Need some assistance on this one 65 Vette Engine?

3782870 was a common casting used in the 62-65 timeframe. Block is not from a vette ("HA" and casting date says it's likely from a stick shift sedan; 65 FI vette would have been "HG", ...or "HN" if it had transistorized ignition). Casting date is Dec 30, 1964. Seems like there is a digit missing from the F0104HA code, recheck the stamping. 3782461 heads were used on all 65 vette small blocks; 1.94 intakes, 1.5 exhaust; cast May 8 in 64.

1965 HA 327 4 spd tran, std 275 hp 4 bbl full size

Do you have a scan of those papers on the '69 L88 with air? That would be interesting to see. Can you post those somewhere? I think as interesting as those would be you could get away with attaching them here, even though 'Key will yell about it.

Best guess on the engine is that someone swapped it rather soon after the car was made. It could be the owner had a full size Chevy also and pulled a swap which was not unheard of. The '65 FI engine would not have had flat top pistons. It was 11:1 compression and had small flat domes. If the guy knew he was about to be repossessed, he might have swapped out the Vette motor into his Chevy. Or maybe he was drag racing the Chevy on dark country roads.

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL!!!! If we didn't really love him, we wouldn't tease him!

Kind of a moot point, isn't it? No one will purchase it as a bonified '65 FI block, so does it matter who made the swap back then? Besides, the block is a common one, and could only have any elevated value based on the stamped numbers... but even if "HA" were valid for a '65 FI car, in this case any vehicle "resurrection" based on this engine would be a bogus car unless the original frame and body can also be found.

F0104HA still doesn't compute for me, perhaps someone more knowledgeable can tell you it's "replacement block number 10" for 1964 or some such, but I doubt it; unless the stamping is a mistake, there needs to be another digit in that "0104" sequence, or you are misreading the first "0" digit and it's really a 3, although even a 3 (March) is an unlikely month to assemble a December casting.

Warranty replacement blocks usually have a "CE" stamp code, they would not have the "HA" code; so it's far more likely the original engine was (perhaps blown and) replaced with a passenger car short block.

Casting L304 ==> Dec. 30, 1964

Assembly stamp F0I04HA ===>

F = Flint 01 = Jan 04 = 4th day HA = 1965 327-275 hp manual trans 4 bbl full size passenger

It all fits.

Now the next question, are there any other numbers stamped next to this assembly stamp?

Sure enough... my thinking was screwed up on the date code, I kept thinking the 4 was the year, but actually the year digit (if present) comes at the beginning of the second part of the stamping.

Don't worry about it. Try this one on and see what you think.

F0II3JE 7109346

Anything wrong?

67 Vette 435hp w/iron heads, assembled Jan 13, 1967, and vehicle VIN looks consistent with that... but stamping should have a "V" prefix, not an "F"

Ooooo. Let me play...

Ummm, I don't think the F plays well with the JE. HE yes, but not JE. JE and T go together like Jello and whipped cream.

Here's waving to ya - \||||

Owen ___

'67BB & '72BB

-- not affiliated with JLA forum in any way -- alt.autos.corvette is original posting -- ___

"To know the world intimately is the beginning of caring." -- Ann Hayman Zwinger

You guys caught it faster than the guys over on the NCRS tech board. A guy posted the picture of the pad and you would be amazed at those who thought it was the spacing, the broach marks, or something else. They missed the obvious - the F on a big block.

Big Blocks were all T.

Just for those not aware of what the F and T mean: F means the engine was from Flint, Michigan; T means the engine was from Tonawanda, New York. There are very rare instances of cross-over between the two factories - in 1965, 327/#3858180 castings - but the rule is that Flint made the small blocks and Tonawanda made the big blocks.

Here's waving to ya - \||||

Owen ___

'67BB & '72BB

-- not affiliated with JLA forum in any way -- alt.autos.corvette is original posting -- ___

"To know the world intimately is the beginning of caring." -- Ann Hayman Zwinger

Tom, Actually, I can't pat myself on the back. I caught it, but for the wrong reason... big blocks are all "T" code for Tonawanda, but my understanding is that in 1967 the code for Flint small blocks was changed to "V". If that's so, you might say there's a mistake in the mistake example.

Do you think it might be a restamp? :-)

Wonder what the rebuilder/restorer had to say when the owner came back from his first judging or critical Corvette get-together?

He said "Sorry about that. Gimme another seven grand and I'll replace the block with one that has a better counterfeit stamp. Better yet, make that ten grand and I'll change all the VIN stampings in case the judges made note of this VIN. Oh... by the way, did they tell you what the stamp SHOULD have said?"

Is this true? I've not heard/read that - Tom?

Here's waving to ya - \||||

Owen ___

'67BB & '72BB

-- not affiliated with JLA forum in any way -- alt.autos.corvette is original posting -- ___

"To know the world intimately is the beginning of caring." -- Ann Hayman Zwinger

I think this one is known. They have posted it a few times on the NCRS tech board. Go there and do a search for worse stamp or worse restamp. A guy named Michael Hanson posted it.

From 1957 to 1966, an F prefix was Flint. From 1967 on, V prefix was Flint. T prefix for Tonawanda, NY, was on very few small blocks in '65 and possibly some in late '64. There have been some supposedly original '64s with a T block. Of course, all big blocks were T.

If you have an F on yours, you'd better start talking to that previous owner. :-)

Thanks, Tom - I didn't know it was changed to V, having two Ts and all...

;)

Here's waving to ya - \||||

Owen ___

'67BB & '72BB

-- not affiliated with JLA forum in any way -- alt.autos.corvette is original posting -- ___

"To know the world intimately is the beginning of caring." -- Ann Hayman Zwinger