Last weekend a buddy and I went to Oklahoma for a swap meet and we stopped at a place that had some old hot rods out front and out back we found a 70 SS in poor shape - no motor or trans but we did what we had to to still check it out- who wouldnt? waht we found- saw was rust more than I'm used to seeing in Texas as it had Texas plates and Tx insp from 1982! yeah its been sitting a long time. It has pwr discs, 12 Bolt, sway bar/boxed arms, 4 speed pedals, linkage and hacked hole in floor, 3-4 SS wheels cowl ind hood suprisingly all parts intact- flapper, solenoid, vac pod and alot of patina on hood and reast of car, the stripes appear to be original as do the cowl emblems. Seats were loose in car, no PS or air car was produced 10/69 according to door sticker and the thing that got my attention was the 6,500 redline tach! I'm no expert but seems like was possibly a L78 car? and this is the reason for the post what do I need to look for to confirm this? we found very little left if a build sheet under driver seat - is there anywhere else one might be? My buddy bought the car(I have too many or I would of) supposedly the owner knows a guy that claims he has original motor- we will need to talk to him- owner said he wouldnt sell it but everyone has his price. and he would pay what owner wanted for car- he was 500$ off(that seems dumb to me) as I think it was bought reasonable enough. I have some pics on my cell and no idea how to post as its a dumb phone-I can send to my email but it arrives as a picture not an attachment? so I'm not sure how to post up It suprises me that cars like this are still out there. any help to try to determine what this used to be would be appreciated.
new find 70 SS looking for some help
1 reading
zman1969
1 - 20 of 22 Posts
Joined
·
124 Posts
Last weekend a buddy and I went to Oklahoma for a swap meet and we stopped at a place that had some old hot rods out front and out back we found a 70 SS in poor shape - no motor or trans but we did what we had to to still check it out- who wouldnt? waht we found- saw was rust more than I'm used to seeing in Texas as it had Texas plates and Tx insp from 1982! yeah its been sitting a long time. It has pwr discs, 12 Bolt, sway bar/boxed arms, 4 speed pedals, linkage and hacked hole in floor, 3-4 SS wheels cowl ind hood suprisingly all parts intact- flapper, solenoid, vac pod and alot of patina on hood and reast of car, the stripes appear to be original as do the cowl emblems. Seats were loose in car, no PS or air car was produced 10/69 according to door sticker and the thing that got my attention was the 6,500 redline tach! I'm no expert but seems like was possibly a L78 car? and this is the reason for the post what do I need to look for to confirm this? we found very little left if a build sheet under driver seat - is there anywhere else one might be? My buddy bought the car(I have too many or I would of) supposedly the owner knows a guy that claims he has original motor- we will need to talk to him- owner said he wouldnt sell it but everyone has his price. and he would pay what owner wanted for car- he was 500$ off(that seems dumb to me) as I think it was bought reasonable enough. I have some pics on my cell and no idea how to post as its a dumb phone-I can send to my email but it arrives as a picture not an attachment? so I'm not sure how to post up It suprises me that cars like this are still out there. any help to try to determine what this used to be would be appreciated.
Joined
·
4,408 Posts
Build sheets depending where the car was built, can be under the carpet, back seat, behind the the door panel, and on top of the gas tank. Do you know where the car was built?
Ray
Ray
Joined
·
124 Posts
car was built in Cali? IIRC from what my bud told me, carpet is gone. When he unloads off trailer we can jack up and check ratio, date code, tube stamp and if its a posi or not, we will also inspect the fuel line(s) that sound same as my 69 Nova BB car it had single 3/8" line.
edit: Oh btw the car still has original Harrison radiator in it- still has tag on pass side (I forget the code on it)
edit: Oh btw the car still has original Harrison radiator in it- still has tag on pass side (I forget the code on it)
Joined
·
616 Posts
If it's a Van Nuys built car, 136370"L" Vin, drop the fuel tank. My bet is it's stuck to the top of the tank if it has one. Good luck.
Joined
·
15,673 Posts
I'd check up on the original motor and compare the partial VIN 10Lxxxxxx stamped on the rough cast area next to the oil filter, check the engine pad engine code and casting numbers and dates of what you can find. IMO, an ex-SS car, regardless of original engine, is just that, an ex-SS car. But if the original engine can be found, not some generic CE, it'll add value to the car.
Joined
·
501 Posts
I have a 10D 1969 Van Nuys built 1970 L78 and my engine and trans stampings are 1L0xxxxxx.
Now I know they aren't supposed to be this way, but that's how they were originally stamped for this motor and trans. It is stamped this way just as Dale said - on the rough area next to the oil filter.
You may not know where the car was originally sold, but if it was in California, it might still have its charcoal canister. If it does, see if the cap has 4 male fittings for emissions hoses. That would make it for either an L78 or LS6 NA9 car. It would have a part number, date and code stamped into the top of the canister too. Some have stickers, but I think those came later in production. Mine is stamped. I think there is special fuel piece for these NA9 cars too. It up by the tank. I don't know off-hand what the part is called, but it's made by Rochester and there are lines that go to it from the tank. It is mounted on the forward end of the body near the tank. You can't miss it, if you pulled the tank. Hoses from the tank go right to it. I still have mine.
If it still has the radiator, it might still have the original end caps. There will be stampings on those items to help determine an L78. Also, the radiator top plate will have tune-up specs for an L78 - more indicators for L78.
Great find and best of luck with the project. I hope it's an L78. :thumbsup:
Al
Now I know they aren't supposed to be this way, but that's how they were originally stamped for this motor and trans. It is stamped this way just as Dale said - on the rough area next to the oil filter.
You may not know where the car was originally sold, but if it was in California, it might still have its charcoal canister. If it does, see if the cap has 4 male fittings for emissions hoses. That would make it for either an L78 or LS6 NA9 car. It would have a part number, date and code stamped into the top of the canister too. Some have stickers, but I think those came later in production. Mine is stamped. I think there is special fuel piece for these NA9 cars too. It up by the tank. I don't know off-hand what the part is called, but it's made by Rochester and there are lines that go to it from the tank. It is mounted on the forward end of the body near the tank. You can't miss it, if you pulled the tank. Hoses from the tank go right to it. I still have mine.
If it still has the radiator, it might still have the original end caps. There will be stampings on those items to help determine an L78. Also, the radiator top plate will have tune-up specs for an L78 - more indicators for L78.
Great find and best of luck with the project. I hope it's an L78. :thumbsup:
Al
Joined
·
4,408 Posts
Looking like a true SS to me from what I have seen in the pictures.
Joined
·
124 Posts
Thats the first thing I told him- the seller says he knows the guy that has it, said he wanted the car but wouldnt pay the price- was only $500 off :wacko: owners going to try to touch base with him and see if its the original- I hope it is! the trans is long gone, what could it be? M22 or 20/21?
He still hasnt checked to see what the rear end is -codes, ratio ect
Joined
·
501 Posts
Nice project, Rich! Keep on with the investigation. What's the info on the cowl tag..?
Joined
·
2,907 Posts
Nice. Definitely post the cowl tag info.....If you don't mind.
Joined
·
124 Posts
quick update he dropped the tank and no luck- no build sheet
- he still hasn't got me any more pics and while pulling tank he didnt even look at the 12 bolt for numbers- ugh Very nice! Looks like it could be a nice project...
Joined
·
124 Posts
My Buddy and I went to Oklahoma over the weekend and we met with P/O of car, parts guy 1 and parts guy 2 PG1 and PG2. PG 2 had some correct dated heads that were bought and he had some info about this car- evidently we weren't the only ones that were interested in it- we were just the lucky guys there at the right time with cash. PG1 had some items he was sure was off this car a 569 intake manifold and a 291 pulley and a 621 bellhousing- parts he bought off the PO. the intake and pulley were bought - the bell was cracked.
The story goes that is the motor was taken to the machine shop with a lower end issue and shortly after an employee at the shop was laid off and he decided he was entitled to take the motor with him :clonk: so were still in the hunt for any or all the pieces we can track down - it's out there somewhere, so we will keep digging. was actually a good day and fun getting the stories about it. Years ago the vehicle was in San Antonio Tx and was moved from a rent house and the trans was left behind only to find out later that the land lord had trashed it after getting the axle code out of the car CKK and that being 4.10s I'd say there was a chance it could of been a M22? Some things we will never know! sure wish the build sheet was around it wasn't on the gas tank and a small piece was under the drivers bucket seat
The story goes that is the motor was taken to the machine shop with a lower end issue and shortly after an employee at the shop was laid off and he decided he was entitled to take the motor with him :clonk: so were still in the hunt for any or all the pieces we can track down - it's out there somewhere, so we will keep digging. was actually a good day and fun getting the stories about it. Years ago the vehicle was in San Antonio Tx and was moved from a rent house and the trans was left behind only to find out later that the land lord had trashed it
after getting the axle code out of the car CKK and that being 4.10s I'd say there was a chance it could of been a M22? Some things we will never know! sure wish the build sheet was around it wasn't on the gas tank and a small piece was under the drivers bucket seat1 - 20 of 22 Posts
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
