57 FI shortblock

[Verle R.]

An unusual and rare 57 shortblock on Ebay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=7977219677&category=33613

Anyone care to comment about the block?

Verle

[Joe C.]

Re: 57 FI shortblock

"THE DATE CODE IS I 18 56 WHICH IS SEPT 18TH 1956"

I know that Flint smallblocks, for Corvette use, at least in the mid sixties, had a single digit year cast date. I would think that this should apply to mid fifties also.

Joe

[Dennis C.]

Tonnawanda-be...

This bogus anchor cast at Tonnawanda is a non Corvette usage block. What's probably even worse is that the EN code (which was supposed to be for "air box" 57's) has NEVER been verified as actually being used - they used the 383/383 EL code. In any case, if one were to buy this block, the air box car to go with it is going to be pretty expensive, but I'm sure one at a bargain price can be found on eBay.

[Dennis C.]

Ahhh, make that 283/283 EL code... *NM*

[William C.]

Re: Tonnawanda-be...

A Tonawonda block would certainly make for an "unusual one of a kind rare" Corvette engine

[Jack H.]

Also...

look at the pix of the front of the block with the timing cover removed and note the unmistakable 'T' emboss there adjacent to the 'X'...

[Loren L.]

TRULY RARE!! A Tonawanda block

ASSEMBLED in Flint!!

[mike mccagh]

Re: TRULY RARE!! A Tonawanda block

it is my belief that a tonowanda-cast sbc with a "F" on the pad began life in Frostburg(small town near cumberland), not flint. seen em before. facetiously, mikie

[Michael H.]

Re: Tonnawanda-be...

I don't know much about C1 but I always thought 57 engine stamp pad dates were along the same lines as 63-67 with the 1st number(s) being the day of the month and the last two numbers being the month. I thought the first character of the day number was dropped until after the 10th day of the month and then the 2nd digit was used? If that's the case, would that engine have been assembled on January 57th?

[mike cobine]

Re: Tonnawanda-be...

Obviously, Michael, you do not have the brains equal to this fine seller. He knows, of course, that the F157EN means that it is Flint, January, 5, 1957, or maybe they used the rare coding found on special race car orders only, the F- June, 15 - 15th day, 7 - year 1957, since 1967 didn't have 283s in Corvettes (but they did have rare 302s and prototype 350s).

Oops, I didn't read close enough, this is the production code because he says this is F - Flint, so the 157 is the 157th day of production, so that is around the end of January. See, he told us it was an early engine, end of January, that's early in '57.

I like that "1" numeral in there, too.

FITS RIGHT THERE WITH HIS ALL CAPS IN THE DESCRIPTION.

[Dennis C.]

Exactly right Michael, January must have just...

...gone on forever. (Actually, it's month first, day of month second). Let's see - a January 57th, 1957 block, cast in Tonawanda, assembled in Flint, stamped with an alpha suffix never used. This is one RARE item... Think I'll snipe this baby at the last second.

[Gary Chesnut]

Re: TRULY RARE!! A Tonawanda block

Even has a genuine '57 passenger car pan included at no additional cost. Gary #5895....

[Patrick H.]

Re: TRULY RARE!! A Tonawanda block

Well, yes, but they used them in 65 and 72...

Patrick

[KEN BUTCHER]

Re: Tonnawanda-be...

I'm stooped, what makes you think it's from tonnawanda? As far as I know, and I can't see the front of the block, but all flint block's have an oil feed hole with a plug in it just above the timing cover.Tonnawanda blocks don't have that oil plug. All the casting numbers 3731548 - 1957 no side motor mounts I 1856 - I=sept 18=day 56=year are correct, but I do question the engine stamp pad F157EN F=flint is right EN=corvette 283/283HP FI manual trans is right, but the 157 is a problem, it should read as month/day, not month/day/year.example=1 should be 01 for Jan. 57= I don't know of a 57th day of the month, and there is to be no year stamped on the pad. So all in all I don't think you can fake casting numbers and the fact the block has no side motor mount bosses but the stamp pad can be played like a fiddle

[mike cobine]

Re: Tonawanda-be...

Most Flint blocks use a one digit year, while Tonawanda blocks use a two digit year in the date casting.

So a Flint 1 23 4 date for Jan. 23, 1964 would be 1 23 64 for Tonawanda.