Neat looking '63.
I've seen some wonky stuff with stamped stuff...both known factory stamps and after-the-fact ones. I say "Deck 'em all!"
Chevy 409 questions
- Thread starter bel air
- Start date
I have a 63 Impala SS with 409/425. The block# is 3830814, date code # 355. Heads are 3814690 with orig intake manifold 3814881. My problem is in identifying the motor as the stamp pad on pass. side is totally blank. The motor has orig stamped rocker arms and dual point Dist. I bought it with the only history being that it came to Oregon out of Ca. The only history I have is that It sat in a Chevrolet muscle car collection in Oregon for over 20 years before I bought it. Somewhere before coming to Oregon The trans was changed to a super t-10 4 speed and the rear end to a 12 bolt 4:11 positractio. The car itself only has 65000 miles but I suspect a lot of them were put on 1/4 mile at a time. It’s dammed up enough to make it difficult for street use.
would this motor be an over the counter replacement motor or possibly the block has been shaved without the #s on the front pass side of block. Does anyone know of 409 motors that were sold individually from a dealership?
is there any wat to find previous owners wit the cars serial #? It is ermine white with Fawn interior. Any info would be appreciate. Thanks
would this motor be an over the counter replacement motor or possibly the block has been shaved without the #s on the front pass side of block. Does anyone know of 409 motors that were sold individually from a dealership?
is there any wat to find previous owners wit the cars serial #? It is ermine white with Fawn interior. Any info would be appreciate. Thanks
That engine could have been decked at one time which would have removed the #'s or made them so faint you would need to clean an remove paint to read them. Yes it is possible that motor was bought as a replacement and put in the car. As far as your search for the previous owner you will have to check with your states Dept. of Motor Vehicles, I know in Missouri it is possible to do a title search on a vehicle if you have the VIN as it is public information providing the car has not left the state, they can only search in the state where they are.
Be sure you ask him in what country. I'm sure there is some obscure law that is rarely used in Missouri created for some reason or another. Due to where the pad is on these engines they get machined clean off chevy engines daily.
While it is against the law to remove the VIN tag from a vehicle or remove them from a frame rail,the number stamped on the engine block is not considered a complete legal VIN,if you take a vehicle in to have a VIN inspection they don't check the stamp pad for a VIN,they may look at it out of curiosity to see if it still has its original engine but it is not required to match.Too many cars have had the engine replaced at sometime,or rebuilt that included decking the block, and too many cars have been built that never had a stamped block to begin with.Your highway patrol contact stated his incorrect interpretation of the law and it would never stand up in court.
We wouldn't have a classic car dealership if we could only sell numbers matching cars with our state issued license. Probably 5-6 cars with numbers matching at any given time out of 100. LOL!
You have a picture of the rear main cap with the 3830839, not the crankshaft.They are the ArmaSteel caps so that is good too. By the pictures you sent me today you do have a forged crank which is good. It looks small enough to be a factory casting too so you likely have a nice 409 .030 over. Unless someone here knows the modern Ross pistons I don't know what compression the engine is. I have a set of old Ross pistons and they look nothing like that. You probably have a 10.5:1 or 11:1 compression which is plenty.
CC425 on the piston don't mean much. That is just the "forging" blank that piston was made from. It could very likely be a 9.0 or a 12.0 compression piston. Depends upon how it was speced out when ordered/built. They now put the job # on the bottom of the pin boss. Your piston should have a job # on the top of the piston. With the job number you can order exact copies providing they have not been modified after the fact and that Ross still uses that forging. The catch is, if it's a "custom" piston you have to pay for/buy 4 to get a replacement. If it is a shelf piston you should be able to buy 1 single.
Not a big deal to not know which crank you have. Everything looks clean and healthy and it is a forged crank. Pistons are forged pieces too so I'd say your engine is about as good as it probably gets outside of a race prepped monster.
I just got done with paint and front end on car i think im ready to sell it it came out super nice does any body no what sites r best to list it at not real good at marketing im think youtube and facebook any other sites you would recomend i wish it was in this shape when i bought it i wouldnt have to sell it but now i have to much money in it and have to sell it it will hurt it came out so nice and monster to drive.
Here is a Ross 348 piston with a job number that is at murphdog’s for my shop truck build. It’s scribed in…
