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aad, Hee so HOW TO USE THIS INFORMATION top rear, driver's side of the engine dlock. In the tables. this number is seferred to as ne engine casting number. The number remains the same for similar series of blocks. For some Corvette yea number will appear on all engines, regardless of ho rw some DOCK ETCHNAEMRE Wilh Chevrolet passenger Cars, or onginauty of a Corvette installation Another important umber is cast inte the biock at the foundry. This number is smatier than the engine casting aumbder and more rough ia appearance. Thus is because it 1s Changed daily to correspond to the date of casting. The code usually appears a5 three of four characters, a letter fol- . omen Se ehaMeloade Die brr00 . | oe ~~ AS most automobiles. Corvettes are laden with a plethora of number des- ignauons. Some numbers are insignificant. but others can be important in devermuning a Corvetie’s authenticny. Here's what 00 check. Body/Chassis Number The most famubar number 15 the body/chassis number, also referred to as the serial number, of veticie identificanon number. it is tus number which appears On most aukd Uties, though some Sates have used others such as engine numbers. The Dody/chassis number is assigned during vetucle assembly. Each car fecewes US Own individual Number in sequence. Though the format of the body/chassis number has been changed for the Corvette several umes it will. & che very least, indicate the year of production and when the car was assembied rewuve to others during the same model yeas. The body/chassis number is stamped into a plate whch is attached to the bouy of eech Curvetie. The location of the plate varies wilh cafferemt years. From 1353 through early 1960. the plate was attached to the driver's side door post. Most 1960 and ai 1961 through 1962 models have the plate attached to the steering column in the engine conipartinent. The 1963 through 1967 modeis have the plate attached to the mstrument support brace under the glove box. The seriai plate for 1968 and newer Corvettes is attached to the dash panel of windshield post, visible through the windshield. In auditor, to the serial olate. the Dody/chassis number ts aiso stamped Mo the frame in several locations in most Corvettes. From 1960 on, the SeGvenual portion of the number is also stamped into the engine OIOcK. on a pad just furward of the passenger-side engine head. Except for 1955. the body/chassis number does not reveal which engine aCorvette has. unc 1972 wren the number formal was revised to include a letter winch was coded to engine type. Engine Numbers When a Corvette V-8 engine block 1s cast at a foundry. two important numbers become an invegral part of the casting. One is a seven agit GM part AUMNDET WHLA apes 36 | URHOTm, Tased NUMETCal SeNes located ON the _ lowed by numbers. The letter incacates the month of casting. The day is |: incucated by the first one or two numbers. The last number indicates the year. ‘Thus, Al22 would appear on a block cast on January 12, 1962 (or 1972). The code is on the top rear, passenger-side of the block. When a Corvette engine is assembied at a Chevrolet engine plant, an important number is stamped unto the engine block, on 8 pad just forward of the passenger-side encene head. This number is usually seven of more characters. The first charactef 13 aiphabetic and signifies the manufac- turing plant location. The next four digits are numerical and indecate month and date of engine assembly. The last one of more chatacters are alphabetic and designate the intended use of the engine. The last aiphabetec characters are referred to a5 “engine suffia” in our tables for Corvette V-6 engines, and are almost always unique to Corvette usage. A stamped engine num- ber of TO1IZRF would translate to a Corvette fuel injected engine (RF). built on the 32th day (12), of January (01), at the Tonaawanda (T) engine t Considerable emphasis is placed by Corvette enthusiasts on engwne/chassis Ofriginaliy and, because of thus. “counterfeit” cars with number alterations are becoming more common. Absolute authenticity is nearly impossible to determine, but knowledge of the chassis and engine mumbertag systems Can reduce sk to a minimum. Remember that: (1) 1959 and older Corvettes nave many identification numbers, but the chassis was not directly keyed to the when the car was assembled. (2) 1960 ana newer Corvettes have digits of the body/chassis sonal aummber stamped into the engine block Gunng final velucie assembly. (3) When a Corvette engine ts assembied, It is stamped vath a source, date, and usage Code. The stamping “pad” location Is the same as later used for stamping the sequential portion of the body/chassis aumber during vehide assembly. (4) When the block for a Corvette engine is cast. & receives a part aumber and a Gate code. Verification of the part number will not determine specific currectness. but will indicate that the engine is from the correct “family”. The Gate code should pre-date the final engine assembly Gate. Several other numbers are ksted in our table for other “bolt on” engine Components. especially for earlier Corvettes. Many of these numbers are important, particularly in concours events. but the origuaality of the engine block is by far the most important consideration. Sota = — oa ‘Steck, Ee: ee = SS eS aS + eee 4 * 4 § . . ~e: Seal vient ort oe ° Se COE APC EMET NLA? Pee Tee a e . 7. . “en oo ner ERR e fa 8. eed wae Cees ren tee =r, , ae Bi) a’ * (