1960 Block

[Jim D.]

Re: 1960 Block

Update:
The owner of #1322 sent me a new picture of his pad after it was nice and clean and free of paint and grime. It does appear to be a restamp. With this new info. the earliest car I've found with the VIN stamp is #1617 which was built in Dec. 59 and I have 3 other Dec. cars after that one that are VIN stamped as well. That lines up with the timeline that Loren posted above. If everything else is correct (the first car built after the strike was VIN stamped and the month end car numbers are accurate) we can assume that #1455 is that car. I hope it's as simple as that.
Thanks to Loren and the others that have sent me info. & pics. in my attempt to figure this out.

[Al E.]

Re: 1960 Block

Great info. I was over the guys house to look at the block the other night and the block has no VIN. The eng stamping is placed more to the left/driver's side to the pad, however not leaving much room for a lot of numbers on the right side/passenger and what i can tell you is the numbers are not lined up straight.. but, the monkey was not drunk this night..they are still in a nice order. A few letters overlap (CU) are touching each other. So you can tell it was done by hand or the machine was of of line. I will have some photos later on Monday. The pad has some paint on it.

[Cecil L.]

Re: 1960 Block

I do not know if I would say "No" to the stamping of the block that early, anything is possible, In Nolan Adams book it states the VIN on the engine requirement was not instituted until 5-16-60 (AIM) and there have been examples that it happened long before that.
The block cast is July would be suspect as Jim mentioned, My car for example all the casting are withing a few weeks of the assembly date, ie block, heads, manifolds etc.
Phil

A friend has a 62 Impala SS 409 hp 409 car that he bought new and the engine has never been apart. The block was cast on July 21, 1961 and assembled March 4, 1962. Not typical, of course and Tonawanda not Flint, but it does happen.