HC coded camaro motor????

[rs/ss camaro collector]

I have read and was told that some camaros recieved an HC code motor from Tonowanda plant in the run of camaros in the 47,000 run of camaros??? does any one know?

[Ed Ernst]

"I have read and was told that some camaros recieved an HC code motor from Tonowanda plant in the run of camaros in the 47,000 run of camaros??? does any one know?"

Regarding the HC code -If you're talking '69 Camaro the answer is yes;  350ci/250hp, 3 or 4 speed trans w/2bbl carb. I'm not sure what the "47,000 run" is in reference to.   It helps site members if you provide more specific info in regards to what year 1st gen Camaro you have questions about.  Also, take some time to read through the CRG Primary Research and Restoration Data
for First-Generation Camaros.  It provides a wealth of accumulated knowledge and information

[rs/ss camaro collector]

ok well i have a 1967 rally sport with a  engine casting #3858180. the front deck reads  T0118HC. i was told and also read that the tonowanda plant sent 1966   327's to Los Angeles plant during a shortage of engines. These 327's were sent out during the 47,100 unit built untill the 50,000 unit was built? My car came factory with a power glide and it appears to be original. all Date codes match from Carb to heads, manifolds, Tranny, rear end. All matches this January date codes?

[JohnZ]

ok well i have a 1967 rally sport with a  engine casting #3858180. the front deck reads  T0118HC. i was told and also read that the tonowanda plant sent 1966   327's to Los Angeles plant during a shortage of engines. These 327's were sent out during the 47,100 unit built untill the 50,000 unit was built?

Not hardly. "HC" was a full-size passenger car 327/275hp Powerglide with ram's horn exhaust manifolds; there would not have been ANY 1966 engines at Tonawanda after August, 1966. They built 300 engines per hour, and all were in rail cars and gone within 24 hours - they didn't "inventory" ANY engines.

[lakeholme]

Do you have Alan L. Colvin's Chevrolet By the Numbers, 1965 -69?
He verifies what the others have told you about the HC suffix and lists the 3858180 block as used on 65 & 66 327s: Passenger, Chevelle, Corvette.

[Ed Ernst]

Geez, you guys beat me to some of this.  I need to compose faster


Well, I'll do my best to address some of this information (be advised that in comparison to some of the folks who monitor this site, I am, at best, an intermediate student in knowledge regarding these cars ).

First off,  it would help greatly if you would supply the VIN and #/letter information on your trim (cowl) tag and any other related info you may have to better ID your Camaro.

The only HC (0118 would be January 18) application I could find in relation to the 3858180 block was for use in a 1965 Chevy passenger car.  The HC code denotes a 327ci/250hp w/4-bbl carb and a powerglide transmission.  This block was also used in Corvette and Chevelle during the 1965 & 1966 model years with 250, 275 & 300 horsepower designations.  In 1967 the 3892657 block was introduced and this was the primary block used in 302, 327 & 350 cubic inch 1967 applications (a 3903352 block was brought into service in the mid/late '67 model year for 327ci use).

With regards to your mention of a Tonawanda 327 engine shortage, that is something I have not heard nor read about. Since Tonawanda supplied engines to both Norwood and LA plants, the fact that this common block was also used in many Chevy small block vehicle applications and because Tonawanda built a bunch of engines per hour that type of shortage would never have happened.  Also, there would be no left over 3858180 blocked 327 engines for production use after the '66 model year.  I would be interested in reviewing the reference source that you read concerning this engine shortage.

As for the 47,100 to 50,000th unit build cars:  LA produced just over 65,000 Camaros for the 1967 model year.  The range of numbers you provided would have been produced in LA during the month of March 1967.  So if you contend that your car is a January build, it does not fall within that production time frame.

Most likely you have, at the least, a complete replacement engine and possibly a trans, too (not uncommon).  If you were told the engine was original to the car that was misinformation.