Identify my 64 Electra Engine

[Wayne R]

RivNut---Ed,  would you mind identifying my 64 Electra convertible  engine,

you may remember  i purchased it from US  about  a year ago ,and showed  photos of it

here on   post war    about then   photos page 12,, headline---64 Dual Quad Electra production numbers.---.

You may remember  it has lots of factory extras,   but car does not have its original engine,  and i purchased it from the POs   daughter,, as  her Dad past away . earlier.

The cars is great , runs like a  clock   and im really happy with it,---but was never able to find out about  the engine.

Here are the numbers on the  front of engine,, and i realize its a 1966 401, but would like  to find out   by its   numbers on right side front-----MT539 on left side---6C124577 on right side,   sorry  about photos hard to see.

Many thanks if you or others can help.

[37_Roadmaster_C]

Wayne I do not understand what you are asking for. You say the stamped engine number decodes to a 66 401. What are the other numbers and what do you hope to find from them? If they are casting numbers they will not give you any useful information. I am just a bit lost as to what you are asking??????

Also, beautiful car!!!

 

Edit:  I did some more research and I now think I know what you are asking. The MT number is the production code number for a 1966 401. That is from the MT. I do not know what the rest of that number means. The other number, 6Cxxxxxx is a sequential serial number of the engine. It may be possible to estimate the date of manufacture from that number. I do not know. Hopefully others with more knowledge will jump in to help.

Edited December 27, 2021 by 37_Roadmaster_C (see edit history)

[Wayne R]

Yes   thank you   Robin,,   yes it is the number on right ,it seems to be a  strange  number,

but was wondering  what the sequential  numbers ,or what model Buick this engine came from.

My original vin number is  8k1052006  IT is  ok and correct.

 

 

 

[37_Roadmaster_C]

Hi Wayne,

I am not 100% sure, but I think by 64 the engine number and the VIN match. If this is true then the engine number 6Cxxxxxxx might be specific enough for someone to tell you what model car it came out of. Unfortunately, I am not that someone. Sorry.

The actual question you may be asking is what model car would the VIN: 6C124577 belong to? This is all a guess. Others will know.

[Wayne R]

1 hour ago, 37_Roadmaster_C said:

Hi Wayne,

I am not 100% sure, but I think by 64 the engine number and the VIN match. If this is true then the engine number 6Cxxxxxxx might be specific enough for someone to tell you what model car it came out of. Unfortunately, I am not that someone. Sorry.

The actual question you may be asking is what model car would the VIN: 6C124577 belong to? This is all a guess. Others will know.

Correct  ---Robin---thank you.

[NTX5467]

Perhaps the key to the decode might be how the supplied number could be related to the full VIN decode, in the case of the car and of the engine in it?

 

IF the engine in the car might have been donated by another vehicle, it's also possible that FEW of the bolt-on items (i.e., distributor, carb, alternator, etc.) would have been transferred from the orig engine, generally.  In other words, the orig engine would have usually been rebuilt, if possible, rather than replaced.  If the carb and distributor trace back to the orig model year of car, then things would usually indicate that it is the orig engine, usually, 

 

Otherwise, perhaps there are some date codes and casting numbers/dates on the block itself?  Which would also relate to similar numbers on the intake manifold, exhaust manifolds, and cyl heads.  Other Buick-related websites might have this information, possibly?

 

From a more generalized orientation, by that point in time, most of the horsepower-related specs for Buick engines (and others) had stabilized a bit, running for several model years at a time.  Which means similar compression ratios, camshaft specs, and such, for example.  Knowing what's really under the hood might be important, but as long as it works as designed and is reasonably correct, "it's all good" and the car's ultimate value is similar.  Nice looking car that should provide lots of smiles with the miles and wind-blown hair!

 

Just some thoughts,

NTX5467

[Wayne R]

Thank you NTX5467  for taking the time explaining  your knowledge about what i was asking,

especially  where you mentioned the casting  numbers  dates   on the block  and cylinder heads 

and  other items,  etc,.

Like you stated it is a  nice car , and drives well,---and i am really happy with it,, but will  in the next  few days

record those numbers  in case it provides more information  about the car.

The other strange thing about it , when i  bought this  car it was sold by a dealer in Coeur  d Alene Idaho,

on behalf of the daughters Dad  that past away about a year earlyer, and the dealer stated that it was 425 ci engine,

when i asked for all the photos of  block numbers  i told him it was only a 401,---and it still has a 425ci air cleaner  decal

on the air cleaner,.  which  proves nothing,.

And about i month ago i decided to  check the timing, ignition, as there was always a little light  stumbling at idle,

dwell was at 34, and the timing was set at 10-11 advance,  so when i  set those to where they should be  car is now perfect

runs so quite and very smooth .----So perhaps the Dad that owned the car thought it really was a 425ci.  or workshop  that serviced it did.

i never received  previous  receipts, paper work with car or service records  with car,---shows 136000 miles on speedo, .

Many thanks.

[NTX5467]

Dwell usually should be 30 degrees + or - 2 degrees, on GM V-8 distributors.  Not sure about the specific timing, though.  Glad your little tweaking made things better.

 

Happy New Year!

NTX5467

[NTX5467]

www.teambuick.com/reference has lots of specs and ID information.  Only thing is that many of the items you might find show to have been on both 401 and 425 Nailhead motors.  

 

In reality, again, the additional 20 horsepower and similar torque increases with the 425 vs. 401 might not really be easily felt in normal driving.  In other words, not much difference in real road performance, I suspect.

 

What I might be more concerned with is whether it has the Dynaflow or the THM400 automatic in it.  Which can be determined by a visual inspection of the transmission.  As both used the same instrument panel shift quadrant in 1964.

 

Enjoy!

NTX5467  

[Wayne R]

Thanks   NTX5467,    no every thing else stock , St 400 tranny, limited,  slip diff, all power windows and vents,

cruise , power seats,air con,  4 note horns,--Carter carb,--regards.

Edited January 3, 2022 by Wayne R
photos2 (see edit history)