I'm looking at a car locally that has a "counter exchange" 1970 454 casting #3963512 in it. On the front pad it has a CE**** code. Is thet the correct sequence or should the CE be after the date code? I've read some conflicting info and I'd like a definitive answer. If it matters there is no VIN stamped there or by the oil filter.

Thanks!

CE stands for "Chevrolet Engine",not counter engine.
The CE should precede those numbers.
If you relay all those numbers after the CE,I can give you a little more information about it.

Thanks ...I'd give ya the #'s if I could read them! The CE was pretty clear but you can tell the person held the stamp at an angle and the #'s didn't come through too well. Thanks for clearing up the position of the CE code!

IIRC, the sequence goes CE then the first number is the year of manufacture and the rest is the manufacturing sequence number for warranty purposes.

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

Thanks !!

Isn't it true that that a CE engine is sort of like a "wild card". As long as the date code is with in one year (the warr. period) of build date of the car, then CE motor is still considered "numbers matching" to the car? I belive that is the case but was wondering if anyone can confirm this?

Originally posted by 67Sleeper:
Isn't it true that that a CE engine is sort of like a "wild card". As long as the date code is with in one year (the warr. period) of build date of the car, then CE motor is still considered "numbers matching" to the car? I belive that is the case but was wondering if anyone can confirm this? Guess it depends on who you're talking with. To me, once the original engine is gone numbers matching is out the door. Then again, to me changing seat type and/or paint color from what the car came with isn't numbers matching either. smile.gif

Dale, So what you are saying that if the car blew a motor, spun a bearing, or whatever 6 months after it drove off the lot due to some defect, that even though the CE motor put in by GM 37 years ago would not count as numbers matching :eek: ? I can see the different color paint and seat change as not being numbers matching as that changed the look of the car and more then likely wasn't done by GM. But, I'm puzzled by this CE thang. :confused:

Our '69s had the 5 year 50K mile warranty. A car could have a new engine installed up to 5 years after the sale date. Insurance was getting harder to get on the big engine cars so some sat well into the 1970 selling season. It is possible that a '69 could get a CE replacement engine as late as 1975. Paperwork on the engine replacement would be a definite help in documenting the car. Each car has only one original, numbers matching engine. A documented CE engine would be second best and any CE engine would be third. There is nothing numbers matching about a CE engine.

Once the original engine is gone, it can never be numbers matching. A dealer installed motor would never be a numbers matching engine. In other words, the only way a car can be a numbers matching car is if it still has the engine in it that it left the factory with.

Originally posted by Dwayne Martin:
Once the original engine is gone, it can never be numbers matching. A dealer installed motor would never be a numbers matching engine. In other words, the only way a car can be a numbers matching car is if it still has the engine in it that it left the factory with. I agree totally.

Keep in mind that a CE engine may only be a partial engine. If it spun a bearing or something happened to just the block (most often the case) they would only have replaced the short block. Meaning there would reuse the heads, intake and carb, dist, water pump, oil pan etc etc.