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.
