Does anyone have an Atlanta built 67 S.S.with matching numbers?I'm trying to determine if the Atlanta 396 blocks always had smaller Characters on the vin stampings?If anyone has a pic I would appreciate it. Thanks!

All VIN marks use a small font. The engine plant stamped the engine code, assembly plants stamped the VIN derivative.

Originally posted by elcamino:
All VIN marks use a small font. The engine plant stamped the engine code, assembly plants stamped the VIN derivative. While I agree in theory, I wouldn't say it's an absolute. Generally the stampings are done with two different fonts as they were done at different plants and times. Which is smaller and which is larger, again, depends on the plant and year. I've seen cases where the engine ID is larger than the VIN derivative and vice versa. A few 70 examples I have on my Chevellestuff.com site clearly shows different sizes between the engine ID and VIN derivative (engine ID is larger). In fact, two VIN derivative stampings from Atlanta (both smaller than the engine ID) are even different sizes. One about half the size of the engine ID stamp and one about a third the size and the sequence numbers are less than 10,000 units apart - 135,9xx vs 126,5xx. Same is true for two I have from Arlington; VIN derivatives are different fonts from the engine IDs and different from each other - 203,xxx vs. 219,xxx.

Arlington #1 (http://www.chevellestuff.com/70stuff/70velle/engines/id_stamp.jpg)
vs.
Arlington #2 (http://www.chevellestuff.com/70stuff/70velle/engines/ls5c.jpg)

and

Atlanta #1 (http://www.chevellestuff.com/70stuff/70velle/engines/ls5_id.jpg)
vs.
Atlanta #2 (http://www.chevellestuff.com/70stuff/70velle/engines/ls6_id.jpg)

With restamping and fakes so rampant, it's hard to tell - the above are LS5, LS6, and L34 engines. Each set was supposed to be 'gang' stamped meaning all letters & numbers in one holder and all being the same size (whether engine ID or VIN). Engine IDs are usually the same size and font but I've seen supposedly original engines where the VIN derivative has different size fonts for the numbers and letter. Maybe it's a restamp, maybe the "A" (for Atlanta) fell out of the gang, maybe the "A" was damaged in the set and a different "A" had to be used. It's anybody's guess. You'd really have to have a number of sequential VIN stampings to draw a better conclusion.


If memory serves, the SS Fact CD has two photos of 66 Atlanta blocks and the VIN characters are larger than the engine ID and are erratic fonts (as described above) on one of them to boot.

fyi

Here is what the VIN derivative gang stamper looked like. This image came from a old Chevy plant manager who frequents the Camaro site, JohnZ.

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