'72 C-10, 402, is there a way to tell....

[burb71]

On the engine block there is a code thats stamped on the block it has the date of the build, if not the day its at least the day before it rolled off the line.

Most everything on these trucks were date coded, from the floor carpet to the vinyl on the seats.
Most part date codes on the truck will range from 3 months before the truck was finished, the the latest date that I find is the stamped code on the motor

[SS Tim]

Originally Posted by Peepaw

Well this is rather interesting. I followed link above, and according to my VIN, my truck is a 1972 model of course.
If you follow the Model # from glove box, it calls it s a '69. Says 5th number in model number (mine is CE10934), the 9 is the 5th #, and wold say it is a '69. So, maybe glovebox got swapped out, or something? Crazy thing is, all the options from Tag on glovebox door, match what my truck has. What are the odds of that?
So, anyone care to share some light on the subject?

The VIN indicates year Model does not. This should clear things up for you.

C Chevrolet
C Conventional Cab
E V-8
1 3900-5800 LB GVW, 1/2 ton
4 Pickup
2 1972
A Atlanta, GA assembly plant
166054 Serial number

C Conventional Cab 4x2
E V-8
1 3900-5800 LB GVW, 1/2 ton
09 54-59"CA, 127" WB
34 Fleetside

[SS Tim]

Originally Posted by burb71

On the engine block there is a code thats stamped on the block it has the date of the build, if not the day its at least the day before it rolled off the line.

Most everything on these trucks were date coded, from the floor carpet to the vinyl on the seats.
Most part date codes on the truck will range from 3 months before the truck was finished, the the latest date that I find is the stamped code on the motor

That is the build date of the engine and it along with the engine assembly plant code and application code are stamped at the engine assembly plant. There were two engine assembly plants at Flint and Tonawanda (for our trucks). The engines were then shipped to the ten different assembly plants, by rail in most cases, for installation.

Flint assembly was the only plant in the same city as a powertrain plant. Even then they were seperate plants.

That said however it would be interesting to see how close an engine assembly date is to the broadcast sheet "scheduled" build date when these are found.

Low demand options and "clean up" builds can result in date codes all over the place.

[Peepaw]

OK guys, let's see if this works:

[Peepaw]

Just now realized this...there are 3 Chevy's in one of those pics. I like to call myself a car fanatic, not a brand loyalist. Wife drives a Jeep Grand Cherokee, and I also have a '03 Dodge Ram Cummins Turbo Diesel DRW, and our family Hot Rod, the '55 Pontiac Chieftain (the 287 I mentioned above, came out of this one).

I've got a Gen III Hemi that needs a home, along with a 440 Big Block Mopar. My 414" LSx is going into the black Camaro next to the '72. That's a wicked ride there...414 cubes, 12:1, 260/268 @ .050, .646/.646 112LSA, L92 rect port heads (340 CFM @ .650 lift intake, 226CFM @ .650 exhaust), T&D shaft rockers, Manley Inconel Valves (2.165 1.59), Vic Jr intake.
I also have a stupid insane solid roller (cam above is hydraulic roller) for that motor for a different set of heads...measures out 274/281 @ .050 .772/.748 on a 110 LSA
I have a T56 to bang gears going behind the 414" LSx that's going in the Camaro. I like a little diversity if you know what I mean...

Can't forget about the nitrous kit for the 414"....

[Peepaw]

Originally Posted by burb71

On the engine block there is a code thats stamped on the block it has the date of the build, if not the day its at least the day before it rolled off the line.

Most everything on these trucks were date coded, from the floor carpet to the vinyl on the seats.
Most part date codes on the truck will range from 3 months before the truck was finished, the the latest date that I find is the stamped code on the motor

Where would this date code be?

[SS Tim]

The engine code pad is an extension of the block deck forward of the right (pass) cylinder head. If the block has been surfaced much it will be gone. Also there is no VIN information on the 67-72 engines.

F0501TKW would be an example of a Flint engine built on May 1st for a C20-30 396/400/402 with a manual trans.. The year is not indicated and must be extracted from the block casting number and date code.

[burb71]

Originally Posted by SS Tim

That is the build date of the engine and it along with the engine assembly plant code and application code are stamped at the engine assembly plant. There were two engine assembly plants at Flint and Tonawanda (for our trucks). The engines were then shipped to the ten different assembly plants, by rail in most cases, for installation.

Flint assembly was the only plant in the same city as a powertrain plant. Even then they were seperate plants.

That said however it would be interesting to see how close an engine assembly date is to the broadcast sheet "scheduled" build date when these are found.

Low demand options and "clean up" builds can result in date codes all over the place.

Tim,
it seems to me that the engine would not have been stamped till it was at the final assembly plant to be mated with the car or truck it was to be used in.
In all cars of the same time as our trucks the VIN was stamped in also.
With hundreds or thousands of engines that say the Tonawanda plant built per day I would not think that you could go to the engine plant point at an engine and ask what exact car is this one going in?
I dont think you would hear anything like... That one is for a red Impala SS hard top VIN# 12345678.
What if something happens to that motor in transit or its badly damaged on the line, then that car does not have an engine.
What I think is most likely the case... as the chassis is coming down the line for the engine drop the next engine in line with the correct prefix code was installed, This code tells What type car or truck, engine size, HP, Tranny type.
Then it was stamped with code, and vin.
They all had a decal on the front pass side valve cover with the PREFIX code.
I think it was there as a visual to call out what engine it was till it was to be permanently stamped.


What do you other guys think?

[SS Tim]

"It seems to me" does not sound very factual. The VIN codes were stamped/added at the assembly plants on the vehicles that had VINs. This was done during the accessory dressing if needed. The engines were built in lots and marked as you say also with application coding marks and stickers for handling clarity.

[Peepaw]

OK, I will have to take a looksee and see what I come up with on numbers off the block. I know the block has been machined, just don't know how much (if any) decking of the block was performed.

Well guys, the guy above, who thinks his Brother used to own this truck, has in fact, turned out to be the one and only!
Through PM, we were able to establish the guys name that my friend bought the truck from, and where it was bought from. It all adds up.
So, almost 20 years later, truck is reunited with the original owner (sort of) over the internet.

[Peepaw]

I would like to add this this: What are the odds of me posting on this forum, and within an extremely short period of time, the original owner's Brother responds to my thread? I mean, I could better understand, if I had posted a thread saying something like, "Looking for original owner of 72 C-10 out of Austin TX, sold mid 90's, blah blah blah..." and a friend of a friend calls his friend saying Im looking for him, blah blah blah.
I would expect it to take days, if not weeks, if EVER of trying to locate someone like that.
So, for this to happen, in such a short period of time....I may still have to go out and buy that lottery ticket now, as I don't see the odds of that happening as any less than winning the lottery.
Now, if I can just win the lottery, what would the odds of THAT happening to me as well? LMAO

[WIDESIDE72]

My brother Kent was the second owner. When he bought it, it had around 16k miles on it. A custom cabinet shop was the original owner. They told us they special ordered it new as a "stripper" except for the 400 engine, to be used to tow a trailer to installs, but when the gas crisis hit in 73 or 74 they weren't making any money so they parked the truck at their shop and used it to haul off saw dust from the accumulation system. This coupled to the fact that it was parked to close to the gate (which led to the bed getting side swiped) sent us looking for a replacement bed, which was light blue. (this was quite a chore in the pre Craigslist/EBay/truck forum days.)

I had forgotten that it had leaf springs I the rear, but considering the purpose it was bought for, it makes sense.

Btw,when Kent sold it, it had truck rally wheels and Michelin radials, but includes the original wheel and painted hub caps...and original bias ply tires including never used spare!) the original belts,hoses and tower clamps were also still on the truck!

I have to admit I am glad to come across the truck, but a little disappointed that it has sonmany mes now and was modified so much. When I was younger I might have done the same thing, but now I have an appreciation for original low mileage vehicles, as you can never go back and there are always way more modified trucks than survivors, but to each his own.

Immstill interested in seeing photos today. I have one or two somewhere after it had been painted but before the chrome bumpers grill, etc were installed but they're not digtital. I think i scanned them and uploaded them to this site at one time but forget which thread...
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[Peepaw]

Originally Posted by WIDESIDE72

I have to admit I am glad to come across the truck, but a little disappointed that it has sonmany mes now and was modified so much. When I was younger I might have done the same thing, but now I have an appreciation for original low mileage vehicles, as you can never go back and there are always way more modified trucks than survivors, but to each his own.


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While I am a fan of "original" cars/trucks, and I respect the determination that it takes to keep a truck/car original, that is just not who I am (or any of my friends for that matter). It's just in us to modify and make them "better". The fact is, I would've never given this truck a 2nd look if it was "stock", or should say, I never would've been interested in buying it if it was stock. To me, and this is MY opinion, and Im not saying I am right or wrong, I am just saying that stock is boring.
Again, I can and do respect the stock trucks/owners, but that is just not something I am interested in owning. Every car/truck (and even a couple vans) I have ever owned, have ALL been modified, one way or the other, and some more extreme than other's.

Current stable:
'03 Dodge Cummins...was a stick shifted, 2wd truck. Now? Been converted to an automatic trans, AND 4wd. We can't forget the bigger turbo and injectors, ARP head studs, programmer, exhaust, fuel system, rims/tires, etc....

'99 Chevy Camaro....chassis car now. I've got a full 25.2 cage built and ready to roll for her. Just gotta finish cutting out the floor, drop body over the 25.2, and weld the stock floor back up around it. Of course, suspension, fuel system, engine, trans, etc...has ALL been changed out..pwr windows gutted/converted to manual, cruise/ac/heat/radio/carpet/etc...all gone.

'55 Pontiac Chieftain (this was an ALL original, 30K mile car, that had been sitting in El Paso since @ 1970..still had original 287 Poncho mill, and 3 on the tree manual trans) Motor/trans yanked, front frame clipped off, replaced with 2x3 rect tubing, custom tubular control arms, rack and pinion, 2" drop spindles, disc brakes, air bags...out back, original Pontiac rear end long gone, 8.8" Ford in it's place...leaf springs gone, and has been bagged and 4 linked.
I was in the process of building an ENTIRE frame for this car, and chopping 7" out of the body/doors (is a 4 door, and was gonna convert it to a 2 door) But decided that I needed a family cruiser. The Gen III Hemi will probably find it's way into this car. (you tell me, is the car better off being chopped up like I did, or sitting in an El Paso desert for the last 35+ years?

72 Chevy C10...well, I think we know about it...

01 Chevy Suburban...aside from Flowmaster exhaust, K&N air filter, swap over to a locker diff and 3.73 R&P (from 3.42), this one is stock (even though I have only owned this one for 6 or 7 months...I am sure more mods are coming eventually...I've got a 6.0 LSx motor at machine shop (block and crank) sitting and ready for me to give them the go ahead for machine work. Maybe drop in a 4.00" crank punch her .030 over, dish piston to keep compression down (9:1) so maybe can add a blower or turbo, so I can replace the 5.3 in it, once it's worn out?

I can also tell you about my riding lawn mower, John Deere, 17HP, that I added a nitrous kit to (haven't been able to find a nitrous pill small enough to not kill the engine though ).

Or my push mower that I gutted the muffler to give it more "bark".

Oh...I have also been known to add nitrous kits to my rental cars, and bracket race them.

What can I say...I can't leave stuff alone. It HAS to be modified (wife's Jeep is stock, only because I don't drive it, and she doesn't want me touching it)


Eventual plans for the '72? Well, how about I just say I now know it won't sit well with you, but the truck IS in good hands, but it IS gonna be modified even more so.

[WIDESIDE72]

My point was I personally can't see taking a 19k mile truck and driving it to work every day, to the point that it has 80k miles on it it, but from what you said, that was the previous owner, not you. I would probably have done what you did if the truck had 80k on it.

I like modified trucks and cars. Everything I have is modified to some degree, including the 72 swb stepside I am currently working on, but if I came across a 19k mile all original except for wheels and tires tuck, I would leave it as is.