VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1929-1932 engine #s

I have read alot of discussion on engine #s but I cannot seem to specifically find on where they are to be found. I see an engine # stamped on a flat pad directly behind the fuel pump but cannot see any other #s, it is said they are next to the dist. but do not see anything although it is pretty dirty. Also where might I find the head #, is it under the valve cover. Front raer?????I want to learn how to decipher these #s myself and am not asking anyone to do it for me or if you do it for me at least help me to understand how you did it.
I see a great link here that I have saved that gives all the info I prob need but I am haiving a hard time getting started to understanding it so I will prob. have alot of these sorts of questions and am hoping that you all will not mind answering them.

As I mentioned to you on the phone when you called several days ago, the embossed numbers just forward of the distributor are the block casting number and the block casting date. They are there so you will probably have to clean the heavy grease away to see them.

I also mentioned that the casting number for the cylinder head is located under the valve cover, near the front of the engine on the right side of the cylinder head. The casting date of the cylinder head is located outside the valve cover on the left rear side.

I did not hear that, I guess I was thinking of what my neqt question might be as you were answering my current ? thanks I will get it and report back

Ok I have what I think are the engine #s, I have not had the chance to figure out how to read these yet and will do that and ask lots of boring questions but anyway tell me what you think, do these sound right on the machined surface it is a 749624
near the dist, to the right below it says maybe 835501 and then below that is I think E-17-9
and below that is a bow-tie and a 17
plate on firewall reads ( what is this plate called )??? anyway on bottom portion Job no 8870....body # F ( Flint ) (thanks skip)27763
Head read first a bowtie and then a 17 and then below it a 835503

What can you tell me and then give me some time to come up with a dozen more questions

749624 = sequential engine serial number (started at 1 for '29)
835501 = casting number for '29 & '30 engines
E-17-9 = casting date May 17, 1929
The bowtie identifies Chevrolet and 17 is a casting manufacturing number used for quality control.

Job No. 8870 = 1929 Coach
F = Flint Fisher Body plant
27763 = sequential number for Coaches built in Flint plant
835503 = 1929 head casting number
17 = casting quality control number

Fantastic that is great, now I need to go back to the #s and try and figure out how to decipher it like you just did.

Chip, some later manufacturers started with a serial number of 1000 and went up from there, do you think they did the same here? Also his number of 27763, do you think that is just coaches or is that the number of bodies manufactured up til then for that plant during the production year?

It is true that most manufacturers, including Chevrolet started vehicle serial numbers with 1001 in most cases (some of the earliest vehicles started at 1). However the body ID numbers started with 1. The information that I have says the body ID number started at 1 for each body style. The Car or Serial Number was for all body styles.

Chipper,
Could you please clarify a bit on the initial serial numbers?
Am I understanding correctly that the body tag would begin at one in a given year, but that the casting numbers on the block AND the car number (sequential assembly number) would have begun at 1001? I assume this would be true for the 28 models as well?

I wonder why they would start at 1000 and not 0001

Chris

All passenger cars in 1928 started with 1000 in December of 1927. The trucks also started with 1000 in December of 1927, except Atlanta.

Figures are available for the start of counting on the 1st of each month.

This information is taken from the DATA plate located usually on the end of the seat on the passenger side. The plate could also be located on the floor at the foot of the passenger seat.

Also his number of 27763, do you think that is just coaches or is that the number of bodies manufactured up til then for that plant during the production year?...........I am confused also still on this, 27763, does that mean 17763 is the # of coaches built with the year of 29 and is that including any plant that manuf. the coach ( I cannot remember as writing how many different plants built the coach body if there were more than one ) Thanks

If you read my post carefully, I specifically referred only to Car No. (or Serial No.) and Body ID No. and not engine numbers. I don't know why the first Car (or Serial) No. was 1001 instead of 1. Guess it is too late to ask the person that made that decision at Chevrolet. As stated there are a few cases when the Car Number started at 1. Often these were not regular production vehicles.

The engine serial number (it is not the casting number but a stamped number) typically started with 1 or zeros followed by a 1. The prefix for the serial number changed occasionally. Understanding engine serial numbers can be very confusing as many numbers and letter sequences were used over the years.

FYI the casting number, casting date and quality control codes are raised from the casting surface. They are not stamped on.

Hope this helps better understand the "numbers".

An overview of casting numbers, stamped numbers, body numbers etc. might be a good topic for a G&D article, where photos can help address some of the more common questions. I think that those of us that are new to the hobby and interested in the history would benefit, and it may help to reduce redundant questioning of the technical advisors. I'd be willing to write it up and provide reference photos if one or more of the advisors will provide some of the finer details.
just a thought.

Chris

Chris,
Good idea. It has been a while since that type of article was published in the Generator and Distributor.

FYI, There is a G&D Technical Article Committee that has volunteers to aid any VCCA member write, authenticate and publish technical articles. All four active members are on Chat II. I am the Chair so contact me if you wish. My email address is in my profile.

I also think that is a great idea, I am still confused completely on this subject will let it go for now as I think I know someone here locally that can help me understand better. When I figure it out I will share what I have learned so hopefully everyone will understand

Hello Chipper,
your posting is great, it helps me too to find out more about the history of my 1931 chevy, assembled in south africa, first registration july 1st 1931.
So I took all numbers of my engine block and read in the way you did post it here:
886409 = casting number
E 2-1 = casting date May 2, 1931
(Bowtie) 18 XX is quality control???

The funny thing is, David Hayward from hemmings.com told me, my engine number just at the fuel pump R2729116 shows that it is an 1930 engine.
A fisher body job number I dont have because the number plat is missing.
VIN is XGAE 35519, XG is for GM South africa, AE for 1931, the other is the VIN number...

all the best
Stefan

Actually according to my information the engine was assembled in early June of 1931 for a right hand drive (R prefix). That is a bit unusual as most engines are assembled only a few days after casting. But being an overseas assembly may be a factor. It is also interesting that the vehicle was sold only two months after the block was cast thousands of miles over the ocean from final assembly and sale location.

OK, one wrong typing and my answer was gone to nowhere...

Again: Yes, R is for RHD, and I am happy to have no problems with it. I had a stroke in 2006, and my left side was out of order. Now it was a hard work to come back to life again, but I still have to force my left side more. So it is a good training for me to have the gearshift on left hand...


The sad part of ma cars history is, it has no history. I bought it from a dealer, he nor had knowledge about, neither any documents except the actual german registration saying july 1st, 1931.
Before it was owned by a doctor, and he had no feelings and no understanding for that car. Some years all driveouts did end with desasters and in hands of service-stations or garages with foolish and unexperienced mechanics who did just try to get this bucket of old bolts out of their eyes as fast as possible. After some frustrating years he gave up and now he wants to forget this awful horrible loss of money and nervs and does not want to think or talk anymore about the car.

He bought the car in south africa at Frost brothers in Knysna, and Norman Frost is a dealer and businessman, interested in buying and selling cars and he has nothing to do with their history.

So there is a complete cut of all history and it starts again now in summer 2008 in upper-bavaria in germany.

I hope it will be a long history.

The situation here in germany is really funny: There are just few (about 10?) 1931 chevys, and except "Juergen" from chat here nobody was interested to get in touch to share knowledge and experiences. Unfortunately Juergen sold his 1931 Coupé in late 2008...
Now in Jan. 2009 there was an interesting article in an austrian vintage-car-newspaper about somebody who did buy two 1932 chevys in USA and brought it to austria. There is to read about many problems (brakes, engine, wiper and more) and I tried to contact him to offer him the official 1931 print of the owners manual IN GERMAN (!!!) printed by GM germany, Berlin in 1931. Because I got one and it helps a lot! But no answer, no interest.
I have a reprint in english too, but sometimes for us germans it is hard to understand it. The 1931 technical english is more complicate than the car and even my american colleagues at work dont understand it.

So let me end with a big thank you
for all helping each other to keep these old cars running!
Stefan