A little history...
I bought a '67 Chevelle 4dr Sedan last weekend. The car has a documented 42K miles and I am the SECOND owner. :cool:
Full docs, in fact, POP, invoice, title, 100s of maint. receipts, etc...
However, originally a 283, the woman let the motor freeze/crack back in 1978. According to her story, she had the Chevy dealer (where car was originally purchased) install a "crate 283 motor" complete with warranty. We all know that new 283 were long gone by 1978.
Picked up on Wednesday, the car is in my garage.
Got a chance today to investigate.
Casting number on block is 3970010
Casting date is May 78
Leads me to believe it's a 350 long block onto which was installed the 283's intake/2 bbl.
Runs awesome.

This is where I'm stumped...
Stamping on block pad:
T0748BE :confused: :confused:
This is stamped very clearly!
T0748BE ???

Can anyone offer an explaination...

Nope

I did not know July had 48 days so this must be a mistake.

BE - Does not appear to exist, nor the 8BE

So its looks like you will never know unless you can determine that those digits your are confident in, are really something different?

3970010 is a very popular 350 engine casting used in all Chevy models for 10 yrs (1969-78), it came in 2 & 4 bolt mains. It was also used for some 1969 302 application but those would be i only a small part of the overall use of this casting.

I agree 100%, elcamino.
Here's a photo of the stamping...

http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/BillsCamino/enginepad.JPG

I'm usually pretty good at decifering these things (worked 5 years at Tonawanda plant) but this one's gotta be mis-marked. :confused:
Actually, the 3970010 casting was mfg as a 350 up thru '80.

That does not look like a GM stamping. Too uneven to have been in a gang holder. Looks free hand to me? Run a straight edge across the top and see.

The size of the pad indicates a later model block, earlier blocks had a large pad to for also stamping the VIN.

So maybe this is a new block and someone thought there were coping what was on the other block but screwed it up.

Could this be a TargetMaster engine? Its painted GM corporate blue meaning it could have gone into any GM model.

Here's an image of how the stamp should look.

http://www.synthetic-oil.com/images/eng_suffix.jpg

Actually it doesn't even looked stamped to me, It looks like it is cast

As I mentioned above, it is a dealer installed replacement motor for the original one that had froze and cracked.
The block casting is dated May '78. Evidently purchased as a GM crate long block because it still has the Chevelle's original dated 283 2 bbl intake. You can even see chevy orange under the blue on the intake. I assume long block but haven't pulled the valve covers to check head casting numbers.
Thanks for the info!
The mystery continues...

The 8 could stand for 1978 in the stamp T0748BE but that would leave it assembled july 4 which doesnt seem right. I have a 67 427 block that is stamped T08307AH block was cast H-15-6. Was told block is out of a boat by code and the 7 stands for 1967 model year. Was told this was common on older boat motors. Not saying yours is a boat motor but maybe they did this on late 70's over the counter blocks/motors??????

Do small blocks have the suffix codes stamped on that pad above the timing cover like the mid and later 70's big blocks do?