[bwilt327]

Ok let me start with some background on this story. I saw this car on craigslist advertised as a 67 SS. The owner (who is in NJ, and also doesn't squat about cars...) told me that he flew to FL about 15 years ago and bought this car because a friend told him he should. I I drove to Jersey this morning (im from DE) and went to look at it. It was a clean 67 SS like he said so I paid up and loaded it on the trailer. Then the guy gives me a book called "Nova SS" and says that this exact car was featured in this book down in FL on pages 18-19. I thought oh cool so I got home today and looked in the book and the book lists this car as a 67 Nova SS L79. After about ten minutes on google i found out there are only six 67 L79s made so I knew this couldn't be one. But after a quick engine code search I find out that it is a L79 ZI engine so now it's killing me to know if it's real or not. Either way I don't care because I bought the car for what I knew it was...a clean 67 SS. But if it is an original L79 I'll definitly hang on to it a while. There is no build sheet with the car so I guess that ruins any kind of being 100% certain it is or isn't an L79. But everything iI'm reading online matches up so its either real or a pretty good fake. I won't be disappointed if it is a clone because I didn't pay much for the car anyway but I would still love to know. Here are a few numbers I got off the engine and cowl tag if anyone could help. Or if you need any other info let me know and i will get it.

Engine number on front of block right side: FII03ZI

Number on the top left rear of engine block: GM 3791362

Cowl Tag
Line one: 05(maybe 06 hard to see)D 4
Line two: 67-11837 WRN 9774(hard to see very muddled)
Line three: 780-S R-R
Line four: I can't see anything because the paint's so thick!

It looks to have a saginaw 4-speed (like I said, the guy I bought it from didn't know anything about it, not even what trans it had)

Rear is a 12-bolt

Any help is very appreciated...Thanks!

 

[Big Dave]

Welcome to the Team Bryan!

If you have to ask (no documentation) then odds are against you. The Saginaw four speed transmission was never installed in any car with more than 275 horse power as it was designed to work in the back (transaxle) of a 140 cube six cylinder Corvair engine. It was risky to use it with any size V-8.

Big Dave

 

[bwilt327]

Well I figured its probably not a real one since there are only 6 but it does definitly have a lot of L79 parts so it's worth looking into. Either way I got a sweet car for the $$$ I just need to know. So can anyone tell me anything from these numbers? or tell me of any other numbers they would like to see?

 

[bwilt327]

Here's a couple pics of the car...like I said it's a great uncut never patched up car for the money, the L79 would just be extra. Thanks for any help!!!

http://i1117.photobucket.com/albums/k599/bwilt327/67nova1.jpg
http://i1117.photobucket.com/albums/k599/bwilt327/67nova2.jpg
http://i1117.photobucket.com/albums/k599/bwilt327/67nova3.jpg

 

[bwilt327]

Maybe someone could help with what trans it actually has too...here are some numbers I got from it:

Left side of trans: 7N212208
Right side : P7D19, 3885010
Right side back by speedo: 3857584

 

[bwilt327]

i did just verify the trans is a 67 passenger car muncie

 

[TrueSS72]

Trim tag.
Line 1 05-May D-Fourth Week 4-Black
Line 2 67- Model Year. 1- Chevrolet. 18- Chevy II Nova SS V8. 37- 2 Door Coupe. WRN- Willow Run Michigan. Last numbers are sequence numbers.
Line 3 780- Black buckets. S- Sierra Fawn Exterior. R-R??
Line 4 Option codes.

Got this all from http://novaresource.org/c67.htm

 

[DaleMc]

Trim tag.
Line 1 05-May D-Fourth Week 4-Black
Line 2 67- Model Year. 1- Chevrolet. 18- Chevy II Nova SS V8. 37- 2 Door Coupe. WRN- Willow Run Michigan. Last numbers are sequence numbers.
Line 3 780- Black buckets. S- Sierra Fawn Exterior. R-R??
Line 4 Option codes.

Got this all from http://novaresource.org/c67.htm

The -S is the headrest option on the 780 black bucket seats, R-R is Bolero Red exterior paint. This -S is also found on 66 & 67 Chevelle interior trim codes.

I disagree with the Nova resource site on the Fisher Body numbers after the plant identifier. These are not sequence numbers beginning with 100001 on the trim tag, I believe the sequence numbers 100001 referred to are the final assembly plant's VIN sequencing. The number on the Fisher Body Number plate (aka trim tag) is the Fisher Body unit number and has nothing to do with the VIN sequence. Notice the number on this tag is 9774. Here's another on eBay right now; an 05C date and Fisher Body unit number of 8752, or about 1024 11837 body style Nova before Bryan's. Both body numbers not even close to the sequence number cited on the Nova resource site. :noway:

As with Chevelles, these are probably fairly sequential based on the Fisher Body Style number (11837 in this case).

The Nova resource site appears to use #100001 for every year listed in the trim tags and that's simply not correct. Since it's apparent (to me anyway) this is a VIN sequence number, 1969 is incorrect as that year started with 300001. This 300001 starting sequence is supported on the 1969 VIN page, http://novaresource.org/v69.htm, but even there the 'example' image shows a sequence number of 100179...

 

[bwilt327]

Dale...thanks so much for the info. I was also confused by the body sequence numbering on the trim tag. I agree with you. Also, thanks sooo much I could not figure out what the S stood for after the 780 and there are headrests in the truck for this car! thanks again.

 

[Big Dave]

Dale I have to agree with you. The Fisher Body plant was a divorced enterprise and often wasn't even in the same state (though GM tried to build a Fisher Body plant as part of every large assembly plant to keep it's transportation costs down; not all cities had the real estate to offer up seven to ten contiguous city blocks to build such a large combined plant). Because of this the trim tag often has errors such as a V-8 in place of a supposed L-6 motor (or vise versa) because orders would change in the product mix from the time the dealer placed the car's order until it was actually shipped. Once the car hit the assembly line it was a straight shot through the plant and the line didn't stop for anything.

GM may not have preserved any records but they kept copious amounts of them and had the best SQC in the business. So every part was stamped or identified in some was as to bin, shelf, or location and where it was bound. There was a broadcast sheet printed for every option checked off by the ordering dealer and it had to be installed in place of the standard part (since there were no extra parts lying around after a build like some folks experience).

The sequence number was all part of the statistical quality control. That number could at one time be traced back to detail every part used, and who assembled what, when. That is why they were unique and restarted at the beginning of the assembly year in late June and early July after all of the tooling had been changed out to account for any new design changes.

The shear volume of the paper work: this was before IBM main frame 360 computers were used for anything much more than spread sheets, inventory control, and payroll (and your desk-top computer is probably more powerful than the IBM 360 was back then) necessitated GM to throw all records away at the end of the seven year accounting cycle required by federal law. In Canada they kept all of their records in accordance to Canadian law; which is why there is no such thing as an undocumented Canadian car.

Big Dave

 

[Joe Buddy]

Ok let me start with some background on this story. I saw this car on craigslist advertised as a 67 SS. The owner (who is in NJ, and also doesn't squat about cars...) told me that he flew to FL about 15 years ago and bought this car because a friend told him he should. I I drove to Jersey this morning (im from DE) and went to look at it. It was a clean 67 SS like he said so I paid up and loaded it on the trailer. Then the guy gives me a book called "Nova SS" and says that this exact car was featured in this book down in FL on pages 18-19. I thought oh cool so I got home today and looked in the book and the book lists this car as a 67 Nova SS L79. After about ten minutes on google i found out there are only six 67 L79s made so I knew this couldn't be one. But after a quick engine code search I find out that it is a L79 ZI engine so now it's killing me to know if it's real or not. Either way I don't care because I bought the car for what I knew it was...a clean 67 SS. But if it is an original L79 I'll definitly hang on to it a while. There is no build sheet with the car so I guess that ruins any kind of being 100% certain it is or isn't an L79. But everything iI'm reading online matches up so its either real or a pretty good fake. I won't be disappointed if it is a clone because I didn't pay much for the car anyway but I would still love to know. Here are a few numbers I got off the engine and cowl tag if anyone could help. Or if you need any other info let me know and i will get it.

Engine number on front of block right side: FII03ZI

Number on the top left rear of engine block: GM 3791362

Cowl Tag
Line one: 05(maybe 06 hard to see)D 4
Line two: 67-11837 WRN 9774(hard to see very muddled)
Line three: 780-S R-R
Line four: I can't see anything because the paint's so thick!

It looks to have a saginaw 4-speed (like I said, the guy I bought it from didn't know anything about it, not even what trans it had)

Rear is a 12-bolt

Any help is very appreciated...Thanks!

If you have a Saganaw 4 speed there is a possibility it is an L 79. The 67 came with a Saganaw. If you will PM me I will email you pictures of a documented 67 L79 plus pictures of the Saganaw with the correct paint markings. I will check back occasionaly for a PM JT

 

[TMOY2000]

I had a 1967 cjhevelle SS 396 325 hp in 1976 and bought it from the original owner, that car came with everything he ever took off of it, exhaust, wheels, everything, plus many things he bought but never installed, it was clean with some minor rust ion the left quarter but it did have a 10 bolt rear end and a wide ratio saginaw.ho t-10 just a regular old 4 speed, I replaced it but was amazed that the car had the tranny and the 10 bolt.but it definately did.car was stolen in 1980.still have the title and keys and still hunting for it.but just as a fyi.that said someone could definately have changed it out, which should be able to tell with a close inspection,I am one to never say never, but then again, like BigDave says.probably not.but search it all out!!.oh,. btw, I paid 450$ for the Chevelle from the guy, my first driver car.cried like a girl when the cops came and told me at work it and 3 other cars had all beens tolen from a local bodyshop one weekend.I still take a day or two every year and hunt for it.sad but it was just too nice for it to have been junked out, even back then...in the early to mid 70's all those old muscle cars were just old cars, amny had been abused horribly. I also in 78 bought a 69 427 vetter for like 3100, and yea it was trashed but a BBC vettee.andnot really a very good car.headers against floorpan would melt yer converse all stars and it did nothing but blow up the tires at anything over a 2500rpm bolt.lol.had many of them raced on dirt track those old mustangs the first couple year notvhbacks were like 300-600 dollar cars in the mid 70's, we would weld the doors shut knock the windows out and dirt track'em.lmfao.if we only had a clue.right..good luck with the car.hope you get a great surprize!

 

[6T6NOVA]

Bryan I hate to burst your bubble.

But the chrome AIR cleaner shown in the picture you posted is from a 1966 L-79 Engine. It also looks like the engine has an aluminum intake.

From all of the research I have done the 1967 L-79 had a cast iron intake not an aluminun like the 1966 did. Also the 1967 AIR cleaner was an OPEN element type with a chrome round top.

The 1967 Camaro was a major draw for the young crowd. This was the main reason for the low number of L-79 engines in the Nova's.

B

 

[chevy2much]

Came across your post,, i attended a super chevy event,(i think it was S.C.) but which ever? There was a (documented) 67 ss nova i looked at,,,the owner had a 3`x4`painters easel standing in front of it telling all about it..IT read: G.M. had 6 L-79 engines left over from 1966 model year,and installed them in (6) 67 s.s. novas.. THIS 67 was White,had aluminium manifold,chrome bat wing air cleaner.....BUUUUT,(i could be wrong) i thought it stated there were only (2) accounted for...Also this was back in 1996,that`s when my son bought his 66,which i now own.He got married,bought a home etc.SOOoo,you may have a BIG,BIG,chunk of GOLD, ether way you still have GOLD!! I have pictures of it ,,taken with a reguler camera.. If i could find the pics. I`ll send one to you..Let me know..You can post or P.M. me....

 

[Big Dave]

Two of the total of six L-79 Nova SS built in 1967 went to a Mr. William Tyler Jenkins of Malvern PA. He ordered two to replace one that he had wrecked in 1966 and dearly wanted it replaced. The other was stored in the back of his shop untouched as a back-up in case he had another Oops! So that leaves four out there unaccounted for.

Big Dave

 

[chevy2much]

I wonder if the white 67 i seen back in 96 could have been one of MR. JENKINS??? HUuummmm..... I learned alot today....THANKS

 

[Jackel]

Two of the total of six L-79 Nova SS built in 1967 went to a Mr. William Tyler Jenkins of Malvern PA. He ordered two to replace one that he had wrecked in 1966 and dearly wanted it replaced. The other was stored in the back of his shop untouched as a back-up in case he had another Oops! So that leaves four out there unaccounted for.
Big Dave

I think you struck gold. GEEZ, some guys are sooooo lucky...Jack

 

[Pcnut]

Bryan I hate to burst your bubble.

But the chrome AIR cleaner shown in the picture you posted is from a 1966 L-79 Engine. It also looks like the engine has an aluminum intake.

From all of the research I have done the 1967 L-79 had a cast iron intake not an aluminun like the 1966 did. Also the 1967 AIR cleaner was an OPEN element type with a chrome round top.

The 1967 Camaro was a major draw for the young crowd. This was the main reason for the low number of L-79 engines in the Nova's.

B

Think you better do some more research, 66-67 special high performance 327 motors in the chevy ll used a 3789594 intake which is aluminum.

 

[REDRIDER66SS]

wouldn't that L-79 engine have the numbers of the body vin stamped by the suffix code ? my L-30 from 66 has the vin stamped on the engine pad.

 

[Carl Stevenson]

Pcnut, everything I've read on this site tells me a 67 L79 has a cast iron intake and a quadrajet.