corvette engine?

[Joe L.]

Re: corvette engine?

Bill-----

I don't know of a single publication that does. However, the "lime green book" by Ed McComas and available through the NCRS bookstore does provide many engine suffix codes. The several volumes of Alan Colvin's Chevrolet By The Numbers provide block casting number information.

[William C.]

Re: Go Here

There are worse things than owing a 350hp chevelle or similar engine.

[Joe L.]

Re: corvette engine?

Douglas-----

The VIN derivative should be stamped on the same pad that you see the "T0820HV" stamping. By 1969, I thought that most passenger cars got the VIN derivative. However, they may still have been following the "only over 300 hp" for VIN derivative stamping. Or, it's possible that this engine was originally a complete SERVICE engine assembly and was not originally installed in a passenger car. Usually, those engines had the "CE" coding, but it's possible that some received the regular PRODUCTION coding.

In any event, the casting number confirms this as the 1969 255 hp/ 350 CID passenger car application.

[Mike Cobine]

Re: Go Here

It depends on your goal.

If you want to drive and have fun, a small block is a small block, and you can build almost any of them fast. On the fun factor, I'd rank my old '63 covertible I had with a .040 over 283. It was good for 135 mph with a 3.70 rear and it saw the high side of 100 frequently.

If I still had it, I couldn't get much at all for it on eBay today - not just a non-original engine, it isn't even the right size.

[Kevin Whiteley]

Re: corvette engine?

Doug,

One of my reference books lists the 3932388 for 1969 Passenger 350/300hp and Camaro 302/290hp and 350/300hp cars. Another reference indicates that it could have been used on 69 Corvettes.

T0820 indicates that it was assembled at Tonawanda (T) on August 20 (0820). The HV is a code for Passenger car 350/255hp coupled with a Turbohydramatic 350. I don't know where the cast date code is positively, but you could look on the passenger side top bellhousing flange.

Others may have more info. Hope this helps.

[Warren F.]

Engine suffix and casting numbers

Bill:

How to Hot Rod your Chevy Big Block and How to Build a Chevy Small Block books, by Tom Wilson. Both books have sections with all the engine suffix's as well as block, head, intake, pistons, crankshafts and other casting numbers. They also state the years and models of Chevrolets that these numbers were used in.

[Joe L.]

Re: corvette engine?

Kevin-----

Yes, the GM casting #3932388 was used for many 1969 applications. However, the Tonawanda prefix code and the "HV" suffix code narrow this one down to the 255 hp passenger car application.

[DouglasVesey]

Re: corvette engine?

It's cool that it's a '69 350/300hp. Like I said, if it WERE an ORIGINAL corvette engine, I would have probably done the right thing and sold it to whoever had the car that it was originally installed. I would have wanted to make it's owner and the car happy. :-) A numbers matching vette is more satisfying than having the engine in a daily driver. I would have bought a crate engine and still been happy.
It's still a corvette engine. Like I said, it was to replace an engine in a vette that caught fire.
I LOVE this engine and the way it runs in my El Camino. I'm going to have it dyno'd in State College, Pa, and there is a drag strip up there too that I will hit once I reach the 500 mile brake in on the new rebuild.
TRUST ME, I am not dissapointed with this engine at all. It's a sreamer. WAY better than the 185hp 350's that most people have to start with.
It's funny about it being a replacement for a vette that caught fire, because I put it in my Elky and IT caught fir as well! lol So I had the following work done,,,,
I have an edelbrock intake, 650 carb, it's been bored .030, 442/420 blue racer cam, heads ground, crank pollished, balanced and a built 350thm that gets second EASILY. Not just a shift kit, it has been rebuilt by the trany GOD here in Altoona, and has 4-in-1 street fighter gears, with 3.88 limited slip rear end.
Thanx for all the help Dudes. Maybe I'll be back with a vette of my own one day.
LATER
dug
P.S. let's see if the link to my pics page works this time. I'm proud of the job I've done on the rebuild.

http://http://www.elcaminocentral.com/modules.php?set_albumName=album139&op=modload&name=Gallery&file=index&include=view_album.php

[Bill Stephenson]

Re: corvette engine?

Joe,

------If this 350 was intended for a 69 Camaro might it have had the VIN stamped down on the side of the block. It seems I remember that this was done at some assembly plants and not at others.............Bill S

[Dick W.]

Re: corvette engine?

Bill, if I remember correctly, the VIN could be stamped on a machined boss near the oil filter

[Joe L.]

Re: corvette engine?

Bill-----

This engine suffix code of "HV" should be a passenger car. However, it's very possible that they were VIN-derivative stamped in other areas besides the stamp pad.

[DouglasVesey]

Re: corvette engine?

Ok so I guess the link to my page doesn't work here. It's cool.
Let me know if I need to look elsewhere for another VIN derivitive stamp. As I have said before, this was supposed to be a replacement engine. It's OBVIOUSLY from Tonowanda, and the rest doesn't really matter. I guess that is what is throwing everybody off. I just wanted to know, once and for all, what exactly I had.
Thanx for all your help.
dug

[Warren F.]

Re: corvette engine?

Bill:

You surmise, correctly. Camaros built at the Van Nuys plant in January 1969 and on, did indeed have the vin # derivative stamped down by the oil filter boss. Unfortunately, this was not a machined area, and it is stamped into a rough surface casting area. The engine block stamp pad area contained only the assembly date info.

Looking forward to Carlisle!

[John H.]

Re: Not Corvette

Doug -

With a "T" (Tonawanda) prefix on the pad stamp, it was cast, machined, and assembled at Tonawanda, so it's not a Corvette engine; Tonawanda never built any small-block Corvette engines. All Corvette small-blocks were built at Flint V-8 Engine, and had an "F" prefix through '66, and "V" starting in '67 (including the small number of 8180 block castings from Tonawanda used in '65).

[DouglasVesey]

Re: corvette engine?

I looked all around the oil filter and all I can see is what looks like a k? and an N right above it. Not sure about the k part. But that's all I can see, unless there is something on the round top part.