OLE442

Are 455's serialized to the car when assembled. If so, where is it located? Just curious since I've never noticed it on the motor. Also, where are the markings that would tell you what the motor is.....part numbers, etc? My brother bought it from the original owner in Texas and it's supposed to be original but then, you know, things can happen. Just curious.

Thanks,
OLE442

don71

The vin is on the block, left near the front right under the head. The last six digits will match the vin if its original. The 455 casting is 396021F or similar On the timing chain housing top-center.

joe_padavano

To clarify, ALL Oldsmobile blocks and transmission cases were stamped with a nine character VIN derivative (partial VIN) starting with the 1968 model year. The first character of the VIN derivative will match the first character of the car's VIN. The last eight characters of the VIN derivative will match the last eight of the VIN.

Despite the term being commonly misused, THIS is what is meant by "numbers matching" - the car has the original block and trans and the VIN derivative stamps MATCH the VIN.

Prior to the 1968 model year, Olds used engine and transmission unit numbers. These were serialized numbers that were unique to each engine and trans, but the do not match the VIN. If you have the Protect-O-Plate for a car, the P-O-P will have the car's VIN and the engine and trans unit numbers stamped on it, which allows you to link these components with a specific VIN.

The locations of the VIN derivative stamps are shown in this drawing:

OLE442

My block has the same last numbers stamped on the pad as my car so it's matching.

The numbers on the front top of the block are: 396021F

There is a large upper case "F" to the right of the oil filter mount on the block.

The drivers side head has a large "G" with a smaller (than the G) upper case "A' just below something that looks like a screw head. The passenger side has what appears to be a large "G" but I can't tell if there is the other letter A?

The car only has 47,700 actual, documented miles but was drag raced some in the Houston, Texas area before the 1980's.

Still trying to find the tranny numbers.

OLE442

OLE442

I guess it's a standard 455 with original block and heads. I would guess the heads would be original but there is no serialization.....correct? When I had the carb rebuilt, the owner asked if the motor had a big cam in it? I said it doesn't sound like it. He also asked if it had been raced because the carb had added springs that would cause it to snap open when the pedal was hit and it had holes drilled in the butterflies which he said helped cars to idle if they had a bigger cam in them....LOL! I plan on a compression test to see if it has higher compression but I doubt it. Seems odd to me to put a bigger cam in it and not change the heads out to W-30 style heads??But what do I know....Ha! It originally had a Torquer manifold on it but the Ram Air inset wouldn't fit so I put a W-30 intake on it instead of the cast iron as stock.

VC455

Ga heads were used on the 1972 Cutlass for higher performance applications such as MT 442s and W30s.

joe_padavano

GA heads were used on every single 455 built in the 1972 model year. I think what you meant to say is that V-code cars (not just 442s) and X-code cars (L77 W-30 motors) got the larger intake valves. The castings were the same, just the larger valves were installed.

OLE442

VC455:

Now my heads have "G" in upper case and a smaller upper case "A" next to the G? Most charts I see are shown as "Ga" with the 'a' being lower case. Does either one indicate high performance heads? If they are high performance heads then they wouldn't have come from the factory like that for a non W-30 442? The addition of high performance heads would make sense if it had a bigger cam in it to me. If I were racing it and going to all that trouble, I think I'd put higher compression pistons in the motor too. Thoughts??

I see you're from Texas. My 442 was built in Arlington, Texas and my brother bought it when the family lived in Houston, Texas (Cypress). I remember seeing a photo my brother took of the Gillespie County, Texas sign when he was out and about Texas. Gillespie is our last name....!!

OLE442

OLE442

Joe:

So the owner who raced it could have swapped out the original heads for the heads with the bigger valves and it would have been impossible to tell without taking the heads off and measuring the valves?? Who knows what I've got except for the block does match the car serial number. It is low mileage but who knows what was done to it before my brother bought it?

Thanks,
OLE442

joe_padavano

The GA heads use a small upper case A next to the G. Most people write Ga instead of GA because it's easier. This really gets confusing with the 7A heads used on 1972 350 motors and the 7A heads used on late 1980s 307s.

joe_padavano

Correct, however it's more likely that the heads are original and the previous owner did nothing to them.

OLE442

Yup, got it up on the two post and inserted my iPhone up into the passenger side engine compartment and took multiple photos until I could read the marking on the head and it is also a "G A"!

I hate iPhones but they do come in handy at times!