Thread: Hello from Los Angeles

Got a little closer look at it today. Any advise/info would be appreciated as to what this car would be realistically worth.

Is this a 389? How can you tell?

Originally Posted by Explicit_Spade

I wasn't positive so I took a look online, and the following is what I came up with.

"no 389 numbers cast any where on the block; look for notch on passenger side deck where the block meets the head"

For a 65 Look for the letters "ws" "wt" "yr" or "ys" on the front of the block.

Here's a cool link that answers a few of my questions:

Pontiac Block Identification

A few other cool links I found:

Pontiac Power

Pontiac Power

So if the vin doesn't give you the engine description how can you tell if the 389 or 421 was original to the car? Additionally how can you tell what the factory options were to the vehicle. For example were the 8 lug wheels pictured on this thread original to this car? How can you tell?

As quoted by Spinner on Google:

Yes the Block Code on the front right of the block (passenger side Front) 2 Letters for most 389 and 421's
On the block just below the right head ...

If you know what year I have 85% of each list...

Example
65 389 256hp Manual trans WA WB
65 389 256hp Auto trans ... YA YB
65 389 333hp Manual Trans WE
65 389 325hp Auto Trans ... YE YF
65 389 RA 360hp Manual WS ... Auto YR

65 421 338hp Manual WG ... Auto YH
65 421 376hp 3X2 manual WJ ...auto YK

There are so many.... But easy to find...

Head codes are the same for both 389 and 421 for 64 65 66
just different combs for each... But you most likely won't find a 64 543796 or 65 #75 on a 421 block
Source(s):

65 ... 421 HO .... YK in my Green 69 4spd car....
67 ... 428 HD ... YH in my Blue 69
4 400's 2 455's 1 LT4

As quoted by Vinnie The Hack from Google:

389
For 1959 the V8's stroke was increased to 3.75 in (95.3 mm), raising displacement to 389 in³ (6.4 L). The 389 would remain the standard Pontiac V8 engine through 1966, offered in a bewildering variety of outputs ranging from 215 hp to 360 hp (160 to 269 kW). The 389 was the standard engine for the Pontiac GTO through 1966.

421
421 in³ (6.9 L) 421. The 421 in³ (6.9 L) was bored to 4.09 in (103.9 mm) and stroked to 4.00 in (101.6 mm), and also featured larger, 3.25 in (83 mm) main journals. Unlike previous enlargements of this engine, it did not replace the 389. Modified Super Duty versions of this engine were extensively used in NASCAR stock car racing and drag racing competition. The 421 also marked the end of the option for a forged steel crankshaft. The later produced 400, 350, and 455 engines, featured an Armasteel crankshaft, the standard crankshaft of the entire Pontiac V-8 line since introduction. "Armasteel" was no more than a fancy name for a hardened cast iron unit.

Originally Posted by Scottydoggs

those are hub caps, its a 5 lug pattern.

nice solid looking car, all i see are a few dents in that 12 foot long quarter panel. id find a appraiser like said before, best way to figure it out. or see what other cars are selling for in the same original condition.

as far as the engine size, 65 seems to not be marked on the block. but id look for it anyways. if you find a casting of 400 455 ect you know its been changed.

silly thing is the Pontiac big block is really the same size as a small block, unlike a bb chevy where you can tell its a bb or a sb. so it could be a 350 or other engine. makes building a stroker pretty damn easy.

to bad the window sticker is not there, it would tell you everything the car came with, back then you ordered your car from a long list of options.

Getting my own info first before an appraiser see's it is probably good practice. I've seen these cars listed between $1,500 to $20,000. Seems to be an average of $5K listing price in good shape but the above average selling price was around 4K. The wheels are 8 lug not 5. I'm a stickler for giving out the correct info and so far I can't get exact proven details on what was factory on this car and what was not based on id numbers and other info on this car.

Originally Posted by Scottydoggs

PONTIAC

ALL MID SIZE (GRAND PRIX, GTO, LEMANS, ETC.)

1964-87

Metric: 5 X 120.7 Standard: 5 X 4.75

14, 15

7/16-RH or 12 X 1.5

70.3

taken from my favorite lug pattern site in the world. once again, its a hub cap, sorry to say its a 5 lug wheel.

Wheel Bolt Pattern Cross Reference Database and Conversion Guide: 5*X*4.75

This is a 8 lug wheel. It bolts up to the brake drum. This was an option for these cars. The standard 5 lug pattern is probably what you are thinking of. The spare wheel in the has 8 lug holes as well.

Originally Posted by Scottydoggs

unless you got more proof then this, ill stand by my statement. 5 lug.

Ok now i see where you are coming from but this is not what this car has. There is no center to the wheel. It bolts up to the brake drum.

Where are the RPO codes listed on these cars?

Originally Posted by Scottydoggs

unless you got more proof then this, ill stand by my statement. 5 lug.

Wicked wheel. What is the spacing on these?