okay so ive got the motor out the car and i wanna de code the motor now the block number is 395558 and it has a big 2 at the end of the code so the whole code is 3955582

 

just bought an engine with the same code from a 73-74 oldsmobile cutlass if it is painted gold. mine is a 350 rocket v8 from that year.

 

I have a 1971 Cutlass Convertible with the same numbers on my block (don't know if its original). From the information I've been able to find on the web, the block is a 350 and was used from 1968 thru 1970. Used for 2 barrel carbs up to W31 motors. But I've seen the same block in 1971 (like mine) & 1972 Cutlass, but have not seen anything in print on these years.

 

okay...from what ive gathered on related sites it definitly is a 68-72 motor...and as i know the olds 350 motors are supposed to be gold...here is the kicker...i talked with the original owners wife(i am the second owner of the car)she says it is the original motor but the trans was changed and that her husband had the same intentions as i have with this car...he wanted to decive the untrained eye..what i mean is the original owner painted the engine the olds big block blue color as i was doing a peliminary tear down my suspisions were confirmed that the old man was building a very stout motor as ive already found what looks like non stock valvetrain components and looking at the pistons they look like high performance pieces.as i talked to the lady i also was told that the motor was rebuilt with nothing but the best and broken in(hence the ungoddly reak of diesel spec motor oil)she mentioned it was done not out of need to rebuild but out of her husbands need for speed and was intended to be a bracket car. the motor was rebuilt in the middle of 1991 and sadly the gentleman passed away in early 1992 not finishing the hotrod. oddly enough both their sons did not take interest in the car and shoved it in the back yard in 1994 where it sat till 2006 where in a last minute thing the car was heaved to the curb in hopes of it getting towed to a junk yard until i intervined in april of this year and dragged it home with a leary blessing from the wife and considered a belated birthday gift.im wondering if ill repaint the motor when its done or will i just let the untrained eye think its a big block and really be blowing them away with a smallblock oh well it will do until i can afford to build another big block...one that wont blow up next time

 

your V8 engine block casting # 395558-2 is for a 350 years spanning from 66-77. on the left front there will be a pad with a # stamped in it
first digit is 3 olds div.
second # is the year of the block 8=68 9=69
third digit will be a letter location of moter being built which plant
the last six of the serial 3 SHOULD match the dashboard vin

 

please clarify something for me, is "left front" looking at the engine from the drivers seat or from the front of the car.
Thanks..

 

drivers

 

thanks rockethound.

 

no problem.