Replacement engine

I have a car build date of 11/69 the original motor is gone'what months replacement block would be considered date correct?

That's hard to say but most people use 2 month as a rule thumb.

There is no guarantee that your car was actually built 11/69.

Also the engine assembly date is a far better indicator that the block casting date.

Two months backwards and forward or just backwards

Well, seems to me that it ain't natural for an engine to be produced after the car is built, so I would say before.

The engine's assembly date is part of the Engine ID Number, stamped into a machined pad in various places on the front of the engine, depending on the engine family.

R.

Sorry. Yes two months before hand.

The engine build dates stamped based on family. Small blocks are below the drives side head, big blocks are usually on the ID pad near the distributor, and HEMIs are on the oil pan surface at the back of the block on the passenger side.

The closest date as to when your car was made is probably the date on the front of the K member.

Thanks for all of your input,you've educated me again.

Here's a few things to consider:

It's never going to be 100% correct because the original is gone. So, what is the next best thing? THAT is the question.

Typical Choices:

* Casting date within a reasonable range before the cars SPD (usually 1-6 months for non Hemi engines), better yet, same block with an assembly date within 1 week-3 months before the SPD of your car.

* Warranty/Service replacement block, casting and assembly dates are less important since replacement would have taken after the car was built so the casting date could before the cars SPD, or many months or even years after the SPD.

So which one is better? Well, tough call.....The warranty engine is going to have stampings and small details that are somewhat different than an assembly line installed engine, the used origial is going to have the VIN# of another car stamped into it (So the "Ghost" of another cars DNA will forever haunt you!).