I know I don't have the original engine in my TA 'cus the pre heater hose attachment on the manifold is on the right side, not the left. The guy who put the engine in before I bought the car said it had 80K miles on it when he put it in but that's questionable. I have no idea why he didn't use the TA manifold. Any way to find out exactly what I have and where it came from? I know it's a 305 'cus of the big 5.0 on the back side of the block. I'm thinking a caprice or something along that line.

 

You need to get the code off the block. It'll be on the little pad in front of the passenger side head behind the alternator. It's usually hard to read when full of oil, dirt and paint. There will be a bunch of number and letters. You want the 3 letter code. Something like CNA, CFT, CHR etc. If it starts with a T then it was a truck block. With the 3 letter code, you should be able to find out what the block originally came from.

If the block was ever decked then the code will have been machined off.

 

OK, here's what I found. In big letters there's "V12B DH". Just below this in smaller letters is "2EB235712". How do I de-code this? Am I missing a letter between the B and DH?

 

2EB235712 is the last sequence of numbers in the original car's VIN. That's the true way of getting a "numbers matching" car.

E = 1984

I'm guessing there's on more letter with the DH. All the DHx series of suffix codes are 305's however they're also all for the 1981 model year. The last "DH" suffix code was for a 1968 307.

I see a SDH listed as a 1984 305. LG4 150hp 4bbl. All were available in the B,F and G body cars that year.

 

Oops, that shoild have been a V1213 DH. I'll look again for another letter after the H.

 

V = Flint engine plant
12 = December
13 = Day