62 motor--plausible scenario?

[Mike E.]

I looked at a vehicle yesterday that the present owner has had since 1963. He says that in 1962 the previous owner bought a 327 to put in it instead of the original 283.
In looking it over, it is a complete Corvette 327/300 from pan to air cleaner. It is stamped F05XXRD. The broach marks are as genny as can be. There is no VIN stamped on the pad. Could you go down to your Chevy dealer and buy a complete 62 motor like that. Would it be a warranty motor from a 62 Vette? How did you get it from pan to air cleaner complete like that?

[Dick W.]

Re: 62 motor--plausible scenario?

Mike, you could buy a long block with that had the machine code on it, I do not remember if you could buy engine assemblies at that time or not.

[Mike M.]

Re: 62 motor--plausible scenario?

mike: yes to your question. helped a friend buy an 870 that was bought new over the counter, complete, in 1964 and installed in a 32 ford. friend bought it and it ended up in a duntov 64 FI.mike

[Wes S.]

Re: 62 motor--plausible scenario?

The General sold motor to the boat industry, have a '62 340 horse motor that came out of a Chris-Craft, only thing it was missing was the oil pan and waterpump. Has assembly date and not vin.

[William C.]

Re: 62 motor--plausible scenario?

In the mid 60's Gratiot auto supply in Detroit sold everything from shortblocks to complete engines, new from GM.

[Steven B.]

Re: 62 motor--plausible scenario?

Mike, I bought a long block 283 in mid 60's about 30 miles from Concordia. At the time I had the option of buying a complete engine over the counter from the Chevy dealer.

Steve

[Joe L.]

Re: 62 motor--plausible scenario?

I looked at a vehicle yesterday that the present owner has had since 1963. He says that in 1962 the previous owner bought a 327 to put in it instead of the original 283.
In looking it over, it is a complete Corvette 327/300 from pan to air cleaner. It is stamped F05XXRD. The broach marks are as genny as can be. There is no VIN stamped on the pad. Could you go down to your Chevy dealer and buy a complete 62 motor like that. Would it be a warranty motor from a 62 Vette? How did you get it from pan to air cleaner complete like that?

Mike------

During a model year, complete PRODUCTION engines of that model year only can usually be purchased "over-the-counter". These are complete PRODUCTION engines just like the ones that the engine plants shipped to the vehicle assembly plants and carrying the same PRODUCTION codes. Of course, no VIN derivative is stamped because these engines never got to a vehicle assembly plant. This has been going on for as long as I remember and, as far as I know, continues to this very day. However, as I mentioned, the engines are only available during the model year that they are manufactured for. If GMSPO carries any inventory of these, at all, it must be small.

These engines are not cataloged in the P&A Catalogs. Instead, they are supplied to dealers through some "special" sort of channel, but they do have assembly part numbers. Some dealers know about it and other don't (or, they've been informed of it and paid no attention).

[Jack H.]

Re: 62 motor--plausible scenario?

Wow, Gratiot Auto Supply! That brings back childhood memories of Joe Muir's restaurant and the Strohs brewery...

[Art A.]

Re: 62 motor--plausible scenario?

Wow, Gratiot Auto Supply! That brings back childhood memories of Joe Muir's restaurant and the Strohs brewery...

.........and VernorS, downtown JL Hudsons and of course Edge Water Park.............just a few more.

Sad!

[Duke W.]

Re: 62 motor--plausible scenario?

I recall a friend's older brother buying a '63 327/340 and installing it in a '55 Chevy. It cost about five hundred bucks. About all he had to do was add an AFB, air cleaner, throttle linkage, and coolant hoses. The 2.5" manifolds would not bolt to the '55 exhaust system, and I can't remember what he did, but I think he used the orignal fan, generator, and associated bracketry and wiring.

Duke