Help Identify possible block stamp change at factory on a 1964 w/air

[Larry M.]

Re: Help Identify possible block stamp change at factory on a 1964 w/air

I not sure, but maybe one of the posters here can answer, In 63 Trim tag codes there was the a letter that indicates a A/C car. Does 64 have such a code on trim tag??

Yes...............some (but not all) interior codes would denote the presence or absence of various options including air conditioning. This was true in late 1964 (also late 1963), and according to the Al Grenning Book on Trim Tags C60 air conditioning should have been shown for this car due to its very late 1964 St Louis Body build. However, for some reason the trim tag on this car is in the format of cars built much earlier in the year. Yet this trim tag appears legitimate.

It could be I am not interpreting Al's Book correctly...............but it says the same thing in Noland's Book on C2 Restoration. That is after 3/25/64 (to the end of production) the codes for RED VINYL changed to a second table/format. That second table/format includes and excludes air conditioning (and other things). But these second set of codes all begin with G or H. This car's trim tag uses the earlier trim tag codes that begin with A.

The only thing I can conclude is that the second set of codes was not fully implemented by the factory for all cars. Al mentioned that he also seen this occur in his research. Refer to page 29 in his Book on Trim Tags.

Larry

[Harry S.]

Re: Help Identify possible block stamp change at factory on a 1964 w/air

Look at the Trim Tag with A/C I would expect to see 490HQ on a car that late.

[Larry M.]

Re: Help Identify possible block stamp change at factory on a 1964 w/air

Look at the Trim Tag with A/C I would expect to see 490HQ on a car that late.

See Post 15 above.

Larry

[Loren L.]

Re: Help Identify possible block stamp change at factory on a 1964 w/air

Ed, whether or not it would have qualified with this stamp is a question for Mock and the other listed Survivor Judges - how far had the process progressed? I indicated in the 1st year, what I saw wasn't much, but Survivor/Originality judging caught the fancy of many - to the extent of "building" survivor cars, some of which I've seen at Nationals. By 1994, how formal were they? Did they record the stamp?
I'd also point out that this car is more than a 1000 units from the "end"; it's not like late '65, where 2 cars didn't get counted, where they were phasing out both SB & BB casting #s at the end of the year, etc. Catch Wayne sometime and let him tell you a story....
Maybe it's a well-meaning owner in the 90s doing a correction, however misguided.
The Hinckster provides the info on where and when the "D" got there....and would not have been the first mistake on an assembly line staffed by human beings.....

[Harry S.]

Re: Help Identify possible block stamp change at factory on a 1964 w/air

See Post 15 above.

Larry

I did, it's just his opinion.

[James W.]

Re: Help Identify possible block stamp change at factory on a 1964 w/air

Jim,

You have a beautiful car. I have an exact copy of it less the a/c. It has the original 327/300 "RD" stamped block built in January 1964.

Documentation or not, if you are planning to take this car through NCRS FlightJudging please be prepared to take a 25 point deduction for NTFP based on the engine suffix stamp, the rest of the stamp pad based on the quality of your picture looks great.

Keep us posted on what you find out regarding the Bloomington Gold judging sheets.


Best Regards,

James West
Omaha, NE.

[Edward M.]

Re: Help Identify possible block stamp change at factory on a 1964 w/air

I think there is still some effort to determine if this is a factory over-stamp, or was done after the car left the factory.

I guess it would be considered a factory over-stamp if it was done at either the Flint engine plant or the St. Louis assembly plant (although I can't imagine why it would have been done at St. Louis).

Over-stamps did occur, and many of us have seen them. A 73 base motor convertible that I used to own had the last digit of the vin derivative on both the engine and the transmission (automatic) originally stamped with the digit 8, then heavily over-stamped with the digit 7. 7 was the correct last digit for the VIN of the car.

I am still trying to determine if this style of Q (long curving cross bar) was actually used in 1964. So far all of the 1964 engines stamps I have seen (a total of five, four 409 engines, and one 327, 3250 hp Chevelle engine) have all used the short straight cross bar style of Q.

Evidence that the long curving cross bar style of Q WAS used in 1964 (and particularly at the Flint plant) would help support the "possibly factory over-stamp" argument. No conclusion can be made from not finding a 64 engine with the long curing cross bar Q.

The dealership paperwork with the Motor Number with an RD suffix on it tends to support the "after it left the factory over-stamp" argument.

Finding a photo of another Corvette engine assembled on 0618 with an RQ suffix code would probably answer this question. I cannot image the factory needed more than one "RQ" stamp set in a gang holder on any given day.

Either way, the owner has a really beautiful car.

[Jimmy B.]

Re: Help Identify possible block stamp change at factory on a 1964 w/air

30+ years ago I saw a beautiful silver 64 f.i. roadster, the t.i. stamp "X" had been stamped similar to this. Interesting

[Jimmy G.]

Re: Help Identify possible block stamp change at factory on a 1964 w/air

my 2 cents if the factory were to do a change this is exactly how it would be done in my opinion

if the car has all the other signs of an a/c car it should be OK Just my opinion

[Jim S.]

Re: Help Identify possible block stamp change at factory on a 1964 w/air

Thanks guys, that's my take on it exactly. Everything else is a match and yes the car looks like it just came off the show room floor. She will be in my family for a long long time. I will be enjoying taking her to shows and showing off the pictures of Mario Andretti next to here.....lol


Jim

[Jim S.]

Re: Help Identify possible block stamp change at factory on a 1964 w/air

I just wanted to let everyone know. I found a guy in the corvette forum who purchase a 64 (air)coupe from the original owner back in 1993. He had it judged at Bloomington as a survivor (same year) and it had the over stamping same as mine with the Q for air. He said they called all the judges ever to look at it in amazement. He doesn't have the car anymore, but it was nice to fine another like mine. Wish I could get a copy of that pad stamp. Anyway maybe we will see another some day........

Thanks
Jim

[Dan A.]

Re: Help Identify possible block stamp change at factory on a 1964 w/air

Does he have the VIN to share in order to try and locate the car?

[Jim S.]

Re: Help Identify possible block stamp change at factory on a 1964 w/air

I don't think so, the car is long gone.

[Dan A.]

Re: Help Identify possible block stamp change at factory on a 1964 w/air

Seems od that someone that was sufficiently involved the Corvette hobby that they purchased a car they recognized as significant and had judged as a Survivor at Bloomington would not have retained something that would yield the VIN. But that appears to be the case here.

There is the possibility that who ever he insured the car with would have that information in their records. That is one possible lead.

[Gene M.]

Re: Help Identify possible block stamp change at factory on a 1964 w/air

Seems od that someone that was sufficiently involved the Corvette hobby that they purchased a car they recognized as significant and had judged as a Survivor at Bloomington would not have retained something that would yield the VIN. But that appears to be the case here.

There is the possibility that who ever he insured the car with would have that information in their records. That is one possible lead.

If these two cars were judged at Bloomington then Bloomington will have survivor results records on both of them. As the owner should be able to verify the records with Bloomington. There should be no questions here only facts. Also insurance company would have records of at least the VIN. Any previous NCRS judging would also have VIN and engine build on the sheets. The he said or she said is not documented verification and I know if it were my car would not be satisfaction enough for me. You just need to pursue it more.