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Old 01-24-2005, 08:25 PM   #1
AARON N MAUI
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#s matching car?

Does anyone know where to locate the key #s on the engine and drivetrain of a 1972 GS 455? and where and how can I confirm these as acurate, from the factory? NO one seems to know this stuff. any experts out there?

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Old 01-24-2005, 09:49 PM   #2
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You can find the VIN stampings on the block & trans housing. Engine #'s should be on the front of the block just below the head behind the PS pump... Somtimes on the pass side in a similar location.

Trans#'s (if I rember correctly) were stamped on the driver side just above the pan somewhere.

As for accuracy.... I can't help ya, obviously if the #'s match your vin then they are correct. But if you're unsure of your car being an actual GS 455, instead of a clone or transplant.... You can tell what engine the car came with in 72 by the VIN....

Practically everything you want to know about a GS.....

http://www.v8buick.com

I have an old GS club newsletter that details VIN decoding, but can't look it up till Tues.

If you want, Post your VIN and I'll see what I find. Otherwise, I'll see if I can find the website I came across a few years back that had that info.

EDIT: found a site with buick production info & vin decoding: http://www.atlantabuick.com/GranSport.htm
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Old 01-25-2005, 06:22 PM   #3
AARON N MAUI
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Re: #s matching car?

Thank you SOOOOO much for the reply. You're the first to even try. I actually did confirm the VIN. It's all correct and is what it appears to be. However, 32 years is a long time and a lot can happen in that time. I need to find a resource that can confirm the block, heads, tranny, etc. as being from the factory. Any help you can provide would be great!

Sincerely,
Aaron N Maui
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Old 01-25-2005, 08:57 PM   #4
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Look in those places to find the numbers... Once you get them (block, head, trans... etc.), if they don't match your vin, Ask the guys at the V8 buick site... there have been block & head ID# questions before that people were able to confirm.

If for some reason the numbers on the block don't match your VIN, there is a TWO letter date code on the driver side of the block, inbetween the #1 & 3 plugs... on the exposed part of the block deck (where the head bolts to). You can decode to see actually what year it is(but if its been rebuilt and had the deck surfaced they'll be gone), after that you'll have to run the head part#s for info about them. But the only real infor you can get from the head #'s is the year... which is useless, all the 70-74 heads were identical (except for the cooling passage shapes). If you're wondering if you have a Stage1 or not, you'll have to pull the head and measure the valves... that's the only way.

Now if you think you might have the 68-69 430cui heads on there then the part # will help alot in determining if they are the Big port heads or not.


The resources are out there, best to get all the #'s you can find. Then post them on the V8 site.... Buicks seem to be real hard to find info about, but the 72's are the easiest of the bunch.

Good Luck.
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Old 01-27-2005, 02:34 AM   #5
AARON N MAUI
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Re: #s matching car?

Thanks again for all the help. One more question--you mentioned the VIN would match the block number. I've heard that there are two numbers: VIN and serial and that the VIN would be the same. If that's true then shouldn't be that hard to figure out.

By the way, I'm dealing with a 1972 GS 455 convertible, to be specific.
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