Rod and Piston Identification

[Dan H.]

Re: Rod and Piston Identification

Patrick, the Vin would not have been available at the Flint plant, they would have only redone the engine code, as they did on my old 63. It's strange that St. Louis would have restamped the engine code over the Vin which wasn't in it's proper area that they normally stamped it. Why all this restamping is a mystery.

[Patrick B.]

Re: Rod and Piston Identification

Patrick, the Vin would not have been available at the Flint plant, they would have only redone the engine code, as they did on my old 63. It's strange that St. Louis would have restamped the engine code over the Vin which wasn't in it's proper area that they normally stamped it. Why all this restamping is a mystery.

I think the 3 is over the F even though the VIN is not stamped as deep. Even if St. Louis modified an engine, they would do it before installing it in the chassis. The VIN was stamped with the engine in the chassis.

[John F.]

Re: Rod and Piston Identification

Thanks everyone for your opinions. If the date sequence of cast date, engine build date and assembly date are reasonable and the fonts look correct, I'm going to assume the block is original. I'm 100% sure it was a FI car but the whole thing is a mystery to me. The car was delivered to Emmert Chevrolet. It was an early car. It was 1962 and the first year since they started producing the corvette that you actually had to pay for the exterior color you wanted (Silver in this case) and the first year for leather (only color saddle) that you had to pay for. The car is actually a pretty cool combo but who orders such a color combination let alone decides to pay for it. And they pay to get it a FI. I've never seen another one like it. I've seen one FI coupe with Silver/Saddle but not a Convertible. My dad thinks it might have been some GM Executive or dealer ordered because of the color combo being the first year. Question for you guys....is it possible that the re-stamp could be because the order was changed during assembly or did that not happen? I'm wondering if it was built as a Low HP car then whoever ordered it decided to change their order to a FI car. Is this possible?

[John F.]

Re: Rod and Piston Identification

Joe- I think you meant to say in your last sentence that "St. Louis" had an extra set of engine codes stamps. What do you see in the engine code stamp that leads you to think it's not a Flint stamp?

[Joe L.]

Re: Rod and Piston Identification

Joe- I think you meant to say in your last sentence that "St. Louis" had an extra set of engine codes stamps. What do you see in the engine code stamp that leads you to think it's not a Flint stamp?

John-------


Yes, that was a mistake on my part. As far as the characters go, they just don't look quite like the Flint stampings I'm used to seeing. It's certainly a very subtle difference and I can't even describe the difference. I guess you could say it's more of a "feeling".

Keep in mind that Flint would not have needed to grind out and re-stamp the code with the heads on. If there was an incorrect code stamped, they could have performed the change with the heads off. Then, the code could have been stamped in the normal location higher on the pad. However, there's also this possibility: perhaps the re-stamping was done at Flint after the engine was fully assembled and performed in the repair area. The repair area might have used a set of stamping dies that was slightly different than those used on the engine assembly line.

[Gene M.]

Re: Rod and Piston Identification

I think the 3 is over the F even though the VIN is not stamped as deep. Even if St. Louis modified an engine, they would do it before installing it in the chassis. The VIN was stamped with the engine in the chassis.

I don't think so. If you look at the sides of the "F" where the character is tapered the "3" does not distort the tapered sides one bit. Clearly the "F" (stamped deeper) is secondary to the "3". Everybody fails to consider a previous owner attempting a "restamp" that realized he screwed up and gave up the project.

In any event the poster has a tuff sell on the judging field as this is not typical factory even for a grind out.

[Patrick B.]

Re: Rod and Piston Identification

John-------


Yes, that was a mistake on my part. As far as the characters go, they just don't look quite like the Flint stampings I'm used to seeing. It's certainly a very subtle difference and I can't even describe the difference. I guess you could say it's more of a "feeling".

Keep in mind that Flint would not have needed to grind out and re-stamp the code with the heads on. If there was an incorrect code stamped, they could have performed the change with the heads off. Then, the code could have been stamped in the normal location higher on the pad. However, there's also this possibility: perhaps the re-stamping was done at Flint after the engine was fully assembled and performed in the repair area. The repair area might have used a set of stamping dies that was slightly different than those used on the engine assembly line.

Big blocks were stamped before the heads were installed, but small blocks were stamped after the heads were installed. Any restamping of a small block would be limited to where the gang holder could clear the head unless the heads were removed for the sake of stamping.

[John F.]

Re: Rod and Piston Identification

Gene- when looking at the photos I posted, I would agree that the "F" does appear to be distorted by the "3" on the left side of the lower portion however it's just the way the photo was taken. I got out my broach buster and looked really close and you can see that the 3 was stamped OVER the F from the indentation it made on the left side in the middle just below the lower horizontal portion of the "F". See attached. Engine Stamp8.jpg

[Gene M.]

Re: Rod and Piston Identification

John, using that much magnification the camera makes the digits look raised vs depressed into the surface. Saying that the upper top loop of the "3" angles inward due to the tapered sides of the "F". That much magnification on the interweb is questionable at best. But to get a more realistic look this needs to be viewed personally. Photos and computer photo resolution is not going to do it.

[John F.]

Re: Rod and Piston Identification

Agreed. I'll have a broach buster here tomorrow and will look at it that way. I'll let you know what I can see.

[John F.]

Re: Rod and Piston Identification

Good Morning Gentlemen! After further review with one of those handy "broach busters" of the engine stamp pad, the VIN number is stamped over the Engine Number. You can clearly see where the "3" was indented into the vertical part of the "F". You can also clearly see the grind marks and how it's tapered in width and depth from the heads on passenger side to the driver side. When you get to the original area where the engine stamp was you can actually see where they had to grind pretty hard to get the incorrect stamp removed. you don't see this on the passenger side of the block which I'm sure is why they stamped the engine number in the middle of the pad. I'd still like to get an opinion from any NCRS Judges out there if they'd approve of the engine stamp. thanks for all your help.

[Patrick B.]

Re: Rod and Piston Identification

Good Morning Gentlemen! After further review with one of those handy "broach busters" of the engine stamp pad, the VIN number is stamped over the Engine Number. You can clearly see where the "3" was indented into the vertical part of the "F". You can also clearly see the grind marks and how it's tapered in width and depth from the heads on passenger side to the driver side. When you get to the original area where the engine stamp was you can actually see where they had to grind pretty hard to get the incorrect stamp removed. you don't see this on the passenger side of the block which I'm sure is why they stamped the engine number in the middle of the pad. I'd still like to get an opinion from any NCRS Judges out there if they'd approve of the engine stamp. thanks for all your help.

I agree with you that the light 3 is stamped over the much deeper F. I think your block is original, but as Gene said it will be a "tuff sell on the judging field" especially because it is a fuelie. I am not an NCRS judge, but I have met people who have had original blocks with anomalies decked and restamped in order to make judges happier. I hope you leave this block as is. Setting aside its likely originality, it would take so much decking to clean a ground pad with a very deep stamping that you would introduce problems with the deck height and manifold fit. If you get so frustrated with judging that you want to improve the pad, get another block to use for that project.

[John F.]

Re: Rod and Piston Identification

Thanks Pat! appreciate the help.