Engine pad overstamp

[Jeff P.]

I was looking for an engine at a local salvage yard. I found an engine that would be correct for my C2 (casting number, date, etc,). The problem is that the assembly stamp on the pad has a "E" stamped over a "C" on the suffix. (It might be that the "C" is stamped over the "E", I can't tell). Could this have been done at the factory? Has anyone ever seen this sort of overstamp? I heard that the factor stamp guy would normally stamp on "X" over the letter and then stamp the correct letter beside the Xed out letter? Thanks for your help on this.

PS: Sorry I don't have a photo. I didn't have my camera when I went to the salvage yard.

[William C.]

Re: Engine pad overstamp

Possible, anything is possible in a high volume manufacturing operation in the '60's, that said, usual? the answer is No! Would I use it in a car I was planing on having judged? No.

[Richard E.]

Re: Engine pad overstamp

I have seen some overstamps but never have seen the letter/number Xed out .Also the only time you could X it out would be if it was on the end or they would have no place to stamp the correct #...IMHO

[Ronald C.]

Re: Engine pad overstamp

mid years, 65 espeacially has ahistory of over stamps on the duffix pad. in th emid years GM introduced numerous suffic stamps, and hte factory routinely stamped them in error. whe they did they simply stamped over them. my 65 is one such and has been judged and top flight regionals, and bloomingotn gold. in my case the vin also appears on teh stamp and is also correct.

[William C.]

Re: Engine pad overstamp

Maybe if it was the engine that came in the car, but the question was in regards to a replacement.

[Joe L.]

Re: Engine pad overstamp

I was looking for an engine at a local salvage yard. I found an engine that would be correct for my C2 (casting number, date, etc,). The problem is that the assembly stamp on the pad has a "E" stamped over a "C" on the suffix. (It might be that the "C" is stamped over the "E", I can't tell). Could this have been done at the factory? Has anyone ever seen this sort of overstamp? I heard that the factor stamp guy would normally stamp on "X" over the letter and then stamp the correct letter beside the Xed out letter? Thanks for your help on this.

PS: Sorry I don't have a photo. I didn't have my camera when I went to the salvage yard.

Jeff------


I have been told by folks that worked at GM once-upon-a-time that official GM policy was that incorrect stamps were to be "X'd" out and the correct character stamped above. However, in practice this did not always happen, although I have seen some cases in which it did. I've also seen cases in which an incorrect stamping was completely or partially ground out with a hand grinder and the correct stamping applied to the ground area. So, based upon my experience, just about anything was possible.

By the way, are you saying that you found an engine with the correct suffix code for your application although with an overstamp for one of the alpha characters? If it's an incorrect suffix code anyway, I don't see what difference it makes that one of the characters is overstamped. Since Corvette engine suffix codes are almost always unique to Corvette engines, it would be unusual to find an original Corvette engine laying around a wrecking yard.

[Jeff P.]

Re: Engine pad overstamp

No the suffix was not correct, Joe. I decided to pass on this one. Thanks for the input on this.