1970 Nova engine VIN

[Vern B]

Thank's for the info and help. I looked at the car tonite and pretty much everything checks out, but not sure about the engine stamp.

The build date of the car is 02C.......3rd week of Feb.
The engine stamp is T0616CKO which seems too far off from the build date. Not sure if it could possibly be 06 of 69?

Also, the 6 digit VIN is there slightly to the right and lower than the engine stamp and matches the cars VIN, but I did not see the 10W in front of it like yours. Not sure if they stamped that all the time or sometime just the 6 digit VIN? I may have missed it also, as it was getting dark and a little difficult to look around the alt.

[Als 70 L78 Nova]

With a 3rd week of Feb build date, that would put the engine build date 8 months prior to the car. Don't believe that would ever happen.

[Als 70 L78 Nova]

Here is an old photo showing how they were laid out on my pad.

[Vern B]

That's pretty much like this one except the 10W is not there, or I missed it. The numbers are a little smaller than the engine stamping.

[Als 70 L78 Nova]

Check the build date on the block. That could answer it.

[JRSully]

Stranger stuff has happened with 70 L78 blocks and assembly dates, my 70 L78 Nova block was cast Jan 29 70, built April 24 and the car was built 2nd week May 70 and I have seen and documented a bunch of L78 blocks/dates etc in this date range. Check the cast date on the block (top rear) and check the heads (if they are there) should be 291's and check the casting dates. Don't sweat the VIN stamp, A LOT of them were not hit clean. Good luck

[Vern B]

Thank's, I'll do some more checking.

[Vern B]

Thank's. I'll do some more checking.

[Vern B]

My thoughts also. Ca'nt understand why someone would go to the effort of re stamping an engine and not make it correct.
Why restamp it 8 months prior to the build date of the car or 4 months after the build date if it is a 1970 built engine?

I know the two previous owners that have owned the car back to 1993 and ownership is known back to 1973. All previous owners say this is the original engine, not a replacement.
Wonder if anyone was restamping blocks prior to 1973?

[Bill Pritchard]

[ QUOTE ]
Ca'nt understand why someone would go to the effort of re stamping an engine and not make it correct.
......
Wonder if anyone was restamping blocks prior to 1973?

[/ QUOTE ]

Well....if you don't know what's 'correct', then it's real easy to get the stamp wrong Guaranteed no one was restamping blocks prior to 1973 - or even 1983 for that matter.

It's highly unlikely that an engine built in mid June of 69 would have had the 3 letter suffix, because that was not started until very, very late in the 69 model year; probably some time in early July at the earliest. Then to have that engine sit around for 8 months until being installed in a car?

Put all these things together and I think there's good reason to be suspicious here.