I dug around in storage and got the original engine for the Chevelle out into the light of day so I could inspect it. I couldn't find a VIN on the block anywhere. I checked all over and the only numbers I found were the casting number, casting date, and the assembly date.

Casting Number = 3963512
Casting Date = I 10 9 (I assume this to be September 10th, 1969
Assembly Date = T1020 (October 20th, 1969)
Engine Suffix = CRT (1970 LS5, 4 Speed)

It isn't up for discussion whether this is the original engine since it is the only other engine to of ever been in this car. It was taken out in 1978. There are just a couple of things that seem strange. First of all, it's got no VIN that I could locate. The second thing is the engine was assembled in October of 1969, but the car was assembled in the fourth week of February in 1970. Is it normal to have a four month gap in the time of engine assembly to car assembly?

The car was ordered somewhere around October/November of 1969. But I can't be sure when exactly.

I can upload the pictures if you guys want to see the numbers I located. The pictures I tried to take of the block casting date didn't come out so well, but you can make it out on one of the pictures.

Aside from the engine pad, some plants stamped the partial VIN by the oil filter (seen on several Flint & Van Nuys), hard to see sometimes, or along the rear bellhousing flange (seen on Van Nuys).

"I" is September.

Four months isn't unheard of but on the outside of the range, IMO. It isn't like there was some special marriage of engine/trans/rear end that would have kept the car on hold. It's possible, I suppose, the engine could have been missed the stamping process.

If this car was built in Flint, some Flint 4-speed cars seem to have gotten the engine V.I.N. stamped on the aluminum bellhousing near the oil filter location, so if this car was built there and has the original 621 bellhousing you might want to look there.
Chris

The car was built in Van Nuys. I took several pictures of around the oil filter. No such luck. Only other place to check would be the bell housing. I am pretty sure the one in the car is the original one. I'll look there when the M22 comes out.

Thanks, guys.