1970 L78 CKO Block from Van Nuys

[Cranberry70SSL34]

I recently acquired a 854 396/402 with suffix code T1004CKO out of a tractor trailer used for storage for many years. Just wondering if the car may be out there still. The van nuys stamp is on the oil filter boss and reads 10L1288x6. This sequence number and the early date eliminates it from being a camaro block. Not real sure as to if any novas were built in van nuys in the 70 model year as most I see we're built in willow run. Therefore I believe it to be from a Van Nuys built 1970 L78 chevelle. Any further thoughts would be good but just throwing it out there just in case the car still exists. Thanks.

[WILMASBOYL78]

All the 70 Novas were built at Willow Run...looks like Chevelle it is.

wilma

[Mr70]

Or possibly came in a 4spd. 1970 L-78 Elcamino too.
Van Nuys Chevelle/Elco VIN's started with 118273 & ended with 135448 that month of October '69.
Seeing as the Tonawanda running engine stamp date is October 4th,that fits.

[Cranberry70SSL34]

Well that seems that it is one of the 2144 L78 70 chevelles. Pretty cool short block. I have another auto L78 block with a 138 vin from the same plant with a T1027 date which would have been Nov car which also lines up. That's two of the 2144. I guess now on to the other 2142 lol. If all the plants produced equal amounts which is definitely not true cause Arlington didn't start production until the L78 was cancelled. So that eliminates them. So that leaves Atl, Kan, Bal, Flnt, Ont, and Van Nuys. So that's 6. Therefore 2144 divided by 6=357. That's a rough estimate which I believe more probably built there. My guess is less than 500 were from Van nuys. Pretty cool.

[Mr70]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> I have another auto L78 block with a 138 vin from the same plant with a T1027 date which would have been Nov car which also lines up.</div></div>
Recheck that.
138 series were station wagons or Monte Carlos,and weren't eligible for the #854 L-78 4-bolt main solid lifter engine.

Oshawa Ontario didn't produce any 1970 L-78 Chevelles or Elcos,so exclude them.
Flint Michigan didn't produce anything during Oct.Nov.Dec.'69.
..and Sept.'69 was an extremely lean month for Flint.I've yet to see/hear of any 1970 L-78's from there so far,so you might be able exclude them too.
That leaves 4 assembly plants for the 1970 L-78 Chevelle/Elco,and nearly 99% of production were manual trans. equipped.

[Cranberry70SSL34]

Thanks mr70. But I meant a 138 sequence number. I also thought Ontario didn't produce any but wasn't sure. There is no body number on any block therefore I thought you would understand. No biggie. Also since flint didn't produce anything in oct, now, and dec, then that definitely eliminates that plant except for the very very few that may have been produced in sep 69 like you said. Therefore 2144 divided 4=536. Still fairly close to my initial 500 estimate. With that said my automatic block would be crazy rare if your 99% estimate is even close. It could possibly be one of less than 5 automatics L78 chevelles from Van nuys plant. Real cool stuff

[Mr70]

Ah,sorry.
Thought you were talking about the vehicles entire VIN # that the engine came out of,not the shorter CON VIN on the casting pad.
Two good blocks you've got there.

[Cranberry70SSL34]

Thanks for conversing with me Mr70 was a pleasure. Maybe someone will read this that owns the car. Who knows stranger things have happened. It's seems rather odd that the L78 auto cars were so non existent in comparison to their manual counterparts when in LS6 variety the auto cars were pretty common. Doesn't add up,

[old5.0]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Cranberry70SSL34</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Thanks for conversing with me Mr70 was a pleasure. Maybe someone will read this that owns the car. Who knows stranger things have happened. It's seems rather odd that the L78 auto cars were so non existent in comparison to their manual counterparts when in LS6 variety the auto cars were pretty common. Doesn't add up, </div></div>

Interesting. Maybe because the LS6 made so much more torque than the L78 an auto worked better there. I've always had this perception in the back of my mind of the L78 being more of a high winder and the LS6 just being a freight train from off idle all the way to red line. I've ridden in and driven many modded big block Chevys but don't have much real experience with stock examples of either, so maybe that perception is a little off.

[WILMASBOYL78]

I can tell you from experience that an L78 with a TH400 and the proper rear axle will give you quite a ride...no problem with torque [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/burnout.gif[/img]

**remember the 1968 COPO Novas were built specifically to create this scenario...the trick was a HD TH400 with special internals and a high shift point. You need to take a ride in one of these rockets and feel the upshift at over 6,000 rpm's...it will adjust your neck [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/biggthumpup.gif[/img]