On a '69 340 cuda, fender tag indicating build date 02/26/69, engine casting date 12/10/68, what date would you suspect would be on the stock exhaust manifolds? I've been trying to make mine out but they are too weathered. TIA
Date code on stock exhaust manifold
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Up to six month prior to the assembly date. Could be more or less too!
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Alaskan_TA
Well-Known Member
If you can not read the date code on the original, there is no way to know what was on it.
'Build' dates were not recorded back then, only the day they hypothetically 'hoped' to start the cars build. That is what is on the fender tag.
Small blocks have a final engine assembly date on the front face below the drivers side head, so whatever the date on the manifold was, it should have predated that date for sure.
'Build' dates were not recorded back then, only the day they hypothetically 'hoped' to start the cars build. That is what is on the fender tag.
Small blocks have a final engine assembly date on the front face below the drivers side head, so whatever the date on the manifold was, it should have predated that date for sure.
Thanks ,
There are stock exhaust manifolds on there now, but I know that at one time the left side was off because the heat shield is no longer there. The car is pretty much original (except for the glass packs which have been on there since the 2nd owner installed them in the early 70's. I've only spoken to him and the 3rd owner who had the car put away in a warehouse for maybe 30 years. I was just trying to figure out what the approx. date should be on these because being a daily driver from Minnesota they are "aged". Different lighting doesn't help trying to see the dates on either side with the motor in the car. I thought maybe someone on FABO that had original exhaust manifolds on their car would give me an idea of their engine build date compared to the dates on their manifolds. I read that they painted the motor with the installed exhaust manifolds at the same time. It's just a curiosity thing with me about this car like others have about correct parts, bolts, dates etc.
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Alaskan_TA
Well-Known Member
Date codes on other cars can vary for multiple reasons, so there is not a factual answer to your question since the date is illegible.
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Well let me explain it this way, if someone had an original AAR built in April of 70 and it was only missing the exhaust manifolds and they purchased replacements with a November 69 date would that be considered an appropriate date code correct exhaust manifold for that car?
Alaskan_TA
Well-Known Member
The only set of date codes 'correct' for any car were on the parts it left the factory with.
No two cars were exactly the same in every single detail.
No two cars were exactly the same in every single detail.
Your first sentence is interesting but apparently not having those original parts has no affect on the value of these "rebuilt" million dollar cars. Thank you for your input
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Do not take that the wrong way. It is fact and not meant to discourage. Sometimes the line used older stuff depending on deliveries and more. Date coding anything to a month is just wrong. As said unless as delivered and know as such, replacing a piece you have no way to absolutely be certain of. Obviously there are no million dollar A’s. Care to post up some good pics? Don't loose your faith!
Alaskan_TA
Well-Known Member
It is an age old story, people often want absolute facts when there are none to offer.
One of my 1970 cars was 'scheduled' 417.
The original engine in it was completed as an assembly on 422.
It had a door sticker showing it was completed in April, so I knew it was finished before May.
The oldest date codes I found on it were three pieces of side glass - June of 1969.
We can record facts for any original car as found, but guesses lead to lies & misinformation as a result.
One of my 1970 cars was 'scheduled' 417.
The original engine in it was completed as an assembly on 422.
It had a door sticker showing it was completed in April, so I knew it was finished before May.
The oldest date codes I found on it were three pieces of side glass - June of 1969.
We can record facts for any original car as found, but guesses lead to lies & misinformation as a result.
lol, I'm never discouraged, delusional or exhibiting lack of faith. I didn't buy this car to flip it or because of it's monetary value. I bought it for sentimental reasons, as I owned one in late December 1968 brand new as a teenager. This one is probably 99% original and I pose questions here and elsewhere as I would researching anything to bring it back as new. I'm not concerned with those who hold knowledge m
LOL, first of all you are taking a simple question and twisting it into a lecture by partly defining my statement about build dates. I don't get discouraged over silly things like inanimate objects or their monetary value. It's a quest to put a car back together that is 99% original. The question was a simple query about the speculative date that might be on a part based on other facts. Pretty simple I thought and expected some form of answer based on other original cars and their parts. Such as, my cars build date is 2/26/69, the engine date is 12/10/68, knowing that it's a numbers matching car I now know (according to others) that typically motors are built approx. 2 months ahead of the body leading me to think that the exhaust manifold would be a few months prior to that ie ; 10/10/68. The body stamp on the trunk rail is 1/30/69. That's all.
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