1969 Corvette

[Jay C Morrison]

What is the chanch that a 69 Corvette convertable with the last vin numbers 700143 could be one of the first made for that year. Here is one for you!!
A 69 corvett coupe L 15 code with dated 1968 angle plug heads.Also a strange engine block number CE 1249 and a 3,1 at a right angle to the number. rear block# H200 Gm 3970010 left side 28. This motor has a holley carb and alu. intake and 280 psi. compression. Could CE mean counter exchange or counter experimental? Why no suffex letters?

[Duke W.]

Re: 1969 Corvette

"CE" would indicate a replacement block - could be warranty. Angle plug heads were not used on any production '69 engines.

Compression pressure of 280 psi is abnormally high. Can you clarify how this was derived.

Duke

[Joe L.]

Re: 1969 Corvette

Jay-----

The 1969 VIN derivative that you describe is a very early-build 1969; the 143rd Corvette built for the model year and probably built during the first day or two of production.

The engine is a replacement. The "CE" refers to "Chevrolet Engine" and was a the prefix code used for over-the-counter or warranty replacement engine assemblies. The numbers following the "CE" are the sequential build number for the engine from a series assigned to the particular engine plants for such engines.

The engine block was cast on August 20, 1970.

[Chuck G.]

Re: 1969 Corvette

The "010" block is a 350CI block. The CE is a replacement, and if I remember correctly the next digit, "1" refers to the 71 model year, which would follow as the block was cast in August 70. The next numbers are the "sequential" assembly numbers...the order in which the blocks were assembled, and have nothing to do with their internal configuration. To open an old "debate" regarding "CE", I've heard Chevrolet Engine, Customer Exchange, and Counter (as in parts counter) Exchange. Any others? Chuck

[james Kekeisen]

Re: 1969 Corvette

In a 1969 original small block engine/chassis installation will the last 5 numbers of the engine block stamping (ie the VIN derivative) be identical to that of the last 5 numbers of the vehicle's VIN number?

[Jack H.]

"Crate Engine" is another.... *NM*

[Joe L.]

Re: 1969 Corvette

Chuck-----

I believe that this "mystery" of the meaning of the "CE" acronym or code was solved a while back by the same person that revealed the meaning of the digit sequence following the code. As I recall, the "CE" was established to denote "Chevrolet Engine". The person was even able to provide information regarding what series of numbers were assigned to each engine plant. This should all be somewhere in the archives. Vaguely, I recall that it might have been Terry McManmon who posted it.

[John H.]

Re: 1969 Corvette - "CE" Number Decoding

Joe -

We have this posted on our CRG (Camaro Research Group) website at www.camaros.org, in the FAQ section, as follows:

Q: [14-Jan-2000] New: How were replacement engines and transmissions coded?

A: Quoting from a Chevrolet Dealer Service Information Bulletin dated 14 April, 1969:

The first letter will designate the GM division which produced the engine. C-Chevrolet L-Oldsmobile K-Cadillac B-Buick P-Pontiac
The second letter will designate the type of unit "E" engine or "T" transmission. The number following the letter will designate the model year "9" for 1969. The last five digits specify the service replacement unit sequence number. The group of numbers to be used by Chevrolet manufacturing plants [for engines, CRG] are as follows:

Flint motor plant (L-6 engines) 00001 to 19999
Flint V-8 engine plant 20000 to 49999
Tonawanda motor plant 50000 to 79999

Example: Number CE900175 designates Chevrolet engine - 1969 year, and the 175th unit produced for service at the Flint motor plant.

This numbering system applies to service engine assemblies, partial engines, fitted cylinder cases, cylinder cases, transmission assemblies and transmission cases.

The reference further states that all Hydra-Matic transmissions are coded "H" regardless of division produced for. (End of Quote)

This was the released configuration/procedure to be followed by the engine plants, but it was not always followed "to the letter", and frequently had other numbers and letters which were internal codes whose meaning has been "lost" since Flint Engine closed. Within only a few months, Flint revised the numbering such that the first digit after "CE" was a number, representing the model year, but they added a second letter digit representing the month of the year ("A"=January, etc.), and additional letters and numbers have been noted following the "how many built" number sequence as well, whose meaning is unknown.

[Terry M.]

Re: 1969 Corvette *TL*

CE = Chevrolet Engine per the Chevrolet supplied information sent to dealers at the time. Any of the other terminology used could also have origins in the vernacular of the time. However, as someone else said....."A rose by any other name is still a rose."

Someone in the messages above posted, correctly, that a group of numbers were assigned to each engine plant. They then built each service replacement engine and partial engine and stamped them all in sequence. So all that number will tell you is that this engine, or partial engine (the number will not tell you if it was assembled as a complete motor or partial) was number xxxxx in the sequence. If one knew how many service replacement assemblies were built by that engine plant in a year, one might guess where in the year the assembly was produced...but to what end?

The casting date(s) will provide similar information, and more accurately.

BTW: I am not aware of the numbers of service replacement engine assemblies produced at any of the engine plants.