Can anyone tell me what would be a typical time span from engine block cast date to the build date stamp on the engine pad? I have an Atlanta built 67 Chevelle build 3rd week of July. My engine has a june 7th cast date. Block has been decked (so there are no numbers on the pad). Is this engine likely to be correct for this car?

Some examples of data taken off 67 Atlanta POPs:
June SS
* engine ~ May 29
* rear end ~ May 2
* trans ~ June 2

July SS
* engine ~ June 27
* rear end ~ May 17
* trans ~ July 5

These engine dates are assembled dates and not block casting dates.

Also have a Baltimore SS w/engine build date of August 23 and car build date of September and a December Malibu from Atlanta with engine date of Nov 8.

A month to six weeks wouldn't be out of line, IMO.

Dale thanks for the quick reply. in your opinion should the cast date to the build date be less than 21 days>

Dale thanks for the quick reply. in your opinion should the cast date to the build date be less than 21 days>

I smell a fake :(

Fake?????

I've never compared cast dates to assembly dates to be honest. 'Normal' major parts assembly dates to final assembly can be anywhere from 1 week to 3 or 4 months in some cases I can document.

I think Dean may be referring to the numbers being ground off during block surfacing. If the engine has been rebuilt a time or two, decking was common practice and not everybody was concerned about the numbers like they are today. Police labs (and probably others) have ways to "recover" the stamping but unless you paid for a "numbers matching" car and have other paperwork such as a POP and are considering national shows where such things are considered "mandatory" for judging, I wouldn't put much stock in it.

As long as the VIN has the correct 13817 starting sequence, it's a SS car...matching numbers engine or not.

My 69 has never had the engine out of the car, so I don't know what the cast date of the block is, but I do have the following dates:
Engine assembly date 12/30/68
LH Cyl head cast date 12/27/68
RH Cyl head cast date 12/20/68
LH Exh man cast date 12/27/68
RH Exh man cast date 12/7/68
Intake man cast date 12/13/68

I remember 'rich r' from NJ had a timeline on the cast dates for the components of the 396 in his green 70 SS396 a few years ago, and it was similarly close. The 327 in my old 69 Impala was the same way. Not all cars have the dates that close, but it is not unusual to find them that way.

That said, just because the block cast date is close to the car's assembly date does not make it even 'likely' that it's the original block. Possible, yes - likely, no.