1957 4speed Rear End Casing Stamp Question ? BA stamp?

[Steven S.]

Hi Members. Happy Sunday to all of you. I just bought a 1957 4 speed, 245hp Corvette, and I am confused about the rear end casing stamp. The car was built around late April or early May of 1957. The motor is original, as well as the 4 speed transmission.

I am confused about the rear end case stamping. The casting on the rear end is #3725899, with a date of J 16 6. I think the stamp reads something like - BA 10 19, but it is not very legible.

Thank you, Steve

[Tom P.]

Re: 1957 4speed Rear End Casing Stamp Question ? BA stamp?

Steve,

Your 899 case is for an open (NON-posi) rear----------------MADE AT THE BUFFALO (NY) plant. Corvettes got rears ONLY from the Detroit Gear and Axle plant.
According to your BA 10 19 stamp, it would be from a passanger car (from Buffalo). (57 Vette rear codes are AE, AH, AN, AP, AQ, The following were with HD brakes AS, AT, AU)
BA is for a 3.70/3sp PASSENGER car non-posi ratio. And the 10 19 is an ASSEMBLY date of Oct 19 (the year is NOT in the stamped code). Since the 899 case was used for several years, it could have come from a 57-later pass car. So, look at the CASTING DATE (next to the 3725899 casting number) to get the YEAR.
Thus, it would APPEAR that at sometime in the past, the rearend center section got replaced with a pass car rear.