Found this engine yesterday. Think its a 64 corvette 327, 3782870? Is it worth the $200 without the heads? What does the reading mean that says 4? I have a nice set of heads, I wonder if I can reuse the internals.

http://www.chevelles.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=252&pictureid=2806
http://www.chevelles.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=252&pictureid=2805
http://www.chevelles.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=252&pictureid=2808
http://www.chevelles.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=252&pictureid=2807

Found this engine yesterday. Think its a 64 corvette 327, 3782870? Is it worth the $200 without the heads? What does the reading mean that says 4? I have a nice set of heads, I wonder if I can reuse the internals.

http://www.chevelles.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=252&pictureid=2806
http://www.chevelles.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=252&pictureid=2805
http://www.chevelles.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=252&pictureid=2808
http://www.chevelles.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=252&pictureid=28074.0 is the bore,looks like it is original bore size.The crank casting is forged steel.I think its worth it if it is all free from cracks.

1. You can make digital calipers read the size you want.....

2. A 64' Corvette 327 should have had dome pistons.......

3. $200 would not be bad if your looking to build a 327 to go in a correct look car. I just can't see a nice bottom end without problems for $200.....

Be careful what your getting.... What are your final plans for the motor?

I would like a high 300hp 327 in my 66 chevelle. I have some really nice heads, so I am looking for a block to rebuild. Funds are tight though. I have to buy one peice at a time.

Crank's nodular iron.

2. A 64' Corvette 327 should have had dome pistons.......


Not true. 1964 Corvette 250hp ad 300hp 327's had flat top pistons.

Not true. 1964 Corvette 250hp ad 300hp 327's had flat top pistons.

Ok, time for my history lesson, I have a 64' 327 from what I was told an Impala, and was said to be a 275 or 300hp motor, that motor has factory dome pistons...... and from what I always figured was the 10.5:1 motor?

This motor is a factory motor, still had the GM shim gaskets, I have had the motor for almost 20 years, and my dad's friend is the one that pulled it from the Impala about 10-15 years before that...

Is there any good info on the specs and ratings of these motors?

I would like a high 300hp 327 in my 66 chevelle. I have some really nice heads, so I am looking for a block to rebuild. Funds are tight though. I have to buy one peice at a time.

I fyour looking for a good build for cheap, I would look into a 350 as the parts are cheaper to build and low end power is a bit better because of the added stroke.

Now if you just want to have a 327, $200 would not be a bad deal if all the parts are there and nothign is broke or cracked, the small journal 327's are getting harder to find.

I have never seen a small journal crank that was not steel from the factory, the large journal cranks are iron.

Ok, time for my history lesson, I have a 64' 327 from what I was told an Impala, and was said to be a 275 or 300hp motor, that motor has factory dome pistons...... and from what I always figured was the 10.5:1 motor?

This motor is a factory motor, still had the GM shim gaskets, I have had the motor for almost 20 years, and my dad's friend is the one that pulled it from the Impala about 10-15 years before that...

Is there any good info on the specs and ratings of these motors?

What is the stamp code on the front pad under the passenger side front cylinder head?

DigitExampleDescription1 to 7 0001001 Sequential Production Number 8 F or T Flint, MI or Tonawanda, NY 9 to 10 Carburetion & Transmission

RC = 327-cid 250-hp V-8 with 10.5:1 compression ratio, manual transmission, and four-barrel carburetor
RD = 327-cid 300-hp V-8 with 10.5:1 compression ratio, manual transmission, and four-barrel carburetor
RE = 327-cid 365-hp V-8 with 11.0:1 compression ratio, manual transmission or special high-performance manual transmission, and four-barrel carburetor
RF = 327-cid 375-hp V-8 with 11.0:1 compression ratio, manual transmission, and fuel injection
RP = 327-cid 250-hp V-8 with 10.5:1 compression ratio, manual transmission, four-barrel carburetor, and air conditioning
RQ = 327-cid 300-hp V-8 with 10.5:1 compression ratio, manual transmission, four-barrel carburetor, and air conditioning
RR = 327-cid 365-hp V-8 with 11.0:1 compression ratio, manual transmission or special high-performance manual transmission, four-barrel carburetor, and air conditioning
RT = 327-cid 365-hp V-8 with 11.0:1 compression ratio, manual transmission, and four-barrel carburetor
RU = 327-cid 365-hp V-8 with 11.0:1 compression ratio, manual transmission, four-barrel carburetor, and air conditioning
RX = 327-cid 375-hp V-8 with 11.0:1 compression ratio, manual transmission, and fuel injection
SC = 327-cid 250-hp V-8 with 10.5:1 compression ratio, Powerglide automatic transmission and a four-barrel carburetor
SD = 327-cid 300-hp V-8 with 10.5:1 compression ratio, Powerglide automatic transmission and four-barrel carburetor
SK = 327-cid 250-hp V-8 with 10.5:1 compression ratio, Powerglide automatic transmission, four-barrel carburetor, and air conditioning
SL = 327-cid 300-hp V-8 with 10.5:1 compression ratio, Powerglide automatic transmission, four-barrel carburetor, and air conditioning


Above shows even the 250hp motor to be 10.5:1, and I know my .030 over flat top 462 headed shim head gasket 331 only nets 9.0:1 compression "CCing" everything out. So I know to get 10.5:1 it must have used a dome piston.

What is the stamp code on the front pad under the passenger side front cylinder head?

I will try to get the code off it tonight, this is really making me curious and learing a good bit also!:yes:

Sorry to have hijacked the thread!

I wil guarantee that all 250hp and 300hp 327 cubic inch engines had flat top pistons in them.

I wil guarantee that all 250hp and 300hp 327 cubic inch engines had flat top pistons in them.


I could not get to the front pad of the motor, without lifting it out with a crane. (in storage facing a wall with another shortblock on top of it)

So is there something out there that tells you when the dome pistons were used and in what motors specifically the 327?

I just can't see how they got 10.5:1 compression from a flat top piston, a 64cc head even with a shim gasket? I can see 9.5:1 but not 10.5:1...... that is why I could see the dome pistons to be the 10.5 motor.

I am going to have to pull that motor to find the pad number and what it was originally in. I know it's stock bore but I guess someone could have put the dome pistons in there with factory GM gaskets......

OK, for a history lesson from an old coger who lived it:
327s with domed pistons:

62 - 340 & 360 HP
63 - 340 & 360 HP
64 - 365 & 375 HP
65 - 350, 365 & 375 HP
66 - 350 HP
67 - 350 HP
68 - 350 HP

All other automotive 327 engines used flat top pistons.
Trucks may have used dished pistons.

Chevrolet may have exaggerated the compression ratio or it may be right in the ideal engine. As produced they were more likely about 10 to 1 with flat top pistons.

More comments.

Small journal 327s (62 thru 68) had forged cranks.

The numbers and pictures posted to not prove nor preclude it from being a Corvette engine.

Post a clear picture of the clean stamp pad so we can try to determine what it was originally.

DigitExampleDescription1 to 7 0001001 Sequential Production Number 8 F or T Flint, MI or Tonawanda, NY 9 to 10 Carburetion & Transmission

RC = 327-cid 250-hp V-8 with 10.5:1 compression ratio, manual transmission, and four-barrel carburetor
RD = 327-cid 300-hp V-8 with 10.5:1 compression ratio, manual transmission, and four-barrel carburetor
RE = 327-cid 365-hp V-8 with 11.0:1 compression ratio, manual transmission or special high-performance manual transmission, and four-barrel carburetor
RF = 327-cid 375-hp V-8 with 11.0:1 compression ratio, manual transmission, and fuel injection
RP = 327-cid 250-hp V-8 with 10.5:1 compression ratio, manual transmission, four-barrel carburetor, and air conditioning
RQ = 327-cid 300-hp V-8 with 10.5:1 compression ratio, manual transmission, four-barrel carburetor, and air conditioning
RR = 327-cid 365-hp V-8 with 11.0:1 compression ratio, manual transmission or special high-performance manual transmission, four-barrel carburetor, and air conditioning
RT = 327-cid 365-hp V-8 with 11.0:1 compression ratio, manual transmission, and four-barrel carburetor
RU = 327-cid 365-hp V-8 with 11.0:1 compression ratio, manual transmission, four-barrel carburetor, and air conditioning
RX = 327-cid 375-hp V-8 with 11.0:1 compression ratio, manual transmission, and fuel injection
SC = 327-cid 250-hp V-8 with 10.5:1 compression ratio, Powerglide automatic transmission and a four-barrel carburetor
SD = 327-cid 300-hp V-8 with 10.5:1 compression ratio, Powerglide automatic transmission and four-barrel carburetor
SK = 327-cid 250-hp V-8 with 10.5:1 compression ratio, Powerglide automatic transmission, four-barrel carburetor, and air conditioning
SL = 327-cid 300-hp V-8 with 10.5:1 compression ratio, Powerglide automatic transmission, four-barrel carburetor, and air conditioning


Above shows even the 250hp motor to be 10.5:1, and I know my .030 over flat top 462 headed shim head gasket 331 only nets 9.0:1 compression "CCing" everything out. So I know to get 10.5:1 it must have used a dome piston.

Nope all 250 to 300 HP 327 engines GM produced were indeed flattops. 350 HP and up used domed 11:1 pistons. Years ago numbers were just numbers.