I need a hand here...I'm trying to identify an engine block. I believe it was produced on Jan 28th and is from a 1966,67,68 427 (ID letters at end of 1st set). I can't figure out what plant "N" is and if the engine was out of a Vette or what. Yes I googled it and am stuck on the last two pieces of info. Here are the numbers on the block... 10128ID N138863 Thanks in advance.
Would be handy if you posted the block casting number...it's on the driver's side of the belhousing. Short deck 427s from those years would be of the following casting numbers only: 3869942 3904351 3916321 3935439 If your block doesn't have one of these 4 numbers on it, then it's not a 427 of that vintage. Also, if the engine was manufactured as a replacement engine then any codes it might have on it probably won't jive with any vehicle cross reference you might find.
http://s352.photobucket.com/user/bgraney_2008/media/Mobile Uploads/image_zpsfa9b7380.jpg.html Here's the link to the picture from the block.
The first digit is a T, not a 1....Tonawanda engine plant The N138863 is the last seven digits of the VIN of the car it was installed in at the assembly plant. N is Norwood, Ohio, but the VIN derivetive stamp is pretty sloppy It would appear that it's a 427 out of a full size Chevrolet. As I recall, Norwood went to assembling F cars for the 1967 model year...leading me to think that it would be a 1966. Check the casting date at the bellhousing flange. Based on the info provided, assuming it's not a restamp, I would say 1966 427/425 full size car, as Camaros were not offered with the 427 as an RPO, and would not have used the full size car suffix code of "ID".
ID is a 425 hp 4 speed 11:1 compression 427 from a full size car...that's a rare engine! Assembly date Jan 28th. Same code was used 1966-68
Being that it is a high perf 427/425 hp, you can probably sell it to a full size Chevy car guy and have money left over to build a different engine.
Thanks guys. Much appreciated! As usual the HAMB comes thru. It's in my brothers '57 which has been in the family for years. He was thinking of freshening up the motor when/if he puts a new chassis under the car. I offered to find out which 427 motor it actually is. That car moves and sounds awesome. Thanks again.
yeah great score, you likely can find the right person with an Impala SS that would pay all the money for it. If the VIN is still present, that can be used to possibly track down the person with the car by using forums. I have seen it happen many times on the Corvette forum, a person will find a rare block with VIN still there, post on forum and the person who owns the actual car has been able to purchase the block and reunite it - if not the block could be used for a clone or 'numbers matching' build...I would sell it, but a crate 502 with the money you get from the 427. I would say if correct heads are on it, runs good, motor should sell for 5-6 grand no problem - more if someone really needed that motor or if you found person who has car it came out of. Also cool in a period 57....
It seems my brother is on the fence of what to do. The motor has been in the car for the past 30 years from when my dad first bought the car. It is a part of the "car" as we have ever known it. Although it runs great and has no issues, it is do to be gone thru. It's showing a little smoke at start up etc. Opening the motor up has prompted the question to him of whether it's time to put the money into it or if it's time to send it back to the original car if we can find it. It's fucking cool to have in a stripped down '57 though. Wonder if I'll be more cautious driving it now for fear of grenading it since I know it's possibly a rare motor. Probably not.
By the time you sell it and go out and buy everything you need to build another big block how much will you have left.I say rebuild it and enjoy it there's a certain value in saying the motor has been in the car 30 years.Just my opinion.
Modernize it, make it run on 87 octane, and enjoy it. It is a semi rare engine, and valuable, but not priceless. Rebuild it, drive it, enjoy it.
I do like that motor was in the car for so long, there is some history there...so maybe just pull it, hone, re-ring, bearings as needed, maybe put a bit milder cam in, even swap to oval heads and intake, but if wanting to preserve its history in the car, maybe leave it mostly as is....another option maybe go buy a good running 454 on craigs for like 1200, put that in while you guys take your time doing the 427 over...then sell the 454 off after
That motor's been married to that car for 30yrs, I see no grounds for divorce. The original donor is most likely long gone. Like the Beatles said, "Let It Be"...
I think selling an engine that's been part of a family car for this long is not a good choice. Even if you got enough money to build a 502, or 454 into a fire breathing monster. Would you have enough leftover to make you happy? Would whatever you built be even close to as cool as that original mid 60's 427 motor? I wouldn't hesitate to freshen it up, if it's a little tired, but I wouldn't worry about getting it back into a correct Impala of that era. The 427 Impalas I've seen still had their engines, and I'm guessing whichever one that came from has long ago been melted down and made into a Toyota, that's also long gone!
I'm hoping he keeps it in/for the car. I'm a preserving history of the car kind of person. To the point that I wouldn't even touch the checked/cracked laquer paint that was put on the car 30yrs ago. That's just me and could turn into a whole different discussion. I just get to drop the hammer on it when he has a weak moment and throws me the keys. ha When I look back as a kid driving in the car the motor and sound is a big piece of the memories of what made that car so appealing to me. So I get the history part. It was honestly the car that hooked me into hot rods. Again, his car his choice. Hopefully it stays the way it is and in the family fro a long time. Larry, we haven't done any leak down tests, compression tests or anything yet. I would agree it is probably just seals. While the car is down for chassis work it makes sense to me to go thru the motor completely then. Again, thanks for helping out with the info guys. Brian
yeah the more I think about the personal history and connection you guys have to the car, I would leave the 427 with it....the Impala likely is long gone and even if it was around, not like the 427 you have is from an L88 Corvette that someone needed as it was the motor from their car, matched their VIN and would give you 20 grand for in 100 dollar bills My dad's car had a sick 409 that he built, the car is long gone, was wrecked after he sold it when he left for Vietnam.... but if we had ever came across it and the motor was there, we would not be pulling the 409 to hunt down the original Impala it came out of...
The 427 belongs in the '57.... I think it old school COOL to leave the 427 stock even if rebuilt...425 hp was low rating for actual power so plenty for fun....
I'd bet that the 427/425 was probably NOT in an Impala. More likely a Biscayne or BelAir sedan. Depending on the time frame of the seperation, quite possible that it was removed for a bigger/better/newer bullet for a drag car. Not a lot of thought was given to keeping the original stuff in the 70s. By the mid 80s, thoughts of keeping the original powerplant was becoming a lot more common as prices began to escalate on the real offbeat/stripper cars.
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