I have searched in the search glass and only found a few for 1953 and the serial numbers they had listed started with LDA, and mine is a LBA as i can see it clearly. I cleaned it off and took a pic. with my phone and a flashlight and it reads as follows : LBA977773 can anyone help me decode this engine serial number that was on the r.s of my enginevon a boss just to the rear of the ignition distridutor ???? Thank You.
1953 Chevrolet 1/2 ton Panel Truck 3100 4800 LB. maximum rating, 85hp at 3300 RPM
Thanks guys for replying back. was able to find out on the info. you guys provided that it is a 216 engine. was told when i bought the truck that the guy thought it was the original engine, but the owner of the truck 10 yrs. ago had passed away within that time and the guy that was selling the truck to me told me that he thought it was the original engine. How can you tell if its original for sure or not ??? Thanks again to everyone replying to this.
1953 Chevrolet 1/2 ton Panel Truck 3100 4800 LB. maximum rating, 85hp at 3300 RPM
Depending on where you and your truck reside, a "possible" (no guarantee) way to determine if original rests on how the truck was titled.
Some where titled using the engine serial number (if your number matches the titled "number" in this case there is a possibility it's original, but not definitive as the engine could be a replacement and the title may have been updated to record the new serial number). Lots of years since it was built and potential for changes along the way.
If the truck was titled using the serial number from the cab ID plate, that won't help decide engine originality.
What you do know by the existing serial number decoding is the engine is "correct" for a 1953 216 that match your truck.
That's about as close as you can get to confirming it is original to the truck. Just the nature of the beast.
~ 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)