Casting Numbers

[BoneCollector]

Hi, I am new to this forum and I have a question. I just bought a 1970 Chevy C20 from a guy a few weeks ago. He claimed that the engine that was in the truck was a replacement crate 350. I decided to do some looking into some of the casting number on the block and on the intake manifold. The number that I found on the pad on the front of the engine block reads V1215TAR. I tried to search for the number with no luck.



The second number Looked into was cast onto the back of the intake manifold that read L 19. Doing a quick search for that I found that it was most commonly used with 454 big blocks. The third number I found was 3927183 GM 23. Searching for this I found that it is a manifold used on 307 & 327 engines.



With that information it leads me to believe that it isn't a 350. Would it be possible for someone to put a manifold from a 307 or a 327 and put it onto a 350? Any insight into this would be very helpful. I will be pulling the motor in a few days so i will be able to look at the rest of the numbers on the block.

[NC_John]

Originally Posted by BoneCollector

With that information it leads me to believe that it isn't a 350. Would it be possible for someone to put a manifold from a 307 or a 327 and put it onto a 350? Any insight into this would be very helpful. I will be pulling the motor in a few days so i will be able to look at the rest of the numbers on the block.

yeah, most small block intake manifolds are interchangeable. I have a 327 intake I am installing on my 350 soon.

[ChevLoRay]

Regarding your intake swap question....yes. It is easily done. Look at the SPID that is glued to the inside of your glove box door. If it shows that your truck had a 350, it probably had a Quadrajet 4BBl carb. Someone may have swapped intakes to use a square-bore carb, like an AFB/WCFB 4-bbl. Or, it may have a 2- bbl intake/carb on it.

You are new to this forum. One of the best resouces that I have found is a copy of LMC's catalog. It will list the engine codes, like the TAR that is on your block.

The "L 19" may be a date code...but don't take me to court over it. There's nothing in the way of an intake manifold that fit a big block, that also fits a small block.


Welcome to the forum.

[John H.]

The TAR number is coded for a1970 c-20 truck with manual trans. It was assembled on December 15th and the block casting date was November 69 so I would say that is the original motor.

V1215tAR. Flint MI is V the date is next and the TAR is the designation

[BoneCollector]

Originally Posted by John H.

The TAR number is coded for a1970 c-20 truck with manual trans. It was assembled on December 15th and the block casting date was November 69 so I would say that is the original motor.

V1215tAR. Flint MI is V the date is next and the TAR is the designation

Can you tell the size? The guy that sold it to me seemed shady as an oak tree.

[BoneCollector]

Looks like its a garbage 307

[John H.]

It is a 307. Sorry I should have listed that earlier.