18 Month Engine!

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Pale340

Pale340

Pale340
Joined
Jun 24, 2010
Messages
59
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50
Location
Huntsville, AL
So, there I was last week, excited that I am finally painting my 73 340 numbers matching engine. Numbers matching to a 73 Dart Sport 340, 4 speed, hood scoop car. I have the build sheet and the fender tag. I bought this car in March 1993. I parked in October of that year and up until 5 years ago, I had drug it around with me my whole Army career. The car is about ready to come from the body shop where it has been the last 3 years. Body, paint, and hood stripes are complete. Engine was done, balanced and blue printed back in the summer of 96 and was sprayed with primer. I would pull it out every year and rotate the assembly to make sure everything was still getting oiled, etc. So last week I get it ready for paint. I have been working on it the last couple of weeks to prep it for the engine dyno. I go to paint it and my heart stops and my jay hit the floor when I noticed the casting date on the side of the block was 1-22-71. I could not believe. I had assumed all these years that it was the original engine. Long story short, I finally got around to checking the numbers. It is a GM340, the G being 1971 and the M being the plant that is was built. Devastation has set in by now. I took a couple of days and decided that I would not let it ruin the build of this very unique car. Yesterday I decided to look at the numbers below the drain plug just above the oil pan rail. I remove the paint and believe it or not the numbers were 3B583319. An exact match to the VIN on the car, the fender tag, and the build sheet. My theory is that since it was a July 18, 1973 built car that maybe they ran out of 73 blocks and there was a spare 71 block. Not sure but I do know the block is about 18 months older than the car. Everything else on the motor was correct. Cast crank, J heads, intake, etc. Everything dated June or July of 73. As baffled as I am, I am also quite happy that it is the numbers matching engine. I am cleaning up the numbers so I can get good pictures before I paint over it again. Otherwise no one would believe it.
 
Matching engine. Don't think another thought about it. I've seen stranger.
 
I have seen it before. I had a 72 340 challenger, the engine was cast in 70 and was numbers matching to the challenger.
 
they probably knew they were done with 340 in 73 so they wanted to use things up, maybe they kept a few warranty short blocks etc.
 
Did the engine have a forged or cast crankshaft? Not much surprises me about what Ma Mopar did back in the day. It is odd that the block casting would be a 71 and built in 73. 65'
 
Probably a victim of doing first in first out. Older inventory wasn't used up until it got thin. Or it was moved out of production inventory for some reason then returned later.
 
Thank God. I wouldn't wipe my rear end with any car that didn't have matching numbers. They say Elvis wouldn't have sex with any girl who had had a baby....that's pretty much how I view any car that doesn't have matching numbers. Damaged goods. Just thinking about a car without matching numbers makes me want to take off my driving gloves, leave my Corvette in a climate controlled storage facility, and puke my double soy decaf almond milk latte all over my Pierre Cardin blouse and tasseled Bruno Magli loafers.
 
My 70 cast 72 had a cast crank in it. However, have seen a few 72's that came through with forged cranks.
 
What is the full # on the front of the block GM340Rxxxxxxxx
 
Could be a warranty block that they pulled out of inventory.
Could be a screw up on casting dates.
Could be a lot of things. Chrysler was like that!
 
I have a 70 340 that wasn't built for a year later than casting date, It has an A stamped in the front meaning it was .020 over.
 
gregcon said:
Thank God. I wouldn't wipe my rear end with any car that didn't have matching numbers. They say Elvis wouldn't have sex with any girl who had had a baby....that's pretty much how I view any car that doesn't have matching numbers. Damaged goods. Just thinking about a car without matching numbers makes me want to take off my driving gloves, leave my Corvette in a climate controlled storage facility, and puke my double soy decaf almond milk latte all over my Pierre Cardin blouse and tasseled Bruno Magli loafers.
Click to expand...
Yeah well ya know Elvis was Elvis, the rest of us have to live in the real world...:)
 
gregcon said:
Thank God. I wouldn't wipe my rear end with any car that didn't have matching numbers. They say Elvis wouldn't have sex with any girl who had had a baby....that's pretty much how I view any car that doesn't have matching numbers. Damaged goods. Just thinking about a car without matching numbers makes me want to take off my driving gloves, leave my Corvette in a climate controlled storage facility, and puke my double soy decaf almond milk latte all over my Pierre Cardin blouse and tasseled Bruno Magli loafers.
Click to expand...
:rofl:
 
Pale340 said:
So, there I was last week, excited that I am finally painting my 73 340 numbers matching engine. Numbers matching to a 73 Dart Sport 340, 4 speed, hood scoop car. I have the build sheet and the fender tag. I bought this car in March 1993. I parked in October of that year and up until 5 years ago, I had drug it around with me my whole Army career. The car is about ready to come from the body shop where it has been the last 3 years. Body, paint, and hood stripes are complete. Engine was done, balanced and blue printed back in the summer of 96 and was sprayed with primer. I would pull it out every year and rotate the assembly to make sure everything was still getting oiled, etc. So last week I get it ready for paint. I have been working on it the last couple of weeks to prep it for the engine dyno. I go to paint it and my heart stops and my jay hit the floor when I noticed the casting date on the side of the block was 1-22-71. I could not believe. I had assumed all these years that it was the original engine. Long story short, I finally got around to checking the numbers. It is a GM340, the G being 1971 and the M being the plant that is was built. Devastation has set in by now. I took a couple of days and decided that I would not let it ruin the build of this very unique car. Yesterday I decided to look at the numbers below the drain plug just above the oil pan rail. I remove the paint and believe it or not the numbers were 3B583319. An exact match to the VIN on the car, the fender tag, and the build sheet. My theory is that since it was a July 18, 1973 built car that maybe they ran out of 73 blocks and there was a spare 71 block. Not sure but I do know the block is about 18 months older than the car. Everything else on the motor was correct. Cast crank, J heads, intake, etc. Everything dated June or July of 73. As baffled as I am, I am also quite happy that it is the numbers matching engine. I am cleaning up the numbers so I can get good pictures before I paint over it again. Otherwise no one would believe it.
Click to expand...
Chrysler ran the parts inventory on the FISH system
First In
Still Here
 
Pale340 said:
Full number is GM340 08018364. The last 2 numbers are questionable as it looks like the stamp may have skipped and they double stamped, if that makes sense.
Click to expand...
I will have to clean that area up and get a better look at those numbers. They are not matching the 10,000 day calendar at all. The 0801 puts it at 1963 for the build date. That is obviously not correct. More to follow.
 
That's very exciting for it to be all coming together. Congratulations
 
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