Earliest LS6 Chevelle Block Cast/Assembly date

[mockingbird812]

No desire to stir up a hornet's nest. Don't want to turn this into a bash session for the ebay seller. <u>Just want to learn.</u> Would like to know the earliest known/verifiable cast &amp; assembly date for the LS6 engine. This from the Q&amp;A for this ebay ad :

Q: Do you have a picture of the block stamping? If I am reading it correctly it looks like the car was built 3rd week of Jan and the block was stamped in November 12 ? Sep-07-07
A: You are correct. The block was cast on September 30, 1969 , and the car was built in mid January. The front engine pad converts to Tonawanda, November 12th . It’s the original engine that came with the car … absolutely, 100%, verified, documented and cast in stone. Thanks for your interest and let me know if you have any other questions.

For Rick Nelson: Is this car in the LS6 registry?

Thanks.

[olredalert]

------Sam,,,Years ago (like 1990) I bought from Al Maynard an LS6 automatic carb that appeared almost NOS. The date on it was June of 1969. Later sold the carb to a very well known restorer and historian of LS6s and he still has it. At the time Al thought it might have been used by GM and Holley to set idle parameters and other stuff on assembly line LS6 engines. All the adjustment screws on the carb had a dab of grey glue on them and I think Al somehow got the carb out the GM backdoor. Dont know if this is relevent at all but thought you might find it interesting........Bill S

[SS427]

Sam,
I have this car in my information but to clarify some confusion, there are very few cars "in the registry". Unlike Shelby, Hemi, etc, registries, the LS-6 cannot be proven by a VIN code and can only be done by paperwork and/or history. I get build sheets from people weekly asking me to put their cars in the registry. Unfortunately, these sheets can be and are easily faked. Without someone inspecting the car personally by one of the few LS-6 authorities, touching the paperwork personally or have known history from way back, most cars are listed as subject and not confirmed until some of the above can be verified. This is a common misconception by people. Yenkos, Shelbys, Hemis, etc can all be verified by other means. The LS-6 Chevelle cannot be done that way and therefore one needs to be very careful.

As far as engine cast and assembly dates, I have seen MANY engines that were dated in late fall, early winter in '69 as they were gearing up for production. I have also seen several LS-6's with engine build dates preceding the cars assembly date by as much as 6 months. These cars were unique and things were done somewhat out of the norm and I do not find that all that unusual.

[Mr70]

Could have very well been a 1970 L-78 carburetor Bill S.
Like this one.

[mockingbird812]

Rick,

Thanks for the info. My contention was not with the delta between engine casting or assembly date and the build date of the car. I am aware of LS6 cars having 6 months between these dates - I believe you and I discussed this last year. I was just surprised by the seemingly early casting date of the block (Sep). But, it sounds like that is not unusual (for the LS6).

Thanks,


P.S. I appreciate the challenges of establishing the LS6 registry as compared to the other manufacturer's registries. Do you have an update for a proposed process for having a car registered? Perhaps a preliminary entry to the registry based on photographs of the car, key components (block, heads, etc.), VIN, stamp pad, block partial VIN, paperwork, history, etc. And then permanent entry to the registry based on a visual inspection. Just some thoughts. Undertaking this is huge, I realize. But, as you know, this will go along way to legitimizing these special cars. Every week on eBay, there are multiple LS6 coupes and a few ragtops for sale. All with original, #'s matching, blah, blah, blah.......

If I am jumping the gun, just say so. I know that you have one or two other things that absorb your time during the day. Thanks for your efforts Rick. Best wishes.

[Late BrakeU2]

Sam,here are the dates off mine for reference
Cast I-9-9
Pad T1129CRR
Carb 982
Heads J 31 9,K 3 9
12B Bal

It's interesting to note the ebay car's block casting was three weeks later than mine,but it was assembled in less than two weeks where as mine took eight.Not saying it isn't real but that's pretty tight when you consider machining time(and they were ramping up big time in Nov).Also my car was built ten days after the motor and according to his info that car took nearly ten weeks.I think the order in which they made mine had everything to do with it being a CMD courtesy car-but on the motor end I think it was nothing more than the style of the fork operator picking his pallets from the great pile

[mockingbird812]

Thanks Mark. Cool car and a courtesy car to boot. What color and interior do you have? Is it a column or console auto? Where was it delivered?

[Late BrakeU2]

Sam,it's forest green/saddle white stripes D55.Everyone hates green but I love the combo! Car was a zone demonstrator special ordered by the head of NE service delivered to MacMoran Chevrolet in Norwod Mass.It spent the month of Dec touring the region dealers showcasing the new motor and he put over 3k on it in four weeks.It was a non titled car for that period and finally was dealer X'ed to West End Chevrolet in Waltham Mass and sold to the first owner on Jan 8th.The exec who ordered the car is retired and living in Mesa.. I talk to him occasionally great guy with many GM stories.The plan is to have Rick restore the car in the near future,and if everything works out time wise I am going to trailer it to Mesa and take a pic of Ray standing next to her exactly forty years to the day it rolled off.If you do a search on here or TC(or Google for that matter)for "Pilot LS6" there are a few threads relating to it.

[mockingbird812]

Ah yes, now I know the car. Very cool. I live just south of Mesa. Your's sounds like an excellent plan.

Thanks.

[SS427]

[ QUOTE ]
The plan is to have Rick restore the car in the near future, and if everything works out time wise I am going to trailer it to Mesa and take a pic of Ray standing next to her exactly forty years to the day it rolled off.

[/ QUOTE ]

We will be there Mark no matter what it takes.

Glad you finally made your ownership public. It is a very neat car with lots of history and significance.