What year engine?

[studesnbldr]

Can someone please tell me what year application would be correct for a 289-V8 with engine #PH38?
If I understand the formula correctly, according to Skip Lackie's list in Tech Tips for identifying the V8 engines:
P = 289
H = August
3 = 1963
8 = Eighth day of August??
Skip's information says that the first two letters should be followed by 3 numbers, not 2?? (And no, no one ground off any numbers on the block. )
Thanks.

[Skip Lackie]

I can only offer two explanations: (1) Whomever stamped the number back in August 1963 left off a digit, or (2) there's another digit (maybe a poorly stamped 1?) between the 3 and the 8. Ordering the production order from the Museum would answer your question, as engine numbers are indicated thereon.

[studegary]

To answer your question of "what year application", a PH engine would have been built in 1963 for use in a 1964 model year car (not Avanti).

[studesnbldr]

I can only offer two explanations: (1) Whomever stamped the number back in August 1963 left off a digit, or (2) there's another digit (maybe a poorly stamped 1?) between the 3 and the 8. Ordering the production order from the Museum would answer your question, as engine numbers are indicated thereon.

Skip-
There are definitely only two numbers stamped into the block.
The engine currently resides in a 1960 Lark Convertible which was restored a number of years ago so a production order would not reflect this particular, later engine.
At least I now know it was a '63 built engine for use in '64.
With only the two numbers, could this be some sort of odd-ball engine which might have been sold through Studebaker or SASCO "after-the-fact", post production?

[Skip Lackie]

1964-model Studebaker engines were stamped with engine numbers when they were assembled. Even with a screwed up number, it's clearly a standard, full-flow 289 built in August 1963. Granatelli assembled a variety of high-performance engines after Stude closed down the South Bend foundry, but these were built from bare blocks (with no serial numbers). Granatelli assigned serial numbers to most of these engines that began with B. Factory replacement engines sold by Stude, N&A, and SASCO usually came with a blank serial boss. Dealers were supposed to stamp the replacement engine with the same number that the old engine had (a practice left over from the days when engine numbers were used by many states for registration purposes). Perhaps someone tried to do that and left out a digit -- who knows?