Engine Pad Stamp

[John I.]

[David D.]

Re: Engine Pad Stamp

John, I seriously doubt it is the original block to that car. The car's serial number puts it as being assembled around mid-May/1970, but the engine assembly date of V0705, is July 5th. The smaller stamp pad started in 1977, IMO the block was probably cast in 1980, not 1970. I doubt very much the ABT code is on the Protect-O-Plate. The ABT engine code is not a passenger car or truck code, it is probably a code for a marine or stationary engine. FWIW. Dave

[Michael W.]

Just to avoid repetition,

and since the text above is misleading/incorrect-

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1688710

[Joe T.]

Re: Engine Pad Stamp

You can find the casting date (on my big block anyway) behind the left hand cylinder head on the bell housing boss. Not sure if small blocks were cast the same way...

[Chris Patrick]

Re: Engine Pad Stamp

I think someone attempted to get a correctly numbered block to restore the car once before. The year 0 with an -0010 block was correct, they thought, assuming 1970 for the year.

However, the small square pad proves it to be after 1977.

The only ABx suffixes I can find are ABA through ABM which are for 1978 350s in C50, C60, school buses, and with ABH in Impala and ABA in Omega, Monte Carlo, and Malibu.

The pad looks like a real factory stamp of ABT and realistically, who would restamp a block with a assembly date and code that didn't exist?

It is NOT a rebuilder's stamp. Those are usually obvious, looking very much hand stamped.

[John I.]

Re: Engine Pad Stamp

I appreciate the response.

Looks like the short block was replaced with something post 1978, probably from the marine or stationary product line. I wasn't sure what a rebuilders stamp looked like, I tried every source I could find to reference an ABT suffix. Now it looks like I should attend a boat show!

Thanks again.