[1989ZR1#74]

Here is my summary of ideas:

1. Original block damaged sent back to MM for repair. MM sent replacement and restamped. FALSE, Jerry's MM source says he only remembers 1 LT5 coming back from a dealer and it just had carbon build up.

2. Car had original BG LT5 damaged as it was driven out of the plant by "Mary" Replacement was installed that had been planned for another ZR-1. False. "Mary" did not start killing LT5s until the Cold December of 1990. #2299 was build in sunny warm May of 1990.

3. Somehow a rebuilt LT5 was installed at the factory due to limited LT5 supplies. FALSE, LT5s were not rebuilt they were destroyed. To expensive to a repair a terminal LT5.

4. An LT5 that was planned/stamped for another LT5 failed to get installed. This LT5 was later restamped and installed in #2299. Similarly to how Jerry found an LT5 in Chevrolets crate motor stock with a vin stamped in it. They confirmed that the car that had that VIN also had a correct VIN stamped motor. OPEN. If it happened once it cannot be said it never happened.

5. Bock gets cast and set aside for 70 days. MM assembles the LT5, then stamped the wrong assembly seq number. MM employe grinds off wrong number to correct it then sent it to BG. BG employee stamped wrong number on pass side, realized it XXX'd it out the stampred correct number on driver's side. Installs LT5 and #2299 leaves BG to resurface later with everyone scratching heads... OPEN. Not to plausible in my mind but it could have happened.

More thoughts on the restamp. Since this LT5 has two apparent restamps, both with apparently correct fonts. This block was restamped at both locations. Here is a question for MM. What were the reasons MM would restamp a block? Did they only do this if there was a "hungover" guy who messed it up? Were there other reasons?