weird engine manufacture code

70CitrusZ · #1 07-19-2006, 08:45 AM

My 1968 427 biscayne has an unusual engine plant code.
It starts with "s" intead of "t".
I have the build sheet from GM Canada which confirms this.
I was under the impression that all big blocks were made in Tonawanda engine plant.
Were some big blocks assembled in Canada? Does "s" stand for St.Therese? Saginaw?
If it makes a difference my car was built in Canada.
Can anyone shed any light on this?

Mark.

**Mr70** · #2 07-19-2006, 03:40 PM

If the Letter S is in your CON VIN on your engine stamping,that would stand for St. Louis assembly plant and be typical for a vehicle exported into Canada.
I've seen S used on components built at the Saginaw,Mi. plant before.
Where on your GM Canadian documents does it show this?..as I've yet to see George Z. relay any engine code manufacturer stampings.

**PeteLeathersac** · #3 07-19-2006, 05:34 PM

Sounds like a very cool car....is it an L72 or L36? . And where are you in Canada? .

I take it the engine is original and the car is Oshawa or St. Therese built? .

Can you lay the whole engine code on us or a pic of the pad? .

Is the confirmation of engine code by GM Canada you're referring to a copy of the microfilm Vin-Shipping list? .
These are a page of about 40 Vins that show engine codes and options shipped w/ each Vin also what I believe George and the boys at GM Canada glean the information from to prepare the documents they send. .
I think they stopped giving these out as they show the key codes for all Vins on the page?. .
George is a really great guy and he may still be able to give a copy to a true enthusist or blank out the sensitive info from the pages....anyone documenting their car should ask him anyway? .

~ Pete

70CitrusZ · #4 07-20-2006, 08:37 AM

Its an L36 4 spd car built in St.Therese.

I should have double checked things before I posted...because now that you guys made me re-check the docs, its engine code indeed starts with a "T", but the code ends with an "S". The engine is at the farm, so I can't double check the stamping, but the engine code on the docs is T12223S which seems odd to me that it would have a one digit engine code. Obviously the engine plant is Tonawanda, which now makes more sense.
I still don't understand the single "s" engine code.
maybe I'll have to wait until I get to the engine to verify that this code supplied by GM is complete.

And yes I did get the engine code confirmation with my GM Canada docs, although on other cars I have documented there has not always been.

The build date of the car was April 26, 1968.

**PeteLeathersac** · #5 07-20-2006, 06:30 PM

Strange engine code but who knows what the Tonawanda crew was into 3 days before Christmas? . I think IE or IH would be correct? .
So did the Canada docs include a copy of the microfilm Vin-Shipping list or was the engine code noted on the standard page? .
Better check the pad to confirm what's really there as each time the info was transferred it could've been noted wrong? .

~ Pete

**Mr70** · #6 07-20-2006, 06:41 PM

Also noticed there is one extra digit in there..T12223S

The only codes the 1968 L-36 Biscayne used were:
*IB w/TH400 Police
*IC w/3 speed Police
*IE & IH w/Manual
*IJ & IS w/TH400

70CitrusZ · #7 07-20-2006, 08:29 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Also noticed there is one extra digit in there..T12223S

The only codes the 1968 L-36 Biscayne used were:
*IB w/TH400 Police
*IC w/3 speed Police
*IE & IH w/Manual
*IJ & IS w/TH400

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes that is what I mean. Maybe the engine code on this engine is "3S". This still doesn't match the accepted GM codes for this engine in this car... I still can't find a reference anywhere to this engine code. When I last looked at the block (a while ago now) I'm pretty sure it said this same stamping, I wasn't too concerned except that it match, and Didn't pay much attention beyond the date portion at that time, maybe there is more stamping after that part?, but then there would be way to many digits, and this is the correct number of digits the way it stands...
I wonder if any ex-Tonawanda employees lurk here and might shed some light......

70CitrusZ · #8 07-20-2006, 10:57 PM

I wonder.. could it not have been the assembly plant that hammered in the engine app. code? maybe the T1222 was on it when shipped to St. Therese from Tonawanda, and they added the 3S application code at Therese? The "S" could be for St.Therese, and the 3? maybe the 3rd engine used?? or 3 for the application or usage?
I asked George if he could elaborate on the odd engine number and he said he couldn't.
I can't imagine they had too many of these engines in the plant, as only 25 of these cars were built in Canada.
Does anyone else on the site have one of these cars? maybe thier engine number is similar...

Keith Tedford · #9 07-20-2006, 11:12 PM

I have a '68 L35 engine coded 4T. It is a Chevelle 4 speed engine according to GM Oshawa. Looks like there might be more than one alphanumeric engine code.

70CitrusZ · #10 07-20-2006, 11:54 PM

Aha! we are on to something.
Now we need to discover who has a list of these alpha numeric secret codes.....