target master 350

first i would like to say hi , new to this forum, i'm sure i will get alot of great info from you guys.

my current rides are a 1957 chevy 210 and a 1964 chevy 1 ton flatbed, both are fun to drive . i will post some pictures later.

Now for my 1st ?? i have a 350 it's blue and that tells me targetmaster, but this is where it gets HMMM ok the casting # is 3970010 but the stamping # is MJ03800 i cant find anything the references that stamping # i have been on some other sites and another guy has the same ENG. i have and it seems like he also cant find out any other info.

thanks for any help and i'm glad to be part of this forum.

blue doesnt mean it is a targetmaster.....lots of original small blocks were blue.
get the stamping off the pad in front of the passenger side head and the original installation
can be determined from the trailing letter code...either two or three letters

as you can see i posted those #'s in my original posting, yes the casting # says 350 its the stamping # that is confusing me

No suffix on the pad? Then it could be a replacement engine. Lots of late 1970's
and early 80's engines were blue from the factory....some were black also.

The 010 casting number is pretty vague...used for years on lots of blocks.

it just seems weird that a motor made in the late 70's would use that 010 casting #, i did some more research and it looks like it could be a pre 86 since the dip stick is on the drivers side, and from what i have read they changed that to the pass side in the mid 80's.

3970010 shows in the book to have been used from 1969 thru 1979 on everything 350 or 302 and with either 2 or 4 bolt mains....tells you ZERO about your engine....except maybe it isnt a 307. Probably the most common casting....zillions of inquiries about this casting.

thanks for the info.

There is a date code cast into the block....behind the driver's side head just in front of the bellhousing surface. Tells month and year

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by suntan57

first i would like to say hi , new to this forum, i'm sure i will get alot of great info from you guys.

my current rides are a 1957 chevy 210 and a 1964 chevy 1 ton flatbed, both are fun to drive . i will post some pictures later.

Now for my 1st ?? i have a 350 it's blue and that tells me targetmaster, but this is where it gets HMMM ok the casting # is 3970010 but the stamping # is MJ03800 i cant find anything the references that stamping # i have been on some other sites and another guy has the same ENG. i have and it seems like he also cant find out any other info.

thanks for any help and i'm glad to be part of this forum.

---

From memory, so maybe right or not.
It's a older GM crate motor. Is there 'hencho de mexico' (or something close) on the bell housing flange?
M = Mexico.
J = Oct.
03 = third day of
800 = the year code, I can't remember.
Newer goodwrench motors Ive seen had the last 2 digits of the production year cast in the block. They are painted black.