66 Chevelle 396/375 conv lesson needed

[MYSTERYCHEVELLE]

Joe

I must be bored, or maybe it's b/c I missed the AACA national in VA due to Rain today... but when I hear talk of a rare 66 SS, however remote the possibility of it still having the orig. drivetrain....well, I can't stop hoping it is saved.

The 66 SS Ragtop will have, as stated earlier...a starting VIN Number which is UNIVERSAL...138676 followed by letter designating the assembly plant it was born from... ( I won't list all seven) and then the remining numbers will be the car's sequence number off the assembly line...ie., 138676Z177205 might be what you would see on the VIN TAG attached to the door ( Z indicates Fremont, Calif. built) then b/c each plant's starting VIN was with 100,001., this example would be the 77,205th car built at the Fremont plant for the 66 production year...remember the production year didn't start in January either., and this would represent all cars being built at this plant, not just Chevelles.

That little background is to set you up for what you will look for on the engine...specifically the passenger side of the block deck as it extends forward past the right cylinder head. This will, though it may be painted over or covered in grease and grime now, be stamped with alphanumerical characters, manually stamped to show the date of assembly of the engine followed by a two and possibly three letter suffix code which indicates the specific engine and trans., and then a final vehicle assembly plant code followed by the last several digits of the VIN...that sequence number I spoke of.

So, if you see the engine stamp...ie: T0614EG Z 177205

T = Tonawanda engine assembly plant in NY
06 = Month of June
14 = 14th day

EG = The Only code used for a 66 Chevelle SS with 375 HP engine.
Z = Fremont. California Assembly plant, as example only ( of the vehicle)

177205 = Sequence number as described above.

The sequence number on that engine MUST Match EXACTLY with that which is on the VIN TAG on the door for this to be the orig. engine to the car. If the engine has the EG code, but the sequence numver is different, then it's an L-78 but not from that car. Also, the Assembly plant code, Z in this case for Fremont, should match the door vin....NOTE HERE... the TRIM TAG has sequence numbers also, but these are Fisher Body sequence numbers, never try and match the Trim Tag numbers with those on the engine.... the trim tag will have the assembly plant noted and of course if the TRIM AG has Baltimore built and the engine has Fremont ( Z ) then you also know it's not original engine. TRIM TAG code for Fremont is not Z, it is BF...that can be confusing too...

ALL 66 SS Rags got the 138676 Vin and all hard tops got 138176.

All 3099 built L-78's got EG Engine code, none got air conditioning and none came as automatics.

One has to consider that the 375 HP engine was the top of the line high performance engine, most ordering this Bad boy, had plans for it and wasn't to go get groceries unless the grocery store was at the end of the drag strip [img]/ubbthreads/images/icons/wink.gif[/img] so keeping that in mind, when these cars were ordered, they also came equipped with a trans and rear to support that power and quest for speed...did I say 4 Speed...yes, I did...as in most likely a Muncie M-21 or if you really knew what you were doing ( 12 people did) an M-22 Rock Crusher 4 speed. Gear ratio in the L-78 would most likely be low, as in 4.10:1 Posi Ratio coded as KK on rear axle tube, 4.56:1 Posi coded as KM, or 4.88:1 Posi coded as KO. again just things to look for when trying to rule in the possibility of a real L-78.

Radiators also got tagged according to engine size/HP and if it still had the orig. Harrison Rad and still had the Tag attached to the inner upper tabk...look for a two letter code "VM" for 375 hp car.

The L-78 was cancelled on May 11th 1965. and as such was not part of the 66 Chevelle production options when the 66 production year started ( July/August 1965) and early sales literature doesn't mention the 375 hp either. but the L-78 was re-introduced into the chevelle line up on October 7th 1965 at a cost of $235.26 what a bargain eh!

The block was a 4 bolt main # 3855962
Heads # 3873858
Crank was forged steel
Mechanical cam
Aluminum intake Manifold
Holly 4 barrel carb
11.0:1 compression ratio

Now, where else can ya get that kind of free info but on the Net...

Good luck and I am now back into retirement mode...Later!

mike

[FESTIVAL78]

Wow Mike! With an answer like that I'm gonna feel guilty if it turns out 6cyl/Powerglide...I've got a good feeling about the car and at this point cannot wait till Monday. I'm a fan of the quick deal so if it starts going my way and the guy is standing there...Give me some ballparks on the car. The car has not one piece on it that I'd consider show so a full resto is required. Not to mention it has no original front suspension etc. It does have an interior (not gutted)..Throw two ball-parks at me..One for original drivetrain and one for lost engine/trans...I'm talking what I should offer not what it's worth... Thanks all...I don't know about this retirement stuff but I suggest coming out.T

[Mr70]

Mike, have another cup of Coffee. [img]/ubbthreads/images/icons/tongue.gif[/img]

[FESTIVAL78]

Hi all. The news isn't all bad (I guess). The car has gotten considerably worse. It is very wet and moldy. I'll give you guys the numbers and we'll see whats what. trim; 01B 185
66 13867 116
731 F2
the vin: 138676B136040.
Here's what I saw.. Intake and top of motor stolen. no vin on pad # is T06231VR. The car is under a tree with lots of wet leaves and mud. I can't sneak out of work and then show back up dressed in mud & scum, therefore no tranny or rear #'s (yet). The convertible top is power, the car was blue but is now silver. It has a four speed. Black interior. Does have rollbar, Bolted to floor with one bar rendering the passenger seat useless. The odometer shows 19634 but the car has rot (sitting outside rot more than driving rot. lower fenders lower doors blown through. The frame and under are too nice for big road miles. The straight axle has drums (of course) and spiral shocks. The name of the car (rear quarters) is Gentle Ben. the dash is painted with " driven by Glen Lorenzen" there are two 1/4 window stickers. One I cannot make out and the other says "1969 AHRA summernationals new york national speedway". It is not reasonable to consider that this car was street driven. The lower quarter says " artwork by Gill" Maybe someone knows of this car. Also I checked ebay for pricing. Not too high. Who's got suggestions on money to be offered. I think maybe this car should stay a nostalgia drag car? First it's got to get inside! Just got my camera back..will sneak over and try to post a picture. If anyone is hugely interested I'll email you one real quick as I do know how to do that at least! [email protected] Thanks all

[FESTIVAL78]

Got the photo's...Also; At the right side bottom of the trim tag is a lone "2"..Maybe I could e-mail the photos to someone who's good at posting???

[JoeC]

email them to me. Is the engine set back or in stock location?

[Schonyenko2]

My chevrolet by the numbers says Ivr is 1966 passenger 396, 325hp, turbohydramatic,rochester carb. Ken

[JoeC]

Here is one of the pictures. Looks like it just needs a little TLC.

[JoeC]

motor looks like it has small port heads

[MYSTERYCHEVELLE]

13867 is TRUE 66 SS Rag top.
B is Baltimore assembly Plant
36,040th car prodiced at that plany during that production year.

TRIM TAG

66 yep...1966

13867....redundit

116 internal plant tracking numbers...tells nothing of the car. as is 185

01B Second week of January 1966 Built car

731 Bright Blue Bucket seat interior

F2 Marina Blue Body Paint ( F) w/ Black Top ( 2)

Lone # 2 on Balt tags very common, as are a few other LONE Numbers like 4 and 3... and others...has not yet been definitively decoded, though it is not all to be associated with the car itself as much as work SHIFT code or Hour of day, many ideas have come across the tables....

T = Tonawanda Engine Plant
06 = June
23 = 23rd day
1 is most likely an "I"...66 used letter letter I instead of # 1 in engine cdes...very common.

IVR is not a 66 Chevelle engine suffix code, may be an Impala code or other Chevy, but not Chevelle in 66...sorry., all 66 and 67 SS Chevelle codes start with letter "E"

Price on this car...very very difficult to say without seeing it IN PERSON....but I can say, other than it being a RAG TOP...aint much there to write home about...

Spiral Shocks,,,,keepers

and a very rare ( I can see it and want it) Metal Finger Guard atop of the Radiator I would love to get the Rad too [img]/ubbthreads/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

Offer $3000 tops if frame is good....and that's stretching it...IMO.

Lots O work there

Mike