Special orders may have been more common in 1949, I'm not old enough that I can claim to remember.... There is no RPO for a 235 in a '49 3800 and my bet is that its more likely a very early engine replacement rather than a factory job.
Casting numbers off the motor would only prove that the motor is that old. With a clear set of photocopies (right!) off the titles starting with the original paper work, and assuming this one was always titled off the motor, I could be persuaded that is what happened. Right now I remain skeptical.
I know several people old enough to remember 1949. I don't trust their memories and would prefer to go with the documentation rather than 60-year-old memories.
It can be amusing to to engage with people who remember days in the 20's and 30's as if they were yesterday, and yet remember nothing of yesterday. The mind is an incredible thing, but you need to be careful how far you trust it.
You can say your 235 is an original 1949 and short of casting numbers it would be hard to prove otherwise. Convincing as aging skeptic like me that it was orignally in a '49 3800 is going to be much harder.
I have a '51 4400 that is supposed to be a babbit 235. I've never looked hard enough to find proof. Parked next to the '51 is a '52 that clearly has the later 235 in it based on the valve cover.
How can anyone ever prove these things?
