Pictures of correct 1959

[Toms007]

jonny, you are getting some good info here, from one of our best (Tom). He knows 59's very well. Welcome to CAC and as you get your car done we anxiously await the findings and the finished project. I believe that you face some challenges in your restoration, worst being in Norway. I applaud you in your efforts.

 

[Vettehead Mikey]

View attachment 22517

Is this on the intake manifold? Casting date looks to be from 1957.

What's the casting date of the block and the assembly info from the pad?

 

[brorjonny]

jonny, you are getting some good info here, from one of our best (Tom). He knows 59's very well. Welcome to CAC and as you get your car done we anxiously await the findings and the finished project. I believe that you face some challenges in your restoration, worst being in Norway. I applaud you in your efforts.

Thank you :L yes i am realy greatful. I am in the north; 27 minus today

 

[Tom Bryant]

The 519 casting number began later in 1959 so there is a good chance it matches the car. We need to know the pad stamping information and casting date to be sure. Casting date is on the other side of the block from the casting number on the bellhousing flange. We do need to see the stamped numbers at the front of the right head to be sure. That intake date looks to be another 1957 part. My '59 had a '57 intake and carb on it when I bought it. I think someone just got tired of messing with the dual 4bbls and swapped on an easy and cheap single carb. I wonder if that is also the case with your car.

I also see a 1960 to 1962 water pump and motor mount saddle. 1959 didn't have the water bypass hose coming out of the top of the water pump and, consequently, the motor mount saddle didn't have the half circle cut out to clear the hose. It was a straight front edge. Mixed year parts isn't uncommon on an unrestored car. These are minor things.

Tom

 

[brorjonny]

Thanks Tom i will post more pictures in the weekend when i am at my garage.

 

[brorjonny]

Hi Tom. Just found this numbers....... seem to be TT20D?
carb also.
Also wondering how much i should clean under, take away paint or?

 

[brorjonny]

Also some yellow marks like 26 or something

 

[Tom Bryant]

Well I seem to be the messanger of bad news again today. The carburetor is a Rochester 4 Jet. That was used on full size passenger cars. Corvettes used the Carter WCFB on both single and dual carb engines. The engine stamping is also wrong. All Corvette 283s were assembled in Flint Michigan and the stamping begins with the letter "F". "T" stamped engines like yours, were assembled in Tonawanda New York and not used in Corvettes. The suffix letter on your stamping is a single D. Corvettes used a two letter suffix such as CQ for a single carb manual transmission in '59.

Your block appears to have started life as a 283 2 barrel carb in a full size Chevrolet passenger car probably from late 1958 through 1959, since there is no VIN stamping beside the engine stamping. The casting date on the passenger side of the bell housing flange would narrow that down. The 519 block could be usable if it was cast within 6 months before the build date of the car, according to NCRS judging standards. If the block is decked during rebuild the stamping will be machined off and you could leave it blank or have it restamped correctly to your car. Check local laws first. In my opinion a blank pad is better than a totally incorrect stamping. There is no use going into this any deeper until we know if the block casting dale falls withing range.

The 26 chalk mark is probably a job number. That was just a way for the assembly line to track parts that went on each car being assembled that day. If I remember right they started over every day and you may find this number on other places on the body too.

Tom

 

[Vettehead Mikey]

Sure looks like a WCFB to me, it's certainly not a qjet. (?)

The stamp pad does indicate a Tonawanda assembled engine. The suffix 'D' was used in '58 through '64 in low HP passenger cars with auto. trans., which is more or less the same time period the 519 blocks were made.

Even if the casting date proved to be acceptable from a judging point of view, the engine case would easily be identifiable as being a Tonawanda piece by virtue of their use of two digits to identify the year, vs. the single digit used by Flint.

 

[Tom Bryant]

No it's not a Q-Jet. They didn't come out until 1965. This is a Rochester 4-Jet. Used starting in 1955 up through at least 1965 on various GM cars including full size Chevys but never on Corvettes. Ones that I remember with one of these were 1955 265s, 348 Chevys, Full size 283 4bbl cars up to and including a friends new 1965 Impala 283 4bbl and 3 speed. They were also used on 327/250 horse full size cars. They are easy to tell because the vent tubes make an X and the fuel inlet is low and in the center.

I forgot that bit about the Tonawanda date codes. Thanks for chiming in.

Tom

 

[Vettehead Mikey]

No it's not a Q-Jet. They didn't come out until 1965. This is a Rochester 4-Jet. Used starting in 1955 up through at least 1965 on various GM cars including full size Chevys but never on Corvettes. Ones that I remember with one of these were 1955 265s, 348 Chevys, Full size 283 4bbl cars up to and including a friends new 1965 Impala 283 4bbl and 3 speed. They were also used on 327/250 horse full size cars. They are easy to tell because the vent tubes make an X and the fuel inlet is low and in the center.

I forgot that bit about the Tonawanda date codes. Thanks for chiming in.

Tom

Thanks for that. I'd never really looked at the 4-jets in detail.

 

[brorjonny]

Hi Tom. Thank you very much for your help. Yes its bad news for me, realy dont know what to do thought everything was ok when i started. How much lowe do you think the value is after i have restored it? Guess its no meaning to try to find matching parts engine, gearbox and trans just restore and enjoy the car like it is. Maybe rebuild it to custom with ls1, new trans, new underbody? I am in a vacuum no......
Jonny

 

[Tom Bryant]

Opinions will be wide spread as to the value of the car if restored with these incorrect parts. Without a doubt it will have an effect. To what level will only be known if and when you try to sell it. If you are considering a Top Flight quality restoration then the search should be on for correct mechanical parts. I would concentrate on putting together a correct engine and not worry about the dates on the transmission and differential. The engine is the big deal and these components can be found through vendors in the US that advertise in the Driveline, if you look long enough. The thing now would be to determine how the car was originally equipped. There aren't too many ways to tell but a Fuel Injection has details that your car doesn't. Can you take a photo of the tachometer face and can you see if there is a date code ink stamp on the back of it? That will help narrow it down.

Another way to go would be to do a very nice driver quality restoration and drive and enjoy it. You could save a lot of time and money not doing all of the minor details but still have an outstanding looking car that would be a standout at any show. Of course the LS engine and custom chassis resto mod thing is also an option. This kind of build done right is expensive and time consuming.

Isn't this fun?
Tom

 

[brorjonny]

Thanks Tom Yes its fun! He he.....

 

[Tom Bryant]

View attachment 22520
Color under the body bolts

Looks like Frost Blue. More than likely it had a white cove, blue interior and white top.

 

[Tom Bryant]

Looking at that dual point distributor, it has a 6 H 26 date which would be August 26, 1956 making it a very early 1957 245 or 270 horse part.

Tom

 

[brorjonny]

These are the advertises and once again : you can not be to careful.


Used Chevrolet Car Corvette, 1959, $49900 24893 miles Mershon''s World Of Cars Inc, Springfield : TheMotoring.com

The Corvette C1 Registry

 

[brorjonny]

Tom can you tell me what parts i need to get the engine more correct? I will start looking before i restore the one i have.
Jonny

 

[Tom Bryant]

According to the birthday calculator on the C1 Registry your car was built on or about April 21, 1959. Any components built after that date are too new and incorrect. NCRS views a component built up to six months before that date to be acceptable for judging. Ideally an engine block cast about two weeks before with an assembly stamping no closer than 2 days before would be perfect. The chances of finding a block with a Corvette suffix stamping is extremely rare. Once in a great while there is an original Corvette block advertised in the Driveline but chances it would be a match to your car would be a once in a lifetime thing.

I would like to see a Flint 3756519 block cast late March through the second week of April. If you can find a really good block cast any time in March 1959 I'd jump on it. Of course, early April would be even better.

Here is one company in the US that deals in blocks, heads, water pumps and about any other engine part for restoration you can think of. Classic Engine Company


I'd like to have you remove the rocker covers and take a photo of the casting numbers and dates off of both heads. From the angle of your engine photo it appears like the rocker cover mounting screws are staggered as opposed to straight across. Your car is close to the time when they changed from staggered to straight across so the number and date is important. There is a possibility that the heads are original. My engine block was changed some time in it's first 10 years but the original heads were re-used. Let's hope that yours were too.

Your distributor is a dual point used from 1957 through 1961 on dual 4 bbl engines. They all appear the same and data plates are available from several restoration sources. You could get a new plate with the right date and that item would be good to go. Same for the generator if it's not dated correctly to your car.

Both cars that you linked to above had the newer 1960/1961 engine mounts and water pumps. Here is why you see this so much of the time. When GM started using the pump on Chevrolet engines with the water bypass coming out of the top they soon discontinued the earlier type water pump. That was no problem for most cars and trucks but it wouldn't clear the 59 and earlier Corvette motor mount. GM also discontinued the early type mount and substituted the newer one with the cut out as a service replacement part since it physically fit and required them to only make one part. Another reason for using the newer part was because of corrosion around the water pump holes. These would rust badly and leak in that area. The easy fix was a new part and that was the newer mount that was the only service replacement available.

Once we know the info off of the tach and the head info we can go further into what the original engine might have been.

Tom

 

[Tom Bryant]

Jonny,

Here is an example of '59 engine parts for sale in the latest issue of the Driveline. It's a base motor 519 block stamped CQ cast 12/12/58 with a pair of 550 heads cast 12/29/58 and a correct oil pan. $4500.00 US and located in Kansas. This engine is a little early for your car but it is well within the six month window. Given the problems and expense with shipping this is definitely something you want to have someone check out for you before any money changes hands. The best numbers in the world are not much good if there are cracks or if it has already been machined past it's usable limits.

This is from a private seller and they can ask whatever they want. It seems a little high to me but they are becoming fewer and harder to find all the time. This is just an example.

Tom