Understanding Engine Assembly Plant Codes, VIN stamps and more

[mtull]

Please educate me,  I need help understanding engine VIN stamps and a few more things.

I found a forum post stating 440 engines were built in Trenton Michigan Plant, code (T or TP)?  I also found another forum post stating the engine year codes are:
D = 68
E = 69
F = 70

Say you had an early built 1970 E-Body built in August or September of 1969 with either a 440 or 440 six pack.

Questions:
- Would the engine code most likely be an E440 or F440?
- I think the first character for the engine VIN represents the year?  Would the VIN most likely start with a 9 or 0?
- I think the second character in the engine VIN represents the assembly plant code,  What would it most likely be?

Regarding the engine year code, I'm assuming early or late cars are gray areas regarding the year due to supply vs. demand?

Thank you
M.

[Chryco Psycho]

Once the 70 model production starts in early Aug everything is coded 70
The Engine will be F coded
the vin is zero
Ebodies were B code for Hamtramk plant

[6bblgt]

Once the 70 model production starts in early Aug everything is coded 70
The Engine will be F coded
the vin is zero
Ebodies were B code for Hamtramk plant ("0B" in the VIN)

Ebodies were E code for Los Angeles plant ("0E" in the VIN)

little to NO gray area concerning early or late vehicles

[mtull]

Thank you so much for the education!

[cuda hunter]

If the F motor was produced in 1970, wouldn't all the e bodies earlier than actual 1970 have had F motors that were produced in E 1969? 
I thought there were 5 months that would have received E 1969 motors and when 70 started, actual code dated F motors were installed. 
  Is that wrong? 

  Did the factory produce F 1970 motors in 1969?  Therefore not having correct cast dates on the blocks?   Correct for the year of car they were going into but not correct to the actual date they were produced? 

[Blowout]

 
I was going to ask this exact question. My car has a build date of 10/1969 and was wondering if I should be searching for an E or F HP motor..

[Mr Cuda]

 I think there's some confusion in the answers.
Yes, B and E plants, but all 70 model year engines are F stamped.
Only Dan would know if August cars got leftover E stamp motors,  but I'm sure by September,  they did not.

I accept being corrected.

[Chryco Psycho]

Engine block casting dates could go back 4 months from Aug 69 but once assigned to a 70 build it will have an F stamping .
Slipped my mind that 70 had E bodies from LA E plant 71 up were only B code

[6bblgt]

casting date is a reference point - it could be 1-month, 3-months, 6-months or more before a car's actual production date

ALL 1970 model year engines, from pre-production to August 1969 to July 1970 are "F-SERIES": F440, F383, FW340, etc.

[7E-Bodies]

To reiterate on what Dan states above, my numbers matching 70 440 has a casting date of 5/14/69 and the car has an SPD of 11/04/69.

[mtull]

To reiterate on what Dan states above, my numbers matching 70 440 has a casting date of 5/14/69 and the car has an SPD of 11/04/69.

Thank you for giving a real world example.  The block was cast six months prior.  Wow!

I learned allot during the course of this thread. Thank you to all who contributed

[cuda hunter]

To reiterate on what Dan states above, my numbers matching 70 440 has a casting date of 5/14/69 and the car has an SPD of 11/04/69.

So your 440 upper pad has a stamping of F440, correct?

[6bblgt]

ALL 1970 model year engines will be "F-SERIES"     even engines assembled in 1969

[7E-Bodies]

Another sample of mine...

[7E-Bodies]

ZERO flipping idea why the casting date pic decided to roll 180 degrees  , but there it is. Those were pics prior to engine rebuild (mostly stock with a 0.020 over).