[giles]

Originally Posted by caddor38

It's a 483677, and I have been telling people its a year and numbers correct motor for my HO Trans am, and learned later since the VIN on the motor had a P in it. That it's not a 71 trans am 4 speed motor yet a 71 GTO 4spd motor.

There is really no such thing as a TA or GTO motor. A WC or YE 455HO was specific to that 2-letter code build content, but when it left the end of the engine line there was no definition as to what car model it was bound for. Typically engines were racked in a batch of 6 of a given model code. The rack was put in inventory and then pulled as needed for an assembly plant. Only when it was destined for Pontiac, Van Nuys, Baltimore, etc did anyone know what type of car it was bound for. The abbreviated 8 digit vin was stamped just as the engine and trans were put together before it was loaded into its final home (car).

[Transamric]

Originally Posted by giles

There is really no such thing as a TA or GTO motor. A WC or YE 455HO was specific to that 2-letter code build content, but when it left the end of the engine line there was no definition as to what car model it was bound for. Typically engines were racked in a batch of 6 of a given model code. The rack was put in inventory and then pulled as needed for an assembly plant. Only when it was destined for Pontiac, Van Nuys, Baltimore, etc did anyone know what type of car it was bound for. The abbreviated 8 digit vin was stamped just as the engine and trans were put together before it was loaded into its final home (car).

At what point would the engines have been final dressed? Wouldn't that have determined which body type an engine was due for? I.E., a YE would have had a different carb ID number for a GTO (7041270) than for a TA (7041268). And a WC a 7041273 (GTO) or a 7041267 (TA).

[Judge273]

A 71 455 HO optioned GTO could get either carb depending on RA option as a Formula too.

I would guess since head bolts came ready for AC brackets final dressing was at plant

[Held for Ransom]

In earlier years, the exhaust manifolds helped determine application. Carb. was listed on build sheet and was added when car went down the line.

[giles]

Originally Posted by Transamric

At what point would the engines have been final dressed? Wouldn't that have determined which body type an engine was due for? I.E., a YE would have had a different carb ID number for a GTO (7041270) than for a TA (7041268). And a WC a 7041273 (GTO) or a 7041267 (TA).

Assembly plants had an engine dress line. It was a spur line adjacent to the main line. This mini line had engines hanging from an overhead hook and they moved much like the main line . Engines ran down the dress line and accessory drive, carb, engine wire harness etc. were added there. This engine dress line was coordinated to run in parallel to the main line. When an engine completed "dress" it should dump into the main line just in time for marriage with the trans and then installation in the car. Engine dress content might differ from year to year. The assembly manual is your guide. If the engine part is listed in the "assembly manual" then it was installed on the dress line. There was a separate product description manual for the engine assembly as shipped from Pontiac engine plant. Nobody seems to reproduce those manuals.