QuestionWould you recommend a place or person to take the vehicle to to check the authencity of the build sheet and the type of engine on the car. The car is in the San Fernando Valley area and I am willing to drive ... most probably will visit the upcoming GM event at Woodley Park this coming Sunday. Thanks again!
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Followup To
Question -
car: 1970 GTO 455 HO convertible.
How can I be certain that the engine is not the original engine.
All over the web the code should be a "YA" but mine is a "YC" and the build sheet indicates "YC" also! Build sheet does not indicate an engine #. Id there a vin # stamped on the block somewhere. We decoded the #s stamped on the back of the eight cylinder and it indicates a 1970 455 engine. Your help is greatly appreciated. Thank you!
Answer -
Hi, Gary.
According to my book, the engine code is on a machined pad, below the engine number, on the right hand side of the engine block - is that what you are looking at? When you say it comes up a 1970 455, it should be one of the following, not a YC. There is no mention of a VIN on the engine.
The codes I see for the 455 can be YA, XF or YH (automatic trans), or WG or WA (for manual trans). I don't see a YC in 1970, but there is a YC for 1969 - it is a 400 with auto, not a 455. There is also a YC in 1971 - that is for a 455 with automatic. I suspect someone has changed engines on your car. These cars are being counterfieted frequently, as are the build sheets; most of them are fakes, so you have to be very careful about this unless you KNOW the history of the car since new. How did you get the build sheet?
Pontiac has archives you can access, I beleive - you should be able to tell them your VIN and they can tell you what engine was in it originally - I'm not sure they would have the original engine number, but they would surely know the code for it.
I'm not sure this is any help to you, but at least it is easy to tell a 400 from a 455; both the bore and stroke are different.
Dick
AnswerI'm sorry, Gary; I just don't know of anyone I would trust to give me an honest and thorough evaluation of a cars authenticity. I think the Pontiac archives are the place to go for authentication of your car. If you are a member of the Pontiac Club, I'm sure someone there can give you a tip on how to contact the folks at the archives.
Go to www.poci.org and see what is on their site.
The so-called "vehicle appraisers" and "authenticators" are a bunch of know-nothing BS artists, in my opinion, not that I'm biased or anything. I have many Packards, I know them well having worked on them since they were still being made, and I've heard the strangest things coming out of the mouths of the "licensed appraisers" - (licensed by whom?!?). You need to find someone who is dedicated to good solid documented data to rely on.
I think the fact that the engine code doesn't check may be an error in the code books, but more likely, the engine has been changed sometime in the last 36 years. If you are just going to drive and enjoy the car, it doesn't matter, but if you want documented proof of originality, you need to get it right from the horse's mouth (Pontiac).
Dick
