Side Pipes and Big Blocks per Model Year

[Brian D.]

I'm confused; please help... which of the following statements are accurate?

1) 1967 has no side pipe cars in A.O. Smith bodies.
2) 1967 has no big block cars in A.O. Smith bodies.
3) 1965 and/or 1966 has no side pipe cars in A.O. Smith bodies.
4) 1965 and/or 1966 has big block cars in A.O. Smith bodies.

I was at an auction and sale corral today, but did not have access to (and do not own) judging manuals. I was thinking that the body source on the trim tag would point out an incorrect big block or side pipe configuration in certain model years.
Thanks!!

[Mike E.]

Re: Side Pipes and Big Blocks per Model Year

I'm confused; please help... which of the following statements are accurate?

1) 1967 has no side pipe cars in A.O. Smith bodies.
2) 1967 has no big block cars in A.O. Smith bodies.
3) 1965 and/or 1966 has no side pipe cars in A.O. Smith bodies.
4) 1965 and/or 1966 has big block cars in A.O. Smith bodies.

I was at an auction and sale corral today, but did not have access to (and do not own) judging manuals. I was thinking that the body source on the trim tag would point out an incorrect big block or side pipe configuration in certain model years.
Thanks!!

I'm not sure its stated in the JM that way but what you posted is what I believe to be true. Smith didn't have tooling for N14 sidepipes. This is from page 25 of John Hinckley Midyear Corvette Assembly Process Document.

The birdcage tooling furnished to A.O. Smith didn’t include the air over-hydraulic piercing tool and dies to create the clearance notches in the steel birdcage sill panels for the N14 sidepipe option, so no orders for units specifying sidepipes were ever allocated to A.O. Smith; bodies for those units were all built at St. Louis.

A.O. Smith could also not get the Stinger correct on the 1967 cars. From page 26 of the same document.

The A.O. Smith Paint Shop physical layout wasn’t conducive to the time-consuming and labor-intensive masking required to paint the contrasting colors on the ’67 big-block “stinger” hood and header panel, and their personnel were never able to master the masking process successfully. As a result, it’s generally accepted that only a few very early ’67 big-block bodies (or none at all) were built at A.O. Smith.

Mike

[Larry M.]

Re: Side Pipes and Big Blocks per Model Year

Agree with Mike.

Larry

[Don H.]

Re: Side Pipes and Big Blocks per Model Year

1) True
2) True
3) True
4) True


(did I win?)

Twinkie!!

Twinkie is half eaten. I'll share what's left, no problem...even though he did not answer 4)

[Gary C.]

Re: Side Pipes and Big Blocks per Model Year

And from the 65 Judging Guide "The introduction of side mounted exhaust is not precisely known. Research indicates the probable availability is around VIN 10000."

[Brian D.]

Re: Side Pipes and Big Blocks per Model Year

1) True 2) True 3) True 4) True
(did I win?)

Yes, Don, although I was looking for verification myself. I was thinking no midyear side pipes were on AOS at all, but did not know. Somebody loses though, because one of the items I saw at auction was a 66 BB coupe with side pipes and an A.O. Smith trim tag...

[John H.]

Re: Side Pipes and Big Blocks per Model Year

Yes, Don, although I was looking for verification myself. I was thinking no midyear side pipes were on AOS at all, but did not know. Somebody loses though, because one of the items I saw at auction was a 66 BB coupe with side pipes and an A.O. Smith trim tag...

Brian -

Simple - that's called "added sidepipes".

From Brian's original list,

1) 1967 has no side pipe cars in A.O. Smith bodies.
2) 1967 has no big block cars in A.O. Smith bodies.
3) 1965 and/or 1966 has no side pipe cars in A.O. Smith bodies.
4) 1965 and/or 1966 has big block cars in A.O. Smith bodies.

All four are correct - winner gets a Twinkie.

[Larry M.]

Re: Side Pipes and Big Blocks per Model Year

Mike Eby was the first with the correct answer, although not in a tabulated format. I think he deserves the prize.

Larry