Attached is every serial number I can find on the engine.
I have a 1959 Chevy apache and I'm curious if the engine has been swapped out at some point in its life.
The serial number next to the distributor deck (its hard to see in the pic) is F425B. Which I believe tells me the motor has hydraulic lifters (please correct me if I'm wrong).
I am also unsure exactly what the numbers around and in the valve cover are supposed to indicate about my headers.
Are any of these numbers supposed to correspond with my VIN? If so, it makes me believe the motor may have been swapped at some point.
Sorry for 1000 questions at once, but I'm new to attempting to restore old classics. Thank you in advance for any answers and tips you have for me!
The D 24 9 block casting date on the first picture decodes to April 24, 1959, so there is a pretty good chance the engine is original to your '59 truck. There is no direct association between any of the markings on the engine and the serial number tag on the body.
'57 GMC 102, Original 347 V8, HydraMatic, 3.08 rear gear, added A/C, disk front brakes, HEI, AFB carb, '98 Honda Black Currant paint. T-boned and totaled 10/12 '52 GMC 152 Stake Bed, Original 228, SM420, added A/C, HEI, disk front brakes, '67 Chev 3.55 rear gear. Gets used as a real truck.
F = Flint Engine Plant 4 = Month (April) 25 = Day B = Passenger car 235 with Powerglide
Like Bill said, it looks like a 1959 block with a 'I 1 0' date code on the Head (Sept 1, 1960).
Note, Chevrolet stopped putting "serial numbers" on their engines at the end of the 1956 model year. So, you have casting numbers for the part number and date code as well as misc. numbers used by the foundry in the process of making the casting.
Mike B
Mike Boteler
1956 Chevy 3100 Resto Rod 1952 Willys M38 Army Jeep 1983 Jeep CJ7 Laredo 1984 Jeep CJ7 +++++ Silver Spring, MD
I see that some others have already posted some help on your question.
But since this is your first post, wanted to add "Welcome to the Stovebolt"!
When you get a chance, take a moment and head over to the Welcome Forum here Welcome and put up a post with a little about yourself and your truck. You can also read other posts and get acquainted with those that have recently joined (often leads to very useful conversations).
Another very useful link (there are lots) is here Search the Site . You can use this feature to search the site for past postings about specific topics or questions. Chances are really good, your topic has been discussed and others have answered those questions with resources and guides to help.
Again, Welcome! Look forward to seeing you in the forums.
~ Dan 1951 Chevy 3 window 3100 Follow this story in the DITY Gallery "My Grandpa Carl's Truck and How it Became Mine" 1966 Chevelle (Wife's Hot Rod) | 2013 Chevy Silverado (Current daily driver) US Army MSG Retired (1977-1998) | Com Fac Maint Lead Tech Retired (1998-2021)
Also... the # on the intake manifold, 3754644, dates from '59-'62. It is the "low box" intake used for hood clearance on later models with oil bath air cleaners. So, that is correct for '59, also.
~~ Jethro 1954 3100 Back to Life In the Dity Gallery 1951 3100 (gone) / 1956 4400 (still in the neighborhood) / 1957 6400 with dump body (retired) / 1959 3100 panel (in the woods junked) / 1978 Custom Deluxe K10 / 1993 S-10 4.3 / 2004 Chevy Crew Cab / 1945 John Deere H / 1952 John Deere B / 1966 John Deere 2510 / 1967 John Deere 1020
That VIN tag looks a little wonky. Where is it mounted? I'm pretty sure the one on my 58 Suburban is on the driver's door pillar. Chevy also started stamping the VIN on the frame during the Task Force years. Look at the drivers side top of the frame rail right near the steering box. Your VIN is stamped there. That is the authoritative source as far as I know.
So if F425B correlates to a passenger car engine wouldn't that mean I don't have the original truck engine? Or did they use "passenger car" engines in the Apaches?
So if F425B correlates to a passenger car engine wouldn't that mean I don't have the original truck engine? Or did they use "passenger car" engines in the Apaches?
Correct, you do not have the original engine...
Mike B
Mike Boteler
1956 Chevy 3100 Resto Rod 1952 Willys M38 Army Jeep 1983 Jeep CJ7 Laredo 1984 Jeep CJ7 +++++ Silver Spring, MD
That VIN tag looks a little wonky. Where is it mounted? I'm pretty sure the one on my 58 Suburban is on the driver's door pillar. Chevy also started stamping the VIN on the frame during the Task Force years. Look at the drivers side top of the frame rail right near the steering box. Your VIN is stamped there. That is the authoritative source as far as I know.
The "Serial Number" tag looks just fine no wonky at all. There is no VIN on a 55 to 59 Taskforce truck. And thank you Bill Hanlon. It seems places like Wikipedia has changed since about 10 years ago when they had the correct information. The VIN started in the 80's all say and is a 17 Character number, that follows an ISO standard. And his photo shows the number tag on the driver door hinge box pillar, 58 and 59 did that. 55 to 57 did it up higher near the windshield on the same A pillar. If it is a truck engine it will have solid lifters and the powerglide car engine will have hydraulic tappets.
I have a question the last numerical part shows what number the truck is from the assembly plant, starting with 100001, (using 1957 salesman manual), is that all trucks from the model year or all of the taskforce series or what? 3B = 3200 series 59 = model year K = Kansas City assembly plant Unit number is the next group of numbers see above.
Last edited by Truckrolet; 10/09/20227:46 PM.
Kicking self for selling off my Taskforce trucks. Still looking for an LCF or conventional big bolt in decent shape.
As of 10-26-2022, A 55.2 Taskforce long bed now the work begins
I have a question the last numerical part shows what number the truck is from the assembly plant, starting with 100001, (using 1957 salesman manual), is that all trucks from the model year or all of the taskforce series or what? 3B = 3200 series 59 = model year K = Kansas City assembly plant Unit number is the next group of numbers see above.
The unit number is a consecutive number that includes ALL series of cars and trucks made at that plant.
If you look at the unit numbers on Goldfish's serial number plate you can see the they were pre stamped and then during assembly they stamped the Series, Year and Plant (stamping is not as uniform and straight). So Goldfish's truck is the 43,314th vehicle out of plant K in the 1959 model year.
Mike B
Mike Boteler
1956 Chevy 3100 Resto Rod 1952 Willys M38 Army Jeep 1983 Jeep CJ7 Laredo 1984 Jeep CJ7 +++++ Silver Spring, MD
