Bought a 41 Coupe from a widow lady, and she is no help with engine id. The numbers by the head are as follows. 1M0203 with a VP stamped below it. I can't get to the back of the engine for any other numbers. Anybody have a clue what I have here? Thinking it may be a 305. Thanks, Lee
yeah, M right there should mean the Mexico engine plant. The VP suffix is pretty common on those. I think the 1 in front means it was made after 1990. Probably a 350. Casting number would help figure it out.
Thanks Jim. Maybe I can get a mirror around the back area, so I can get casting numbers. I did find some paperwork that said 350/300hp. It was on more of a build/wish list. rather than on invoice. If so, they must have been weak horses. Paper also said 400 trans, but it is a 350.
350/300hp and a TH400 was a Vette powertrain 45 years ago....probably that's what they thought/hoped they had. The later engines had the displacement cast on them on the sides of the block? 5.7 or 5.0
Those horses might have been Mexican Shetlands. Used one of 'em in a getaway some years back in a dash for the border...guys said I got outa line at the Blue Fox. Poor caballo' had a day's work haulin' my big white butt 2 miles, but I got off, and tucked $6 in his cinch strap... This is damned good Scotch.
I've had good success with those numbers in the back if they're hard to get at, by sticking my cell phone back there. The flash and angle usually gets my enough of the number to figure it out.
I found the casting numbers. 1066036 Looks to be 350ci/250hp. Now that I know what it is, maybe I can figure out why it is such a slug. Maybe just tired out. Has about 13k miles. Timing may be the issue. Knowing its origin, maybe on siesta. Thanks for the help, Lee
should not be worn out yet! but you could check to make sure it doesn't have a flat cam, etc. Probably just timing, gearing, etc. The whole car has to work together. I put one of those in my brother's 58 chevy wagon last year, and I'm doing some bodywork on the car now, so I got to drive it around a bit...it performs ok. The car has a th350 and 3.36 rear gears.
Kiddin bout the wore out part. It does run smooth as glass. Gearing is 3.55. I suspect now that timing may be the issue. It revs rather slow compared to the same engine that is in my 29 sedan.. Gives me something to do in all my spare time. Lee
What's the entire sequence at the front of the passenger side head? So far those numbers are a bit odd. The casting number at the back (driver side) would help.
You got scotch? Damn it Mike, I am going to have to stop by on my next trip to Berdoo. Not a clue on the mill by the way I was just reading the thread and had to stop and visit my inebriated friend.
yeah, the numbers on the Goodwrench mexican replacement engines are indeed a bit odd. But that's what it is.
Bobss, I think we have it figured out now. 1M0203VP are the id numbers 1006036 is the casting. Beaner, Mike ain't sharin.
Target master for sure, no vin code, just a serial number. http://www.chevy-camaro.com/faq/chevy-camaro-faq-engine-decoding.shtm
4 bolt main, cast crank, cast-dished pistons, and 76 CC heads. Basically, a low-compression, replacement engine. Softer cast iron blocks that wear fast in the cylinders. Right after the warranty expired, so did mine; it dropped number 8 exhaust valve that punched a hole in the piston and head. I still have the block, everything else went in the trash. Hecho En Mexico is cast right in the bellhousing flange area. They used to call them Target Master engines, now I think it's just Goodwrench engines. I am Butch/56sedandelivery.
May not be what you want to do, but a bigger cam and some vortec heads would wake it up. The stock cam is a way mild grandma cam. Combine that with the big chamber heads and you don't have much performance. Good thing is the flat tappets so cam and lifters are cheap. The vortec heads with smaller chambers and better ports will take advantage of the bigger cam potential, just watch valve lift on the heads if stock. The vortec heads need a new intake, so get an alum perf style 4 barrel.
That is Gospel. Proof is in the 'pudding'..... I was gifted an '89 SBC 350 some years ago, freshened it up (35K miles!) with Grant rings, Clevite brgs, crank was virgin. Swirl port heads worked great with a 290 Comp cam, Rhodes lifters...Edelbrock intake, 600 Holley double pumper. Mallory YL dist., Accel coil, std. dual points. Matched ports and fitted intake gaskets, 350 T.H., 3.0 rear (9inch) This went into my '55 F100 'support vehicle', (shop truck/daily driver, Billetproof ride) Many miles, just a little 'lumpy' at idle, (stock converter) virtually dependable. (GM engine, not a Target or Goodwrench) This combo just 'happened' to be a positive, blows people's minds when I start it: Cranks for 1 second, starts immediately. Always. Hot or cold. '79 Dodge radiator, aluminum. Towed brother's A/G roadster pickup to Bayland drags, then after some bench racin' (on a dare) ran my truck thru, street tires and mufflers. 13.20 @104. Not even tuned! "Mike, why do you have that SBC in your truck?" Hell...Why not??? There's Scotch, BTW... Beaner, blaze a trail.
Next trip if I make another will be a fly in and snag the old hippy bike in Red Wood city. So I'll be easy to spot.
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