1970 Nova engine VIN

[JRSully]

Stranger stuff has happened with 70 L78 blocks and assembly dates, my 70 L78 Nova block was cast Jan 29 70, built April 24 and the car was built 2nd week May 70 and I have seen and documented a bunch of L78 blocks/dates etc in this date range. Check the cast date on the block (top rear) and check the heads (if they are there) should be 291's and check the casting dates. Don't sweat the VIN stamp, A LOT of them were not hit clean. Good luck

[Vern B]

Thank's. I'll do some more checking.

[Vern B]

Thank's, I'll do some more checking.

[Seattle Sam]

Regarding

[ QUOTE ]
The build date of the car is 02C.......3rd week of Feb.
The engine stamp is T0616CKO which seems too far off from the build date.


[/ QUOTE ]

and

[ QUOTE ]
Ca'nt understand why someone would go to the effort of re stamping an engine and not make it correct.
Why restamp it 8 months prior to the build date of the car or 4 months after the build date if it is a 1970 built engine?

I know the two previous owners that have owned the car back to 1993 and ownership is known back to 1973. All previous owners say this is the original engine, not a replacement.
Wonder if anyone was restamping blocks prior to 1973?


[/ QUOTE ]



Maybe someone just put the gang stamp together wrong?

[Bill Pritchard]

[ QUOTE ]
Ca'nt understand why someone would go to the effort of re stamping an engine and not make it correct.
......
Wonder if anyone was restamping blocks prior to 1973?

[/ QUOTE ]

Well....if you don't know what's 'correct', then it's real easy to get the stamp wrong Guaranteed no one was restamping blocks prior to 1973 - or even 1983 for that matter.

It's highly unlikely that an engine built in mid June of 69 would have had the 3 letter suffix, because that was not started until very, very late in the 69 model year; probably some time in early July at the earliest. Then to have that engine sit around for 8 months until being installed in a car?

Put all these things together and I think there's good reason to be suspicious here.

[deuce-less]

here is an early july original stamp still showing the two letter code

[Vern B]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Ca'nt understand why someone would go to the effort of re stamping an engine and not make it correct.
......
Wonder if anyone was restamping blocks prior to 1973?

[/ QUOTE ]

Well....if you don't know what's 'correct', then it's real easy to get the stamp wrong Guaranteed no one was restamping blocks prior to 1973 - or even 1983 for that matter.

It's highly unlikely that an engine built in mid June of 69 would have had the 3 letter suffix, because that was not started until very, very late in the 69 model year; probably some time in early July at the earliest. Then to have that engine sit around for 8 months until being installed in a car?

Put all these things together and I think there's good reason to be suspicious here.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is good info, as I did not realize this. Should pretty much rule out the engine being built in June of 69.
I'm going to get back over there and try to determine
the cast date on the block.

The guy is a good friend and we worked together for 15 years, so he is'nt intentionally trying to pull anything. He just is'nt into the numbers thing. Actually, I helped him when he purchased the car and that is the first time I noted the discrepancy. We both knew the previous owner to him very well. He owned the car for about 12 years before my friend bought it.

Thank's again for the help.