automatic L89.

 

DMK-106 Thanks for the info. I saw your your Benchmark Monaco Red L89 at MCACN it is jaw dropping. I am preparing my L89 registry forms to get mine listed. Your knowledge is equal to no one else I look forward to learning more. Case closed L89 engines were built in batches.

JIm

 

Jim,

Thanks for the kind words, I really appreciate it! Here is the link to the L89 Registry: https://survivor1969corvette.wixsite.com/l89registry and also to the actual L89 submission form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...QOhmw/viewform You have a great car and would love to learn more about it and add it to the registry.