I'm trying to figure this out...

I picked up a 1976 Camaro that was totally rusted. I got the entire car for free. The guy who I picked the car up from said that the engine had been rebuilt about 9 to 10 years ago, but that it only has 30k miles on it since hte rebuild, he said it had "insane" power... but the car was too far gone to be worth restoring.

So I got the car, and pulled the motor. I ended up finding out that the Camaro actually wasn't an LT-350 but an original NO OPTIONS L6. The V8 in there was from a different car. I know the date codes, and was able to figure out that it was a 1974 engine.

I found a VIN, and an engine code as well as an engine number.


The number is 3790010.

The code is a "CMJ"

I looked and it suggested that this was a 350 4-bolt built from 1969 through 1979. I know that mine is a 74. It also says that the high-power version was 360 horspower and the low power version is 185hp.

Any idea what the 3790010 says, or what the VIN

15B591011K06 * 27

is from?



Also, someone looked at the engine and said that the heads are "CAMEL" heads... because they ahve two pyramid shaped designs on the sides of the heads. The heads are also from 1971.

I had the engine running after a week in the Camaro, and it ran perfectly.. it sounded REALLY lopey.. but it didn't burn any oil at all.

Any ideas?

Thanks!

Todd

 

One of my older Chilton's manuals says "CMJ" comes from a 1974 full size police car (Impala) with a 350 engine. It also says it came with a automatic transmission, four barrel carb.

The ---010 block can be a two bolt or four bolt main version but probably is a four bolt since it is intended for police useage.

Factory horsepower ratings for the two big car versions of the 1974 four barrel 350 was 145 and 160 horsepower. The "CMJ" probably is the 160 version.

jms

 

I have a 1971 350/270 horse motor in my trans am. 1971 I don't beleive had camel hump heads. I have 487 heads on mine, with 1.94/1.50 (or 1.60, thats what my father measured them at, may have had a valve job earlier, who knows) valves, and apparently this were the heads used on the 270 horse and 330 horse motors in 71, but realize that is gross horsepower not net horsepower. The difference between them is the 330 horse had bigger valves and was the LT1. I got my motor out of a 1971 blazer. 4 bolt main. As for the power of this motor, mine moves along pretty good. Will lay down two 40 foot strips of rubber on the road and easily top the 85 mph speedo in a very short time. Seems like a good motor to put in an f-body.