71 454 correct casting codes

[onedjinthecity]

I own a 71 vette . I have a unusual situation I am trying to learn about . It appears that the casting number on the engine is correct and all other numbers on the car make sense except for the engine number pad . Those numbers read correct , but my concern is they have been ground and restamped supposedly at the factory in St Louis . According to what I know, Tonawanda is to have salvaged cylinder cases from failed engine assemblies and restamped the cases . I have a copy out of the (3rd edition ) NCRS judging manual that states that . This is a situation I am very concerned about,and am wanting soom help clearifing or cofirmination about .

Thanks Dj

[Joe L.]

Re: 71 454 correct casting codes

Dj------

Yes, such alterations did occur at the factories, both the engine plants and the assembly plants. Sometimes, if only one character of the stamping was in error, they would "X-out" the incorrect character and stamp the correct one above it. In fact, I think that this was the "official" GM policy of how mis-stampings were to be corrected if only one character were in error. Otherwise, the entire stamping was ground out with a die grinder (sometimes, very crudely) and the correct stamping applied in the ground out area or on a "fresh" area.

However, I would not expect to see BOTH the engine code and the VIN derivative so-affected. The only way that could happen would be if the guy doing the grinding at the engine plant ground down the entire pad area so that the assembler at St. Louis was "forced" to stamp the VIN derivative in a ground area. I strongly doubt that scenario.