66 427 Pad Stamp Restamp?
 

I have a 66 427 block that has me a bit stumped. The block is a 3969942 casting. It looks to be an unmolested 4 bolt main block.

The part that has me stumped is the front pad. At first look, it appears to be a blatant restamp. The VIN area is unaltered but the assembly date and suffix code side of the pad has been ground down and restamped. I got the block from a machine shop who had the block in their inventory for 20 years. At first, I thought someone during an 80's restoration had changed this block from a 390HP to a 450HP by changing the assembly/suffix code but leaving the VIN intact. The part that throws me is it looks to be an original 4 bolt block. If that is the case, I see no reason for a restamp since it should have had the IP code to begin with.

Is it possible that this was a factory restamp? It really does not matter since the car is MIA anyway. I am just curious if Tonawanda would grind a pad down and restamp it if there was an error. I will post pictures ASAP.


Thanks,


Jason https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...lins/beers.gif

Re: 66 427 Pad Stamp Restamp?
 

http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w...42block001.jpg

http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w...42block002.jpg

Re: 66 427 Pad Stamp Restamp?
 

http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w...42block003.jpg

http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w...42block004.jpg

Re: 66 427 Pad Stamp Restamp?
 

http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w...42block006.jpg

http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w...42block007.jpg

Re: 66 427 Pad Stamp Restamp?
 

http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w...42block008.jpg

http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w...42block009.jpg

Re: 66 427 Pad Stamp Restamp?
 

Looks like the pad has been filed down

Re: 66 427 Pad Stamp Restamp?
 

It has, that is what I am asking about.


Jason

Re: 66 427 Pad Stamp Restamp?
 

Not aware of factory filing them down but im sure it could have gone on, I have a couple that they just gang stamped over mistakes, but have never seen one filed down??

Re: 66 427 Pad Stamp Restamp?
 

Instead of IP it is stamped 1P. I would check with the Vette guys to see if 1 was ever being used for a I.

Re: 66 427 Pad Stamp Restamp?
 

I have a block here that is an LS4 Impala block that has the same type of grind down and restamp, with what looks to be correct Tonawanda characters.
I mean who would restamp a block and make it an Impala 345 horse motor?
I've seen others also that I believe are factory restamps.

Far as the 1P stamping, who knows, but like Charley says, check with the Vette guys.

Re: 66 427 Pad Stamp Restamp?
 

Thanks guys. Yeah, the 1P thing is also a bit strange. It really doesn't matter anyway since the block will likely be decked when built anyway. I just thought it was interesting.

Thanks for the input,


Jason

Re: 66 427 Pad Stamp Restamp?
 

1 was very commonly used as an I, and an I for a 1 as well. I have seen many original engine pads that were done this way.
Steve

Re: 66 427 Pad Stamp Restamp?
 

[ QUOTE ]
1 was very commonly used as an I, and an I for a 1 as well. I have seen many original engine pads that were done this way.
Steve

[/ QUOTE ]

Indeed.

http://kookycharacters.com/images/engine/e%206.JPG

Re: 66 427 Pad Stamp Restamp?
 

Al Grening is the one who Corvette guys look to for authentication. His data base is incredible.

Re: 66 427 Pad Stamp Restamp?
 

-----The problem I would have is that neither number is gang stamped. The one I could accept......Bill S

Re: 66 427 Pad Stamp Restamp?
 

[ QUOTE ]
-----The problem I would have is that neither number is gang stamped. The one I could accept......Bill S

[/ QUOTE ]

Don't forget there's cases were pads were sometimes gang stamped stamped including just the first suffix digit as in the 'I' then the 'P' or 'R' or whatever was added individually later when the engine was completed to suit the specific applications..


~ Pete https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...lins/beers.gif

Re: 66 427 Pad Stamp Restamp?
 

Anyone have a decent idea of the value of this block. I have not seen many for sale lately. I have had inquiries to buy it but only have a vague idea of the value. Any input would be appreciated by post or PM. The block is a nice 0.030 over and has been cleaned and magged with no issues. The deck should not be an issue for resale since it is only ground .006 and that will clean with a square decking.


Thanks,

Jason

Re: 66 427 Pad Stamp Restamp?
 

The 1 vs I isn't that unusual, but as Bill stated everything is individually stamped for the assembly date and VIN derivative. That's something that isn't seen.

Re: 66 427 Pad Stamp Restamp?
 

About 6 years ago here in Tustin,a guy was selling his uncles 1968 Camaro Blue/Blue 210hp 16,000 mile orig. paint 4sp car. The engine code was sanded out and restamped too. I was the first person to see the car and was the person that cleaned off the engine pad for the 1st time. The owners had no idea of engine numbers.

Re: 66 427 Pad Stamp Restamp?
 

Dont forget all of the Z16 engines had the last letter of the code hand stamped X
This looks like a 65 built engine if I'm reading the casting !

Jim

Re: 66 427 Pad Stamp Restamp?
 

Yes, it is a late 65 block.

Thanks guys!


Jason

Re: 66 427 Pad Stamp Restamp?
 

"Dont forget all of the Z16 engines had the last letter of the code hand stamped X
This looks like a 65 built engine if I'm reading the casting !"

This is exactly how my Z-16 engine was, with the 'X' hand stamped. I bought that engine at a bank parking lot swap meet in St. Louis as a 4-Bolt main .060 over 427. I ran the engine for about six months, spraying Nitrous through it and everything before I took the time to actually decode it and discover it as being a real Z-16 engine! Apparently, the 1965 4-Bolt castings had thick enough cylinder walls where you could bore them out to 427's......and then some. Sorry for the OT

Re: 66 427 Pad Stamp Restamp?
 

Yes, the 65-66 962 Blocks are very thick. In fact, I'm not sure why there was a different casting number for a 427 in 66 since the 962(396 4 bolt) block is the same for all intents and purposes. The 1 and the crooked P do not bother me as far as it being a real stamping, it is the shaved pad.


Jason

Re: 66 427 Pad Stamp Restamp?
 

I think I better contact this guy:

http://www.c2registry.org/index.php?...3&uid=2580



Jason

Re: 66 427 Pad Stamp Restamp?
 

Interesting. Hopefully you can get a picture of the pad on his car's engine..

Re: 66 427 Pad Stamp Restamp?
 

Why would I want a picture of his engine pad? This engine has his VIN.

Re: 66 427 Pad Stamp Restamp?
 

Maybe it's just me, but I thought it would be interesting to see what the pad of his engine was stamped and what the stamped date is. Also to compare the two.

Re: 66 427 Pad Stamp Restamp?
 

OK, I understand now. The side with the VIN on it has not been ground down. There are only a few possible reasons this block was separated from the car:

1) This is the original engine block to the car and it was swapped out with another block at some point in time for a unknown reason.

2) This is the original block and it was pulled during a restoration because someone thought it was a restamp. Which would probably mean a restamped block was put in its place(highly unlikely since this block would like up perfect date wise with the Vette in question)

3) This block was restamped for the Vette and the original block was found later.



It would be interesting to see the block in his car. However, I imagine if it is Top Flight, it probably has a nicely restamped engine in it if this is in fact its original block.

One thing is for certain, this block has sat in a machine shop for decades. Any restamping that happened would have had to have happened before then. The machine shop I got it from argued with me that the only identifying mark on a BBC was the casting number. They knew nothing about suffix codes or even pad stamps.


Jason

Re: 66 427 Pad Stamp Restamp?
 

Looks like a fairly common engine plant grind-out pad; I have a number of images of known engine plant grind-out pads in my files, and Al Grenning has hundreds of them. They were re-stamped by repairmen, and they didn't always have access to gang holders.

https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...lins/beers.gif

Re: 66 427 Pad Stamp Restamp?
 

Thanks! I received one reply from the owner of the Vette. He said he was having a busy week and hoped to get back to me this weekend.


Jason

Re: 66 427 Pad Stamp Restamp?
 

The car I was referring to is on Ebay...item # 180471628345. The seller shows the engine pad.

[ QUOTE ]
About 6 years ago here in Tustin,a guy was selling his uncles 1968 Camaro Blue/Blue 210hp 16,000 mile orig. paint 4sp car. The engine code was sanded out and restamped too. I was the first person to see the car and was the person that cleaned off the engine pad for the 1st time. The owners had no idea of engine numbers.

[/ QUOTE ]

Re: 66 427 Pad Stamp Restamp?
 

Thanks,


Jason

Re: 66 427 Pad Stamp Restamp?
 

I heard back from the owner of the Corvette today. Surprisingly, he did not seem too interested that this was the original engine to his car, only that it was correct.

For anyone interested, here is his response:

Hi Jason



Thanks for making contact, and apologies for my delayed response. Re my car, I have tried to do some research on it in the past but I could only find out that it did come from California – which is based on a verbal comment from the previous owner who imported it into Melbourne, Australia from California. I do have details of the licence plate which shows it as being from California too, however I can’t be sure it was from Silicon Valley, sorry.



Re the block – the current pad in my car is blank but it was remachined by the previous owner, he just didn’t have the facilities in Australia to have it restamped. All other numbers on the block indicate it should be correct for my car. I do know of people in the US who could remachine and stamp it for me, but it would be a lot of effort to remove it, ship it over, and ship it back, so I haven’t bothered up to this point.



Re the ‘1’ being used for an ‘I’ i believe this was common practice in 1965.



Hence given the above it is quite possible that the block you have is correct for my car, but equally the block I already have could have been correct too. Therefore I would be interested to discuss with you further what you intend to do with the block you have, and whether you could do any further digging re its history which might link it to my car.



I look forward to hearing from you.



Kind Regards



David Alder

Re: 66 427 Pad Stamp Restamp?
 

Jason:

I'm sure that he would love to have the block given his has been decked and most likely a replacement engine. He probably just did not want to appear overly anxious in hopes of buying it from you at a reasonable price. Which would be very cool on your part to reunite the two! JMO, Ed

Re: 66 427 Pad Stamp Restamp?
 

I thought that may be the case. Actually pretty smart, he does not know me so he is treading lightly. Thanks for the outside observation.

Jason

Re: 66 427 Pad Stamp Restamp?
 

Update:

The owner and I have not been able to come up with an agreement. I offered the block to him for $3500 which I think is a fair market price, not a overinflated, "I have your engine" blackmail price. He had interest but could not make it work. I put the block on Ebay for the same price as a reserve. Here is a link:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...m=250644589938

I'm sorry if this reads like a classified ad. Just thought I'd give those who were following the thread an update.


Thanks,


Jason