Here is a good example of a 66 L-79 block Chevy II....vin numbers individually stamped, just like the one I had back in the 80's.

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Original ‘66 L79 stampings are interesting, Member clnovaparts shared the below curved example a couple years ago back in this linked thread w/ more Genuine L79 stampings, click here…
https://www.yenko.net/forum/showthread.php?t=170918
:beers:
~ Pete

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Perhaps someone wanted an L79 wagon, was told he couldn't order one, so ordered an L30 327/275 4-speed wagon, along with getting the dealer to order a complete crate Nova L79, and then had it installed by the dealer?? If a service unit were ordered at that point then it probably would have been a 66 engine assembly.

Hard to imagine someone would transplant the engine from a 66 car years later WITH all the smog stuff still intact, along with the big radiator too. And the coincidence that the recipient wagon just happened to already be a factory 4-speed (probably ultra rare in and of itself)??

Seems like there has to be more to the story than just a typical 1970's engine transplant.

On the other hand, having the air conditioning code seems odd -- unless all complete warranty Nova L79 engine assemblies were built as that version, so that they could be used as warranty replacement units on both cars with or without A/C. That was common in service replacement parts to just offer the version of a part that would fit with all other equipment combos.

Either way, very very cool wagon!! I'd gently clean, get it reliable and roadworthy, and drive the snot out of it!!!

I'm not an old guy,but whenever I here that manual transmissions in old cars were "rare" I chuckle. They were standard equipment. Automatic were more rare IMO.

Wagon started out as 327 275hp, saginaw 4spd , AC, A.I.R.. The big tank radiator is most likely original to the car so equipped. Not keen on the engine stamp. Nice wagon project with parts added and deleted.

I didn't say a manual transmission was rare. 3-on-the-trees were a dime a dozen, especially in the lower cost Novas. My point was that a 4-SPEED in a NOVA STATION WAGON has to be extremely rare.

I didn't study the pics that closely, but what indicates this wagon came with AC when new? I know the Novas were under the dash but did they not have any AC code on the trim tag? Asking to learn -- I know Chevelle tags, but not Chevy II's !

For whatever reason, a/c is seldom noted on the cowl tag of a 1st or 2nd generation Chevy II. On 2nd gens, a factory a/c car will have a vertical fan switch on the heater control panel. Also, a round hole and grommet near the top of the firewall to carry associated a/c wiring. etc. into the engine compartment. This wagon has both.

The sequence of the various dates on this wagon are all over the place. The block cast date is January 7, 1966, engine assembly date on the pad October 1, 1966 and the car
was built the last week of June, 1967. All the known and documented 1967 L79 Chevy IIs were built in May and June, 1967 with engines assembled in those same months. On this wagon, the assembly date/suffix code stamping is smack in the middle of the pad, which is unusual. As mentioned several times in this thread, all U.S. built L79 Chevy IIs had a partial VIN on the pad. This one does not. All the evidence would appear to lean
towards this not being the original engine in this wagon.

L79 Chevy IIs and Acadians built in Canada had the same Flint built engines as U.S. cars, but Oshawa did not stamp them with partial VINs.

Bob