1957 engine stamping

[Paul S.]

I'll be the first to admit it , i am not real familiar with 57's. Here's my question , i assume the engine stamp is gang stamped like later cars ( mid years etc)?? A friend and i looked at a fuelie (barn find) and we were not sure if it had the numbers/letters in a rack when it was stamped . I wasn't sure if it was correct or not. Any thoughts ?

[Mike M.]

Re: 1957 engine stamping

Paul: I sent u a PM. mike mccagh

[Paul S.]

Re: 1957 engine stamping

Thanks mike

[Garrett K.]

Re: 1957 engine stamping

I would be interested to see the answer to this question. Can you post the answer on this thread so everyone can see the reply?
Thanks.
Garrett

[Perry M.]

Re: 1957 engine stamping

I would also like to know the answer to this question. Why does it need to be a secret.

[William B.]

Re: 1957 engine stamping

It not a secret, please review judging manual for 56-57 and it shows numbers on pad were not gang stamped. It may be true most people do not want to share their stamping on a public form

[Don H.]

Re: 1957 engine stamping

Is it also illustrated and described in Noland V.1 ?
I don't have my copy nearby to check.

[Todd H.]

Re: 1957 engine stamping

If it's in Noland's book I haven't been able to find it, Don.

I guess I need to catch up on my Judging manuals since I'm still referring to my 4th edition, and I see the most current is the 6th. So maybe this has changed, but my 4th edition says "1957 engine stamps used a five digit holder for the suffix only and when a sixth digit was required it was struck individually." Which is certainly the way the stamp on my original engine '57 579C appears:

[Dan P.]

Re: 1957 engine stamping

This my theory .May not be correct. Yes some of the motors had the 6th digit hand stamped . But take into consideration motors assembled in 1956 with 7 characters . I have had or seen a LOT of 57 motors .I had an 2x4 engine assembled in 56 with 7 characters and all lined up perfectly. Gang stamped.All the passenger cars were gang stamped some with 6 and some with 7 characters.ALL the blocks came down the same line.GM had had full time tool and dies makers. It would take a tool and die maker a very short time to make a 7 character holder . Can you imagine the time it would take in 1956 to stamp the last 2 characters by hand and what it would look like .I am very familiar with suing stamps and it would be almost impossible to stamp the the last 2 digits by hand and have them line up.At least it is for me . Here is my theory the guy stamping the blocks just stamped a block with a E code . 1957 Passenger car 4 barrel standard transmission . The next block he does is a Corvette so he already has the the holder set up and so he stamps it and the adds the the suffix for the Corvette making the 6th character hand stamped. SO both ways are correct.

[Mike M.]

Re: 1957 engine stamping

dan: I too have seen many , many junk yard blocks from 56 and 57's whose pads were gang stamped. i've seen some 56 and 57 corvettes(on the judging fields) with the last +/or 2nd to last alpha in the suffix stamped by hand. I suspect a good many of these out of line stampings started life in pass cars, then during a corvette restoration, the desired alpha was added by a restorer.(which may or may not be stamped "in line").
I personally have(or had) 3 57 FI cars(2 vets and a 210 post) that have what I'm convinced have born with blocks, and all 3 were almost certainly gang stamped. I also have a 57 FI vet that I'm certain isn't original to the car. I hand stamped the "E" pass car block years ago, and as almost always occurs, the L suffix is cocked. I suppose your example an "E" pass car that got gang stamped, and followed by a 57 engine, could be hand stamped on the assembly line by a GM employee taking a short cut. doubt we'll ever know for sure, but I certainly like total gang stampings in the 56-7 corvettes. regards, mike

[Dan P.]

Re: 1957 engine stamping

I had 57 Corvette EH block that i believe was 100% original stamp . The H was out of line just like the one in the JM.This was a standard bore block with original paint and on the side of the block were the paint came off it had written in Crayon EH. The EH was under the paint.

[Mike M.]

Re: 1957 engine stamping

dan: i looked in the current JM and couldn't find the photo of the EH stamping. is the photo in an older JM or



dan: i looked thru the current JM and couldn't find any photos of a crooked H stamping. i couldnt find any stamp pad photos in nolands book. is the photo u refer to in one of the older 56-7 JM's? regards, mike

[Dan P.]

Re: 1957 engine stamping

Page 49 5TH edition . I did not see it in the 6th edition

[Mike M.]

Re: 1957 engine stamping

dan: i looked all over for the 5th edition. i musta given it away or tossed it. i'll see if i can get that edition as i can't recall the text but do recall the photo . thanks, mike

[Edward M.]

Re: 1957 engine stamping

Direct from the 5th edition manual