The Yenko Series II dude is back at it

[69SSConvertible]

Wow. Sounds like you really know your Camaros. The block is stamped "V0902HB", the web site is a typo (see attachment). The vin is 693784, the engine stamp is 19N693784, and the cowl tag reads NOR146218 with a 10A date and X11. Do those #'s tell you Sept/Oct 1968 or 1969? You wrote that there were no X11's in early '69's, and no partial vin's in late '69's. Is that 100% true?

Also, I always read that it was "extremely difficult" to see the oil filter stamp with the engine in the car. Is it impossible? Do mirrors, lighting, removing the oil filter, etc. help?

Thanks again.

[drdave69]

That is a high VIN so that makes it a late '69 built car/engine. The engine assembly is Sept. 2, 1969 and body build date is first week Oct. '69. If the engine VIN stamp is there, it will be near the oil filter. It is nearly impossible to see with the engine in the car. You can remove the paint in that area (with lacquer thinner) and try your best to read it but it still may not be identifiable.

[Mark_C]

Hard to tell from that photo, but the pad looks like it is a late production 3970010 block with the 1/2 width pad. 69 and earlier pad lengths equal the width of the whole head, late model ones are only 1/2 the width of the head. The engine code stamp is also in the wrong place and uses the wrong font. The 9 on Flint engines always has an upturned end on the tail, it's almost an 8 that is missing a short segment. On this stamp the tail is pointed downward. Can't say Norwood never stamped the VIN on the pad after December, but it was not the normal practice to do so, and it wouldn't be in the location shown on this picture if they did do it. Looks like it could be a restamp. See the attached images (harvested from Ebay if they belong to anyone here) of a same period engine. This car is about 1000 VINs earlier (about 1.5 days production)and is a much lower production engine (302/290) is dated 9/25/69. The build date is a bit to far away for me to feel comfortable with the engine and this car without a bunch more info on the car.

On a car this late in production the easiest way to identify it as a "real" SS is to count the fuel lines. There was only one small block that used 2 fuel lines after 1/1/69 and that was the L48. of course if the lines are new or have been replaced I wouldn't use that as evidence either. Even if it is an SS I would have to be convinced that that engine is the original one.

[Mark_C]

Heres an image of the block stamping above the oil filter from the same engine as attached above

[Astock]

If you look at DZ302 pad,notice the letters(V DZ) are larger than the numbers. That's 100% correct.For all you Guys that own Z's with the original motors, check your letters.

[T Billigen]

It is possible to see the number. Jack the front of the car up as high as you can and get a good flash light. I took a little steel wool and rubbed the area and the numbers stood out pretty good. They are not in as deep as the numbers on the pad but they are readable. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/scholar.gif[/img]