block stamp question

[Roger B.]

Fellow NCRS Members:
my 1962 block is stamped 03/28/62
The official Production date I received from NCRS says 04/16/62.
Is this the correct stamp?
thanks you

[Patrick B.]

Re: block stamp question

This sequence of dates is perfectly reasonable.

[William C.]

Re: block stamp question

Keep in mind that the date from NCRS was the date the entire car finished the assembly operation as St Louis (MO.) The date on the engine is the date the engine was completed in Flint Michigan, a few hundred miles away. Allowing time for transport, and lack of a "first in-first out" inventory for engines at St Louis, perfectly reasonable.

[Joe M.]

Re: block stamp question

My original 62 block vin 12076 is cast C 21 2, stamped FO 522 RD, so there can be a stretch in time

[William C.]

Re: block stamp question

That's a whole 'nuther can of worms, as the blocks were cast in Saginaw, and trucked down to Flint, the unloaded into piles. a block could stay in the pile for quite a while before it made it onto the engine line for machining and assembly.

[Patrick B.]

Re: block stamp question

That's a whole 'nuther can of worms, as the blocks were cast in Saginaw, and trucked down to Flint, the unloaded into piles. a block could stay in the pile for quite a while before it made it onto the engine line for machining and assembly.

But, it does seem that the vast majority of small blocks were assembled within two weeks of being cast, and the most common time span between being cast and assembled in Flint is 3 days. That said, I had an original low milage 67 327/350 air car (with POP and an original owner who I knew) with a month between the cast and build dates. However, the month did include Christmas and New Years holidays.


The time spans for big blocks are completely different with 4 to 6 weeks as the most common span between casting and assembly with a very wide variation. I have seen original blocks spans between 3 days and 6 months.

[William C.]

Re: block stamp question

Much Higher volume at the Flint plant than plant the Tonawanda facility would explain some of the discrepancy. I went to College in Flint, and the sight of these massive trailers of Blocks rolling into town was impressive to say the least.