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Re: Determine engine displacement and/or year Posted by eric in vermont [Email] (#2058) [Profile/Gallery] (more from eric in vermont) on Wed, 24 Dec 2008 04:44:54 In Reply to: Determine engine displacement and/or year, David Brodbeck, Tue, 23 Dec 2008 20:15:22 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
Hi David,
Used to be you could tell from engine color, but people paint them so that's not 100% reliable. For US cars:
Silver - open deck 1500 through engine number 53000
Blue - closed deck 1500 53000 through 1969 model year
Black - 1700 starting engine number 151000
These engine numbers are approximate. I think the very early open deck engines were red, but these are pretty uncommon.
Transmission is not so easy to tell from the outside. Early ones were smooth case and later ones were webbed case. I don't happen to know the year it changed over. If you take off the bell house there is a month/year etched on the edge of the ring gear along with the R&P ratio.
Most people try to stay away from the open deck engines, due to head gasket problems. I've never owned one, so can't give any direct info. I have a nice running blue 1500 in my '68 Deluxe and my two Sonett's are black 1700's. A Sonett motor has an S in the engine number. It had stiffer valve springs and a bigger main jet in the carb. I don't think there were any other differences.
eric in vermont
posted by 68.142.5...
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