1966 L78 information

[Rowdy427]

Trying to find any information on the L78 engine for my 66 Chevelle. Assembly info is T0422EG and partial VIN is 6K187547. Car was sold new in Minot ND. Believe engine was removed when car came to Indiana. Any info is appreciated. Thanks.

[66 L78 ragtop]

How do you know your car is a real L78? Do you have paperwork?

[PeteLeathersac]

He has the original POP, click on the past thread link below.
Sounds like a cool car Jason, best of luck back tracking its history!
http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/603193/1

<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/beers.gif
~ Pete

[mockingbird812]

If it was a hi po car sold in Minot, there is a good chance a young airman was involved i.e. Minot AFB.

[PeteLeathersac]

You're right on the money Sam as online info indicates the original owner on the POP was indeed a pilot who earned his wings there also grew up in Minot, see link below.
If him, he's been gone a dozen plus years now but had a brother also looks like his wife's name still listed on 411 as below so a good old fashioned phone call may yield something?
Same w/ the subsequent purchaser, here's a link w/ a couple #'s to try for him too.
Perhaps you've already tried but worth a go if not, best of luck w/ everything Jason!
<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/beers.gif
~ Pete

-

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&amp;GRid=9735605

http://www.411.com/name/Gloria-J-Kallias/Minot-ND/4wvdmue

http://radaris.com/~Alan-Pannick/151795477

-

[Rowdy427]

Thanks for all the quick replies. The name and number listed in the 411 info link is the same address that is in the POP warranty booklet. What are the odds still at the same address. The information for Mr. Kallis is actually on the inside page of the book as if it was inked over from the metal plate. The actual metal plate has some GM strips on it where another owner and address information is present. I have been able to locate that person in the past year. We have had many conversations and he affirms the L78bstatus along with the info in the POP. He said he was second owner and had some warranty work done in late 66 at the same dealership it was sold new and that is how his owner info ended up in POP. He was also a serviceman station there in the Airforce. He explained he traded car in 67 to another soldier that was from Indianapolis IN. Figures the car has been in IN ever since that person came back home. 2nd owner said still had the original engine when traded in 67. I have been working backwards from my purchase to try and tie all the owner back and hopefully find some more info.

[bbbentley]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Rowdy427</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Thanks for all the quick replies. The name and number listed in the 411 info link is the same address that is in the POP warranty booklet. What are the odds still at the same address. </div></div>

Got to tell you, I had a similar story except mine was a Model A I have still. I bought the car out of Wisconsin in 2009. The guy who I got from told me that the title was no good as the previous owner never signed the title on transfer and it was sold by that person in 1974! It apparantly passed several hands and the title stayed with the car, yet no one tried to get the document fixed. Before I went to get the car(weather) I asked for the name and address off the title from the seller. I did an internet search and what do you know, that last name with the same address came up along with a phone number. Like you, &quot;what are the odds&quot;, I called the person and sure enough, it was THAT person on the title. A woman who had bought the car as a gift for her husband. I sent her the title and she fixed it and sent it back to me. I paid all costs and sent the lady flowers. We exchanged Christmas cards that year and until the next year when only her husband sent a card where he informed me of his wife's passing. That, my friend, is how close I came to not getting good paper on this car. My advice, do not hesitate, the lord does not promise us tomorrow.

[earntaz]

James -- sometimes ya' just get lucky ... TAZ

[bbbentley]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: earntaz</div><div class="ubbcode-body">James -- sometimes ya' just get lucky ... TAZ </div></div>

I don't want to high jack this thread, but quickly...After I got the car, a 4 door 1930 A, (They have quite a bit of wood and it is expensive (relatively) to replace) I realized I would need wood for the floor and roof. Being the cheap B*****d I am, instead of buying new, I put an ads on a Ford site looking for the wood. A guy calls me and has all new wood + another 30 4 door body. He was building a Huckster out of his A. $300 and he put me up for the night and fed me...guess I should count my blessings ' cause I have had quite a few.

OK to get this back on topic, &quot;what are the odds&quot; Here: https://cincinnati.craigslist.org/pts/5397665637.html

[Rowdy427]

Thanks again for all the support. I have contacted owner in the Cincinnati Craig's list add. The add is a bit misleading as the engine is not an L78 375 motor. Actually a 360 with pad stamp of T1103EF.

[bugsy]

I have a May 16 1966 dated 375hp block. EG code stanard bore crank and rods. $2500.00 Thanks

[Rowdy427]

I wanted to give everyone an update on my search. No luck on actual engine information. I have however been able to make contact with the spouse of the original owner that was indicated in the warranty booklet and POP. Thank you Pete for your information and links to some of the names in ND. Thanks to bbbently for your stories and encouragement to reach out and make contact. I was able to talk with her on the phone a couple times. She remembered the car but did not have any pics or documents. Only memories. So I took a few pics of the car, wrote her a letter and sent them to her. I got a return letter from her yesterday. Not much help on the search but very cool to get a letter from her explaining that her husband went to buy the car with the biggest motor in the Chevelle he could get. Eventually traded back to dealership for a pick up truck. Coolest thing is the return sticker on her envelope is the same address that is in my warranty booklet. Still at same address 50 years later. Search continues but this has been an exciting experience as well.

[P.J.]

Another good story to tell
When I purchased my 1968 Camaro ss in baskets mostly I received from the ontario ministry of transportation a list of all the previous owners up to 1975,
The seller gave me a previous list of owners and it showed a list of owners up to 1976 only.
The seller Tony had done a exhaustive investigation of the previous owners.He found the orig owner of the car.

So I looked up the owner that was listed in 1975. Found the same name at the same address in Windsor ontario.
Called up and asked the lady who answered the phone if john was home ,she said no and I left a message and a phone number.

Months went by with no call back&gt;

Well I was not going to give up that easy.
So I called back, this time I said that I was a high school friend of John and was in town
would like to talk to him. The little old lady on the phone gave my number to a cousin and he called me.
I asked for John and he told me that there were 2 Johns at that address which one was I looking for?.
He said one was the father that had passed away and the other was the son named John.
I told him I was restoring a 1968 Camaro and it belonged to a John X.
He said it was the son as he was the drag racer. BINGO.
Gave me his name address and phone number.
Called him up as he was the second owner of the car and confirmed all the history of this rare Canadian Motion altered Camaro.
Never Give up
PJ