"Beginner" 67 Vette Questions

[Scott]

[Wayne W.]

Re: "Beginner" 67 Vette Questions

Sound a little close to me. What are the dates?

[Terry M.]

[Tom B.]

Re: "Beginner" 67 Vette Questions

Scott,


I'm not sure that you have one reference book that would be of value to you. It's by Nolan Adams, "The Complete Corvette Restoration and Technical Guide - Vol. 2 1963 Through 1967". I think Wayne and Terry have already covered the date and stamping for your engine assembly and block already, but additionally there are examples of engine block cast dates and their corresponding stamped engine assembly dates listed at the end of the yearly chapters in Nolan's book. A few of the small block examples will show an engine assembly within one day of the casting date.


As you've already noticed, the HE designation compared to the K19 option listed on your build sheet seems to be a contradiction. I suppose there's the chance that your engine pad was mistakenly stamped or possibly an error occured with what your build sheet called for. Additional information from Nolan's book states that the 327/300 HH (K19) engines had different carbureators and distributors than the 327/300 HE (non-K19). If you can determine yours to be original to your car then you may want find which direction things will point.


The build sheet (tank sticker) that you have found, I would remove and preserve since they are considered to be an important piece of documentation for your car. Which best way to accomplish that may be up to you, since I have no "best way" suggestion. Hope this has helped. TBarr #24014

[Scott]

Re: "Beginner" 67 Vette Questions

Wayne,


Our build date is "V0403HE" and the casting date is "D037".

[Wayne M.]

Re: "Beginner" 67 Vette Questions

Terry --- Could this be a case where de-coding the casting "clock" (ie. postion of dial and type of screw) should at least show an "early-in-the-day" cast, to give credence to the "assembled-later-same-day" assembly scenario ?

[Jack H.]

Re: "Beginner" 67 Vette Questions

Terry, if memory serves, Saginaw's Grey Iron process, while discrete, is virtually continuous. Why shut down pour buckets and smelter lines once they're up to temp? Hence, it's common for steel/glass fab lines to run round the clock making three shifts/day....


You remember geography correct! It's about 30 miles from Saginaw to Flint....


Engine plant could run 3-shifts per day, but is rather easy to cut back to 2 or 1 shift and duck the shift premium pay.


Where all this is going, is I too have seen the occassional 'renegade' where casting and engine assy was done on the same day. In the two case where I observed this, the block's casting clock indicated third shift build from the night before (just after midnight).


Seems to imply, things went 'just right' and block was cast at the start of the day (literally), picked up by morning truck to Flint, and fed the line there for 2nd/3rd shift....

[Jack H.]

Bottom line

Both Terry McManmon and I speculate further on the same day engine phenomenon in this thread. But, if the other dated parts seem to fall into place and you're happy with the car, don't get overly anxious. NCRS Rules allow 0-6 month before final assembly with the benefit of the doubt ALWAYS going to the owner.


But, if it's 'eating' on you (the same day engine mystery), go check the cylinder case's casting clock. If it shows a late 2nd or 3rd shift pour on the date the pad was wacked at Flint, it's time to believe there's a real 'funny' here....

[Patrick H.]

Re: "Beginner" 67 Vette Questions

Also, not to confuse the issue even further, but there are documented instances of the wrong sticker being on the wrong car. 1967 was the first year for this, and later years improved.


Just a thought, not necessarily saying it is the fact here. You may see if a handwritten Job number is written on the sticker, and if it matches the Job number written elsewhere on the car.


Patrick Hulst

[Terry M.]

Re: "Beginner" 67 Vette Questions

Scott,


I think Jack and Wayne have hit the nail on the head. Checking Noland's book for the casting clock ought to help confirm the chance of start of day cast, end of day assembly. Jack may be closer to actual shifts than I. My casting experience was in research - not production. We tried to avoid visiting the production shops. Talk about the fringes of hades - I hope modernization and mechanization has improved those conditions. If so, some of my work helped.


From the date you posted it looks like there is little chance of reading error.


As someone said, no reason to be upset. These kind of things happen and an experienced judge will comment, smile and move on. Those folks were building engines - lots and lots of engines. They had a system - a darn good one - sometimes it was so good it surprises us.


Terry

[Wayne W.]

Re: "Beginner" 67 Vette Questions

So much for seasoning a block.