1970 L-78 Engine Code & Car Vin # Question

[COPO]

As far as the location of the VIN, around Dec. of '68 the stamping location was switched to down near the oil filter and the Norwood plant was pretty consistent. I know the Van Nuys plant switched back to the alternator pad location. Not sure about Willow. The stamping location was not very consistent for all of the plants at that time. Can't help you w/the rest.

[JoeC]

The "2" does not look like it belongs there. Ask the guy to recheck the number. CKO is for a L78 for Camaro, Nova, and Chevelle but I don't believe the L78 was available in the Monte Carlo. Here is a Nove site
http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Speedway/6432/

[Rowdy Rat]

The "W" is actually GM's Willow Run plant which is located in Michigan. While many 1969 Norwood Camaros used the area near the oil filter to stamp the VIN derivative, I can tell you (with reasonable certainty) that Willow Run used the pad in front of the right cylinder head exclusively. I have not seen or heard of anything different on a Nova.

I know that the Willow Run plant built other cars besides Novas (Corvairs come to mind, but that would have ended in 1969), but I wouldn't rule out an error in the Colvin book either. I'm with Joe - I never heard of an L-78 Monte Carlo, but I guess stranger things have been built.

Regards,

Stan Falenski

[elcamino]

This is a L78 from a 1970 Nova!

T0226CKO
T=Tonawanda Engine Plant
02=Feb
26=Day
CKO=396/375HP with manual transmission. This engine suffix was installed in Chevelle's, Camaro's, and Nova's. So to ID the car you have to use the VIN and the Plant location to determine. During this time the only models that were being assembled at the Willow Run assembly were Nova's, so it was a Nova without a doubt.

10W274985 is the VIN code from the Nova
1=Chevrolet Division
0=Model Year
W=Willon Run Assembly
274985 are the last 6 sequence numbers from the VIN of the Nova. Your reasoning on the digit 2 is incorrect. Its just a sequence number used by the plant and does not indicate any model information.

This information is from the Chevrolet Parts Catalog from the era.









[Edited by elcamino (02-08-2001 at 06:07 PM).]

[YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY]

I am not sure on the '2' in question. The VIN starts with the '1' above, the '0' being the year, the first '2' after that dontes the model??
M

[CamarosRus]

El Camino, To further my education did all 1970 Willow Run, MI Nova VIN's start with the number 2 ?? Alan Colvins book reads to me like Chevelles and Nova VIN's started with the # 1 and Camaros started with the # 5 in 1970. Somebody else said Willow Run stamped VIN's on the deck so I'm inclined to go with the Nova theory.
I also have in my garage a Sept(assy date) CKO engine with VIN stamped on BELLHOUSING FLANGE 10 1xxxxx.....anyway where a letter should have been struck for the car factory, it didnt strike the metal hard enough to read. Might this CKO engine been from a Chevelle????

[JoeC]

ElCamino - Thanks for your input. I believe you are correct that it is a Nova L78. I disagree that the digit 2 is "just" a sequence and does not indicate any model information. The first digit of the sequence number can be different for different models. For example the 1970 Nova VIN sequence begins 100001 the 1970 Camaro begins 500001 and 1970 Monte Carlo built in Arlington begins 200001. That made the "2" digit look odd. The vin W274985 is the 174985 Nova built but the engine date code is February. I thought that also looked odd because of such a high VIN number until I looked up the total production units of 1970 Nova's. Willow Run built over 307000 Novas. That's a lot of Novas. I guess this car being the 174985 unit built could have had a February engine date since it would have been assembled during a little over half the production year.