Tonawanda plant overspray on L/71?

[Tracy C.]

There is no stamp pad the engine in the pic ?!

Just a faint shadow where it should be.

Hmmm..

[Steve Antonucci]

Re: There is no stamp pad the engine in the pic ?!

Tracy?

Are we looking at the same thing? I see the engine stamp pad immediately
behind the right side waterpump mounting.

Steve

[Steve Antonucci]

Re: Tonawanda plant overspray on L/71?

Yes Michael,

The '66 425hp option would have been an L/72 ( 427 ) - right?

But this seems to fly right in the face of Chevrolet's mandate not to install
427's in anything other that Corvettes & full size cars. If the Chevelle,
and ultimately the Camaro replaced the full sized cars, it would seem that the
427 would have been a logical progression for those cars.

Steve

[Tracy C.]

Re: There is no stamp pad the engine in the pic ?!

Look closely at an enlarged picture. That looks like a mere shadow to me. I can see the upper edge of the RH waterpump mount flange in the darkened area.

[Michael H.]

Re: Tonawanda plant overspray on L/71?

Yes, that's correct Steve. The 66 passenger car 425 HP was called an L72. I once owned a blacl Caprice with an L72 and it had chrome valve covers. Also had the Corvette style exhaust manifolds. I don't remember for sure what the L72 option number became for the 67 Chevrolet, if it changed at all.

The 3x2 setup that was considered for Camaro was to be installed on the 396 engine.

GM still had a HP to weight ratio rule that no one ever quite understod completely so for at least the 65-69 era, there would be no 427's in litle cars. (well, there WERE those 69 Camaros with the all AL Zl1 engines, but that was a poorly guarded secret)

[Michael H.]

Re: There is no stamp pad the engine in the pic ?!

Tracy,

Difficult to see but it's there. It looks like a vertical continuation of the block but it's actually the stamp pad.

[Tom R.]

These guys are good!

That's it

[Steve Antonucci]

Re: Tonawanda plant overspray on L/71?

An even better secret was the COPO program for Camaros & Chevelles.....

Hold on a second here! Corvette style exhaust manifolds on a Caprice?
Man, I'd love to see documentation on that car. Give the judges real heartburn!

Up through 1969, the L/72 was the 427-425hp. Only descenting year that I
know of was the '65 396-425hp ( also called the L/72 I believe ).

Steve

[Verne Frantz]

Re: Tonawanda plant overspray on L/71?

The '65 396/425 was ID'd as L-78 I believe.

Verne

[Steve Antonucci]

Re: Tonawanda plant overspray on L/71?

You're correct Verne. My mistake.

I remember thinking that the L/78 was always 375hp, then I dug up the
396-425hp in 1965.

Thanks for correcting me.

Steve

[Nick Culkowski]

Re: Tonawanda plant overspray on L/71?

I am with Bill on this one. If I saw an engine with finishes exactly like this on the judging field I would seriously wonder about what was in the Judge's breakfast. How do you spell psyKa-deliK?

[William C.]

Re: Tonawanda plant overspray on L/71?

It's real, check the parts book, '66 Pass car used the Corvette manifolds, '67 Pass car used a pass car unique setup.

[Verne Frantz]

Re: Tonawanda plant overspray on L/71?

Or I guess one could say the Corvette used Passenger car manifolds (since they were the same) but that doesn't quite roll off the tongue with the same reverence I guess.

[William C.]

Re: Tonawanda plant overspray on L/71?

Corvette just used them over a longer period of time. I was researching a mainfold for a fellow I know who is the original Owner of a '66 427/425 and had to chase down the exhaust manifold numbers for him, only to find it's clearly stated in the Paragon catalog!