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Canadian car identification here: Serial Numbers 1935-1964 | 1965-1966
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Thread: Help identifying engine in a '64 Le Sabre

  1. #1
    dougjpr Guest

    Help identifying engine in a '64 Le Sabre

    The car is not mine, it belongs to one of my employees. It is supposed to be a 1964 Le Sabre convertable. The big mystery with this car is the engine. I'll post what information we have and maybe someone can help. Car is in storage for the winter so it's not quickly available to check things. Here's what we have:

    VIN( from drivers door hinge post) 44467063071 (thought it odd that there were no letters)

    From plate on pass. side at base of cowl under the hood
    Style: 44671-6-25(possibly 23)
    Body #: 410455
    Paint: J
    Trim: 443-T-02
    beneath on last row following: A31 A42 U69X05


    Engine is a V8 4bbl, rocker covers are chrome and each has a label reading " 350 ROCKET" in white writing on a black background, I thought only Oldsmobile made a "Rocket". The the only numbers on it other than the firing order that we could find were cast at the rear above the bell housing and that was L-85( the 5 being much larger than the 8), there was also what appeared to be a casting # which stupid me didn't write down. We don't think it is the original engine as we can find no numbers in places where sites like this say they should be. The dist. is mounted at the front and is angled toward the drivers side. Alt is mounted to the pass head, oil filter is also on pass. side and is horizontal with an adapter on to the front of the engine(on this casting is the word metric) and PS res is mounted on the drivers side head. T-stat comes out the front of the intake manifold not the top. Original air cleaner is gone. Any help identifying this car or links to where we could get info would be appreciated.

    Thanks

    Doug
    Last edited by dougjpr; 12-10-2005 at 04:12 PM. Reason: for got something

  2. #2
    Are the valve covers rounded rather than squared off??

    From the description you've given, it really sounds like the Wildcat 355 motor, which means 355 ft. lbs of torque. This was the 4 bbl version of the Buick 300 cu in motor for 1964. I tried to attach a pic of mine, but file was too large.

    Are the intake manifold and cylinder heads aluminum?? If so, then it's definitely a Buick motor. It's conceivable that some previous owner stuck the "Rocket 350" decals on it.

    Can't help you much with the other info from the trim tag, except that the last line indicates Fisher Body option codes.

    The VIN could indicate a Canadian built car, like my 64 Skylark. Is the firewall painted body color, or black?? Body color normally means Canadian built, and black normally means USA built.
    Tom B
    65 Gran Sport

  3. #3
    the distributor position is a definite ID that this is a Buick engine, not Olds. all Olds distribs. were at the back of the block except for when they were sharing the early 215 v8s with Buick.

    the only engine available in the Le Sabre sedan for 1964 was the 300cuin. it wasn't unless you went with a wagon that a Nailhead was available.

    how many bolts are in the valve covers?
    6 = 350
    5 = 400, 430 or 455
    4 = 300, 340, possibly 215

    your VIN does NOT code out to the US standard, not even close. a 64 Le Sabre convert VIN would look like "4 K 1 063071". what you have looks like a Buick with a VIN coded to the 1964 Chevy standard. if i decode with according to how Chev was doing it in 64 i get

    4 44 67 ? 063071
    4 = 1964
    44 = Le Sabre
    67 = 2dr convert
    ? = missing production plant code, buick probably only had production in one plant for Canada. either Oshawa, Ont or St. Therese, Que, i don't know which.
    063071 = sequential production #

    443 codes as Fawn vinyl interior
    J = Surf Green
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