numbers matching? original engine?

[Chevyland]

Agreed
Yes it would

[Chevyland]

Originally Posted by harpo231

I love em all from showroom floor correct to custom builds. wouldn't it be a drag if we were all the same ?

Now that we're buds again
On that Red Cheyenne Super Shortbed b/b
Truck that I have
It still has the engine in it, looks to be original
And
All the date codes match along with front stamp
What do you think?
Should I rebuild it when I do the restoration
Or
Throw an Ls in there

Edit
Oh yea it has the spid that matches the vin tag
And I'm not doing it to make money!

[harpo231]

I would definitely build the BB

[Chevyland]

My point. Exactly
On these trucks there is no way to tell if they are
100% numbers matching
But
Some trucks. That have all indications, that they are
And happen to have desirable options
Would be best put back to original.
Not, for the money!
But for the love of this era of trucks
Thanks for the dialogue!

[harpo231]

Hear,Hear

[special-K]

I don't know who is going to get 200-300k out of their truck. My '72 K2500 has a 350 in it that came from one of my other '72 trucks...with same numbers. That engine was rebuilt in '91... 26 years ago! I drove the other truck all over the place and have been driving this one all over the place. Not just to shows, Power Tour, or that kind of stuff. I have worked out of it, loaded it down, hauled heavy trailers, all the stuff trucks were made to do...reliably.

I've changed trucks around, customized, changed drivetrain on these trucks. I'm down to owning two trucks from these years now. One is the survivor '72 K2500 Sierra with some nice options and the other I am building totally from parts. I am building the one from parts into exactly what I want it to be and the other I am respecting in it's original form. Personally, from growing up with these trucks, I lean toward old school because these things are great as they always were and those were some good times to live in. That's what I get out of these trucks and that's how I like them. It's about respecting what you have. Some get saved from the crusher. How can you fault whatever anyone does with one of those? Others survive well and people take them for an easy empty canvas to make a modern truck.

[Chevyland]

What's up special-k

What I was saying. Was
There was a difference of about 200k of reliable driving time
Between our small block engines
And
The Ls engines of today

Typically around 100k or so, before a rebuild (70's)
Vs
300k many times on modern engines (2000's)

[71cheyennesuperlongb]

My origional 350 in my 71 super dropped a valve at 371;000 miles.Messed up 1 head and piston. No sign of a ridge ream;no harm to the block. I will rebuild that motor before my daughter gets when i die. For now 120;000 on a 307 and still burning rubber!

[Chevyland]

Wow. That's a lot of miles.
I've had work trucks we've driven for over 20 years
But can't verify miles.
Seems speedometer cable would break over the years
And being a work truck, wouldn't fix it

[NC_John]

Originally Posted by leftybass209

There are no numbers to match on these trucks, such as a vin stamped in the block. The best you could do is a date code that precedes when the truck was built.

Incorrect. There is a number stamped onto the block on the passenger side, right in front of the cylinder head that directly correlates to the protecto-plate.

If the block has been milled/decked though it might be gone.

[special-K]

Gotcha Chevyland. I'm just saying to use an LS engine because you'll get an extra couple hundred thousand from it seems moot in an occasional driver that sees a few thousand a year. The original engines hold up fine for that...especially a rebuilt one. Heck, my '67 GMC was originally planned to be a big block pro-street ground pounder, when I had so many trucks. With it guzzling Cam 2 and running drag tires I was looking for extreme fun and very few miles of use. I could have used an LS with a chip for the same power, but to me it would have been all about building that engine, not plopping one in. And the big block would last a fraction of the life of the LS, but would that matter there?

We agree, it depends on what you have and what you "need" out of it. I'll say it's always nice to see the great engines that came in them sitting there. They even sound "right" with the "old technology".

[geunther]

I was going to send this to NC_John in a pm, but it pertains to some of this numbers matching stuff. I see that BLU has "BLU" on the firewall in the same place that my truck has "BLK". My truck was originally from NC as well. What I am wondering is whether your truck was built in Baltimore or not? And if so, was your engine produced at the St Catherines plant.

[Chevyland]

Originally Posted by NC_John

Incorrect. There is a number stamped onto the block on the passenger side, right in front of the cylinder head that directly correlates to the protecto-plate.

If the block has been milled/decked though it might be gone.

Yes. There are those #s on the front of the block
And the last 3 digits
Correlate with YOM, HP, engine size, and type of transmission
It is all posted in that link
On page 14 of this thread
But
I have never heard or saw
Anything
That stated, it directly correlates with the protecto-plate

[NC_John]

Originally Posted by geunther

I was going to send this to NC_John in a pm, but it pertains to some of this numbers matching stuff. I see that BLU has "BLU" on the firewall in the same place that my truck has "BLK". My truck was originally from NC as well. What I am wondering is whether your truck was built in Baltimore or not? And if so, was your engine produced at the St Catherines plant.

Yes, IIRC, mine is a baltimore truck. The engine IS definitely a St. Catharines engine.

I have a unique connection to the engine. I was born in St. Catharines in Feb of 1970. The engine was built a couple miles down the street just a few months later (St. Catharines was a big automotive town- has the GM engine/powertrain plant, had a Dana rear end plant, TRW was in the same part of town). My uncle was putting pistons on rods in that plant when my engine was built.

I went to college for mechanical engineering thinking i could get a job there but after my second year they were laying off people and talking about moving to Mexico so my career path went in a different direction.

I've pulled out the engine for an LS monster build and sold most of the sbc but kept the block. Dont know what i will do with it but wont ever sell it.

[NC_John]

Originally Posted by Chevyland

Yes. There are those #s on the front of the block
And the last 3 digits
Correlate with YOM, HP, engine size, and type of transmission
It is all posted in that link
On page 14 of this thread
But
I have never heard or saw
Anything
That stated, it directly correlates with the protecto-plate

I am certain the numbers stamped on my block are on my protecto-plate. I remember thinking how sweet that would be to have if it was a camaro or chevelle. I'll take a look and try to get some legible pics in the next day or two

[Chevyland]

Originally Posted by NC_John

I am certain the numbers stamped on my block are on my protecto-plate. I remember thinking how sweet that would be to have if it was a camaro or chevelle. I'll take a look and try to get some legible pics in the next day or two

That would be really cool if they do
I have a truck with the proteco-plate
But not the original engine

[custom10nut]

Originally Posted by harpo231

Numbers , Smumbers . The only place to find a complete vin on these is the tag and the spid, otherwise all you can do is "period correct" which I believe is what a lot on here consider original. IMHO the beauty of building one is DO WHAT YOU LIKE unless you're in it to make money.If thats the case, are you really a truck lover ?

Agreed. I think if you were to look into the pristine "numbers matching" muscle cars that you see on the big auction shows, how many have original (or NOS) sheet metal and interiors? As I've said before, I restore my original parts, or if I add anything, it's factory original, period pieces. My truck is no show truck but all the sheet metal is factory, as well as my drivetrain. And most importantly, it's all mine.

[67 chevelle]

If your 350 runs good and its original stick with it , you want some more power , throw some vortec heads and a mild cam on , should give you about 70 horse , will increase your compression ratio at the same time from around 8 to around 10 .

[FirstOwner69]

My Protect-O-Plate and block stamp. Engine ID is top right on Protect-O-Plate. However, I'm running a crate engine. The original engine's in storage and will go with the truck when my heirs sell it..

Note that the bonehead who stamped it grabbed an "I" and substituted it for a "1". Not that unusual though.

I test drove a '69 Camaro SS396 that's for sale last week. The engine matched its Protect-O-Plate as did everything else.

Jim

[wake328]

Personally, I think the LS swap thing is going to go out of style eventually. It may get to a point where having a 350 with a carb sitting on top of it will be more interesting than an LS swap. The LS swap is the predictable thing to do. Just depends what you are going after.

[70shortfleet]

Originally Posted by NC_John

I am certain the numbers stamped on my block are on my protecto-plate. I remember thinking how sweet that would be to have if it was a camaro or chevelle. I'll take a look and try to get some legible pics in the next day or two

You correct about the numbers on the front of the block being on the protecto plate. My 1970 cst had a potecto-plate with the numbers stamped on it that matched the numbers on the front of the engine 100% POSITIVE!

[Chevyland]

FirstOwner69

Wow
I never knew those numbers matched
Very cool
I can see that is a 69 truck
What size engine is it? V8 or I6. I don't see OXD in small block casting id's
Do you have a pic of spid?

Here is the protecto-plate I was referring to
It is from a short bed super I just got
The last 3 digits are TDJ
Referring to 1972/350/auto trans/175hp/4 bolt main/c-10 or c-20
I didn't think the engine was original, but now I'll have to look!
Typically on 72's with 350's in them the the last 3didgits will start with a T

[FirstOwner69]

Originally Posted by Chevyland

FirstOwner69

Wow
I never knew those numbers matched
Very cool
I can see that is a 69 truck
What size engine is it? V8 or I6. I don't see OXD in small block casting id's
Do you have a pic of spid?

Here is the protecto-plate I was referring to
It is from a short bed super I just got
The last 3 digits are TDJ
Referring to 1972/350/auto trans/175hp/4 bolt main/c-10 or c-20
I didn't think the engine was original, but now I'll have to look!
Typically on 72's with 350's in them the the last 3didgits will start with a T

Of course I have the SPID (see below). Power brakes were added by the dealer as a condition of sale. I have just about everything but the build sheet.
It's not OXD. It's 0(zero)XD. The engine was assembled 11/30 (1968). The suffix is XD. The truck is a '69 3/4 ton 350 that was built the 2nd or 3rd week of December, 1968. Did I mention the Protect-O-Plate also has my name on it?

Jim

[Chevyland]

Oh now I understand! Zero
I learned something today
With all that
I don't know how anyone can dispute
That there ARE
ALL, matching number trucks
So cool you've had it since new
That doesn't happen very often


Where do you winter in AZ?


Edit
Wow-Rare color, and buckets!!!

[FirstOwner69]

Originally Posted by Chevyland

Oh now I understand! Zero
I learned something today
With all that
I don't know how anyone can dispute
That there are
All, matching number trucks
So cool you've had it since new
That doesn't happen very often


Where do you winter in AZ?


Edit
Wow-Rare color, and buckets����

Sun City West.

Here's a shot of the interior. I added tilt, gauges with tach, shoulder belts, AM/FM and '94 S10 Blazer LT leather steering wheel (original wheel like new).

Jim