[SS427]

Recently Ive had numerous conversations with Fran Preve of the Tonawanda engine foundry regarding just this subject. He to this day still holds the plant production records from that era.

According to Fran and I quote "The Tonawanda engine plant kept VERY accurate records on engines built during each model year. These "Summeries of Engines Built" list EVERY engine we built by assembly number and description. This number crossed over to a suffix code so from them I could determine how many of each SUFFIX CODE we built. Sometimes, as in the case of the L-89 engines built, I had further records. In these cases it was "engine canceled, not replaced" and then a date.

In the case of the L-89 engines in 1970, in October 1969 the L-89 option was canceled, not replaced. there were (off hand) 18 L78/L89 engines built before the option was canceled. As far as the LS6/L89 NONE WERE BUILT. Period. In model year 1970 NO aluminum head LS6 engines were built. In 1971 there were 200 LS6 engines built and put into Corvettes, ALL were aluminum head (due to the lowered compression ratio).

I've spent many years researching big block production (ALL big blocks). I'm always open to new information, DOCUMENTED AND IRRIFUTABLE. But if anyone wants to contradict me they'd better have better records than I do!"

I trust Fran knows what he is talking about and has investigated all his documents from Tonawanda.