Slooby

Ok GM gearheads, I've exhausted all means I can think of via google and other forums. I have a 73 Firebird I bought. VIN pulls it came with a pontiac 350, was told it has a pontiac 400 with different head, wound up being 301 heads. I'm trying to figure out which block I have. I've read mixed things about 301 heads bolting to 350/400 pontiac blocks. Some say they do some say they don't. I can't find the block code to see exactly which one I have, still in car. I can find the date code and the engine code on the front below the left head as you look at the motor in the car but is not a pin point. I was told the code to see what it is was on the back of the block on the same side as the front code, near where the bellhousing mates to the block. I cannot find it and can't seem to figure out where else to look. The front code is XC, which is from 301 to 400 block from what I'm reading. Any incite would be helpful. Thanks.

Before I get the response of why don't you pull the motor, it's complete rebuilt from previous owner which I verified by pulling heads and intake, where I found out the heads are 301 head via the intake manifold gasket.

Dough_Boy.

Whats the 8th and 9th letter in the vin?

Slooby

Don't remember but the cars vin shows it was a 350 car.

Fabrik8

Post a picture. I want one of those cars.

power2weight

So no numbers behind the drivers side head? Should be a 8 digit code, and where it was made. But that code will only tell you what the block originally was.

83Stang5.0

+1 on pics, 73 is my favorite year! also you can't tell anything from the gasket specs. Any porting would make it better to use the bigger engines gaskets. My old 302 had port specs even with 351C when I got it. Lead to alot of the confusion I had when properly ID'ing the motor.

Slooby

So it's on the drivers side? I was told the passenger side and from everything I read showed that side. I'll recheck when I get to the house.

The heads for a 350 or 400 have different intake ports than the 301. I had to match them when I noticed the difference. But I've read the 301 is a crappy power plant to work with.

She's a work in progress but overall a very solid car.
Pics:

83Stang5.0

Doesn't look too bad man, get you a set of snowflakes and a rear spoiler and you've got a solid start right there.

http://www.amesperf.com/ get their free catalog, best resource for resto parts you'll find for these

Slooby

Yea I've already take the wheels that are pictured off I've got a set if the old t/a wheels on it right now. They are the enkie 92 style ones. I'm thinking about trying to get some snowflakes but I would want then in a 17 or bigger if I can fine/order a set from somewhere. I saw a rear spoiler for a 78 for sale but don't know of they fit on this one.

Thanks for the reference I just ordered one, already ordered classic industries catalog and national parts depot one.

Didn't get a chance to look at the motor yesterday to see if I could find the code being as I had something's I had to take care of and was too tired to tinker on it yesterday.

83Stang5.0

The ends are the same except the 70-73 comes all the way back to the edge of the 1/4 and the 74-81 are cut at an angle for the taillights. You can run the newer one with no problem it will just look a lil weird from the side, but 90% of the general population won't notice the difference.

this is a later spoiler on a 73