I am in the process of buying a 1970 buick stage one with, thanks to a really quick response from a member, information that the donor engine is a 1973 455. Sloan has verified the car's vin as a stage one and I will check the trans to make sure. As for the engine, Sloan cannot verify. I'm not sure that the engine vin is the same as the car vin for 1973? I did find out that the 1973 should have a V in the vin number if a stage one. My engine number is 43H534632. No V! Can anyone help me to tell if this is a true 1973 stage one motor or just a regular 455? Thanks, Gary
Gary We are in the same church here--just the wrong pew. No one can tell you the answer for sure from that info. But if you call Sloan again and ask them if was a stage one car with this VIN: 4AD37V3H534632 you will have your answer. If as it appears the space before the number 3 is occupied by the number 4 and not the letter V then I would say the answer is, "No the donor was not a stage one car." Because so few stage ones were made in 1973 year the odds as I mentioned are against it. Also the letters SS were not used in 73 to ID stage one blocks as was suggested to you by the owner.
Gary Also if you look for the block casting number located just behind the intake manifold, a 73 will read 1241735 but a 70 block will read 1231738. Finally I suggest for purposes of evaluation of purchase price you may be making too much about whether the the 73 donor car was a stage 1. It is not a numbers matching engine either way and I think that is all that is important to the evaluation. If for example it was a small valve 70 455 donor I suspect it may yield higher performance and certainly as much as a low compression 73 big valve engine.
I agree with Jim that not matching numbers anyway so no real relevence on whether or not engine came from 73 Stage-1. It is very easy to make a Stage-1 engine anyway as they do not look any different from standard 455 except chrome valve covers. After milling block engine code numbers are gone anyhow. Just search for regular 70 455 heads and have the Stage-1 valve conversion performed as they have the same part#s anyway. Also look for a 70 intake manifold and no one will be able to tell it is not original engine. I believe 73 heads have a "73"visble on them under #1 spark plug so they are obviously wrong. Many of us like me are running around with non-original blocks and have our originals "mothballed". BB transmission much more important for originality anyway. Remember the more parts that are missing the more bargaining power you have.
Is there a two digit code on the surface of the block, below the head, between cylinders #5 and #7? I don't believe this motor originally came in an 'A' body (Century) due to the serial number starting in the 500000 range.
73 stage 1 I do believe that the codes go like this: 70 SS 71 TS 72 WS 73 XS I'm almost positive this is the order (no U or V because of similarities).
