69 barn find project
Picked up a 69 small block coupe this week it has been sitting for 22 years in a small garage. The frame and bird cage seem sound. My question is the eng stamp is 31 numbers off from the vin. Reasons I could think of could be a car built during the strike or the original engine failed at the factory and they replaced with another. Any other ideas. I will take a look for the tank sticker but I dought its any good. Ed
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Re: 69 barn find project
If the engine was replaced with a "donor" already stamped for another car on the assembly line -- what became of that second car?
If the engine failed on the assembly line they simply would have drawn another from their stock of engines. The VIN stamp might (or might not) have been not TFP, but there would have been no reason to pull an engine from another already assembled car or chassis. To do the later would have only made additional work unnecessarily.
As to a strike -- what would that have to do with the engine VIN stamp? Some folks have had cars that sat on the assembly line during a work stoppage, and aside from some screwy dates there was nothing unusual. One owner of such a car even wrote a story for The Restorer back in the mid-1990s.
Take a look at the VIN derivative on the transmission. See what it looks like, and we can go from there.
How many previous owners were there, and can you contact them? That would be the best and easiest answer to the dilemma. If you want to post the VINs involved and the cars build date on the trim tag or send them to me via email, I will look at my data base and see if it is close to a work stoppage, or where the two VINs fit in production.
My best guess without all the data -- the original engine went TU, and a replacement was found. Someone just got lucky to find one from a Corvette built close to yours. Others on here would love to have such luck.Terry -
Re: 69 barn find project
What engine/transmission and options do you have in your new 1969?Comment
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Re: 69 barn find project
Sorry for the delay. Here is the info: Vin 194379S725329 Engine pad : 19S725360 V0708HZ Block: 3932388 Transmission 19J171708. Paint 980 Trim ZQ4 Some of the paint has been removed and I see no evidence it was ever Riverside gold. Whats left of paint is dark red. Vette is a 69 small block auto trans. ( No A/C ) Has power brakes and steering. Removable back window and had t-top rack or luggage rack. Thanks edComment
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Re: 69 barn find project
Interesting info. Thanks for sharing. Just off the top of my head:
194379S725329 Sat. July 19 or Monday July 21. Is the trim tag dated L19 or L21? I don't have enough data to tell for sure when production stopped on the 19th or started on the 21st, but #25360 could well have been produced on the same day, but you knew that already.
One work stoppage ended June 9 and there was not another up to the end of 1969 production on December 18.
Transmission number 19J171708 is from something built at (I think) Janesville, Wisconsin. If I am right on that plant (others will be able to verify that) the transmission likely came from a full size 1969 Chevrolet. I would have to do some more research to verify that plant and what they produced in 1969. I am sure others who frequent here know that without looking it up, so I hope they will come forward.TerryComment
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Re: 69 barn find project
Wow great info thanks and yes Trim tag dated J19Comment
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Re: 69 barn find project
OOPS Its L19 Thanks EdComment
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