[joe_capp]

This really isn't an engine tech question, but I'm hoping someone has some info that may help me out.

I have a supposed matching numbers motor - 283 in a 1965 Impala. The casting date is L174 that by my books decodes to December 17 1964, the casting number is 3849852 that decodes to a 283 from 1957-1966, and an engine ID stamp of F1222GF that decodes to a Flint motor Dec 22 and is a 283. This motor is in a 65 Impala SS with a body build date of Dec 65.

My question is about the casting date on the block of Dec 1964 - any reason to doubt that this would be a numbers matching motor if the block was cast in Dec 64, but assembled in Dec 65?

Sure appreciate the help.

[astroracer]

I would be more apt to question the body build date... Change-over to the next year build (1966) usually happens in late July early August. Dec of '65 would see 1966 builds going quite strong... '65's would be nothing more then a memory...
The funny thing is, my dad was working at the V8 plant in Flint running engine test at that time. He would come home and tell me about the wild motors they were running on test. Corvette stuff was very prevelant and they would run motors for weeks on end without shutting them down... The manifolds would get red hot and stay that way for weeks...
mark

[1ownerT]

I agree with AR about the change over. Does your block still have the partial VIN stamped into the pad? It should be with the engine ID stamp, the two share the same location. Your Partial VIN would start out with a 1 for Chevrolet, next should be a 5 for the model year the engine went into, next would be one of the following for the final assembly plant,
A - Atlanta, Georgia
B - Baltimore, Maryland
C - Southgate, California
C - Atlanta, Georgia (Doraville) ('64 only)
D - Atlanta, Georgia (Doraville)
F - Flint, Michigan
G - Framingham, Massachusetts
H - Fremont, California ('64 only)
J - Janesville, Wisconsin
K - Kansas City, Missouri
L - Los Angeles, California
N - Norwood, Ohio
O - Oakland, California
R - Arlington, Texas
S - St. Louis, Missouri
T - Tarrytown, New York
U - Lordstown, Ohio
W - Willow Run, Michigan
Y - Wilmington, Delaware
Z - Fremont, California
0 - Oshawa, Canada ('65-'69)

last would be the last six digits of your VIN.

[joe_capp]

Negative on the partial VIN next to the engine id. Think I may have figure this out though:

I think the car was assembled in Dec. of 1964 (1965 model year) (body build date is in 1964, not 1965) and so was the engine, so the engine casting date is correct for the car. A 65 model year car would not have been built in December of 1965 (or probably after July/August 1965 for that matter) as the 66 model year cars were being built.

Thanks for the help.