Engine/Trans. VIN Stampings

[69CoronetRT]

Hi Guys,

My 68 is an H code and it has the 62 on the fendertag. It also has an unsilenced aircleaner.

What do I look for on the build sheet? and what does the 62 on the fender tag mean. When Wayne Wooten decoded my fender tag he just says 383 4 bbl for the 62 code.

My car is a May build and appears to have a lot of (pre-implementation 69) or late model year 68 features.

3X

The H in the VIN and 62 on the tag only tell you it is a 383-4bbl.

Look on the broadcast sheet; second line from the bottom, 4th code from the left under ENGINE. That will tell you the three digit assembly number.

[69CoronetRT]

All I can tell you is what I've seen here and in person at car shows and on my own 68 2bbl. Logic or not and law or not it is what it is. Not saying all of the 4bbl cars got stamped and some of the 2bbls didn't but based on my experience and that of many others here that's the way it happened. Especially early on in 68.

Bull, you've seen what you've seen. I can't dispute that. However, are you comparing cars built at the same plant around the same time period for consistency or are you trying to compare an early built 2bbl from Hamtrack to a late built 4bbl from STL against a mid year car from Lynch Road or Belvedere? Each plant could have handled things differently.

[bull]

All I can tell you is what I've seen here and in person at car shows and on my own 68 2bbl. Logic or not and law or not it is what it is. Not saying all of the 4bbl cars got stamped and some of the 2bbls didn't but based on my experience and that of many others here that's the way it happened. Especially early on in 68.

Bull, you've seen what you've seen. I can't dispute that. However, are you comparing cars built at the same plant around the same time period for consistency or are you trying to compare an early built 2bbl from Hamtrack to a late built 4bbl from STL against a mid year car from Lynch Road or Belvedere? Each plant could have handled things differently.

I don't have a detailed database if that's what you're asking, no.   Until someone catalogs a crapload of 68s and asks specifically if they've got bellhousing stamps we'll probably never know. You probably know as well as I do that there was anything but uniformity happening in 1968. And I don't think there were a bunch of Feds cruising the plants handing out fines for non-compliance.

[triple_green]

"Look on the broadcast sheet; second line from the bottom, 4th code from the left under ENGINE. That will tell you the three digit assembly number."

engine 708

Thanks!
3X

[69CoronetRT]

I don't have a detailed database if that's what you're asking, no.   Until someone catalogs a crapload of 68s and asks specifically if they've got bellhousing stamps we'll probably never know.

Bull, that's exactly my point. Until that type of empirical data, or factory documentation, exists, it's not possible to state with any decgree of certainty that a specific category of engines (HPs, 4bbls, or whatever) did recieve VIN stamps and certain engines did not recieve stamps as a matter of policy at Chrysler plants.

We all have our specific interests. Mine is compiling 69 STL info as well as a couple of other things. In the end I hope they help everyone interested in the information. I'm sure it would be of great help to the hobby for someone to compile engine stamping data. It would be informative to know how early some plants started stamping engines via the VIN numbers and associated SPDs and how each plant treated the process. It would be hard to do but very worthwhile for the person that does it. You seem to have a head start on the project. I'd encourage you to lead the project. People will help if you ask.

[bull]

There is a 68 registry but it's kind of wimpy at the moment. http://www.fendertagshop.com/index There has been talk of some members here taking it on in a new forum but I'd be a bad choice for any web building or anything like that.

[69CoronetRT]

There is a 68 registry but it's kind of wimpy at the moment. http://www.fendertagshop.com/index There has been talk of some members here taking it on in a new forum but I'd be a bad choice for any web building or anything like that.

The site belongs to a guy by the name of Dan P. and recently launched. I know Dan and he's a good guy and an asset to the hobby. I think he will devote the time necessary to make it a good site.

You wouldn't have to do anything formal like a website - just start compiling the data on your own. Get known on various boards you are looking for info and what it will be used for. If you become known as 'the guy' looking for data, people will seek you out and give it to you. My interests are 69 STL cars and 69 LR tag data. People send me stuff all the time. Just learn to network, compile data, analyze it and share what you've learned.

For Bull or anyone reading: this topic is necessary and ripe for futher study. Go for it.

[bull]

I swapped emails with him when I sent my info in and he seems genuine. I'm not putting him or his website down; I know people are busy and they can only do what they can do. What he's put together is a lot more than what we've had prior so I'm definitely not complaining.

[hemigeno]

I think what Doug is trying to say is that it doesn't take a formal registry to keep track of or research a particular issue.  While it's certainly possible to do so within the context of a registry, it may not take anything more than putting a request out on the various internet forums asking the owners of 1968 model year cars or drivetrains to forward pictures or otherwise contribute how (or if?) their engines and transmissions were stamped.  It may take a bit for the respective forums' members to understand that your interests are genuine, but once that happens it may be surprising how much information can be generated.

For this particular issue you don't need full fender tag information, just the stamping information.  Having the VIN, SO and SPD of the car the engine/trans came from would be a bonus, but perhaps not necessary.  Dan's development of a '68 Charger Registry is one slice of a rather large 1968 model year pie, so if you expanded the view to include other 1968 models it would actually increase the likelihood that a reliable conclusion could be drawn.

[66FBCharger]

Is a '69 engine/trans stamped on the top rear portion of the block like a '68 or on a machined pad on the right side down by the oil pan like a '70?

[hemigeno]

'69s are stamped:

down by the oil pan like a '70?

'68s are the only year I know of that received the bellhousing/flange stamp.

[66FBCharger]

Not to beat this to death but, I am trying to learn as much as I can about this subject. Any model prior to the '68 model year is unstamped. Yes?
So with that being said, a '67 or older car would just need the correct assembly date on the motor to be considered "matching numbers". Would that be an accurate statement?

[bull]

All I can tell you is what I've seen here and in person at car shows and on my own 68 2bbl. Logic or not and law or not it is what it is. Not saying all of the 4bbl cars got stamped and some of the 2bbls didn't but based on my experience and that of many others here that's the way it happened. Especially early on in 68.

Bull, you've seen what you've seen. I can't dispute that. However, are you comparing cars built at the same plant around the same time period for consistency or are you trying to compare an early built 2bbl from Hamtrack to a late built 4bbl from STL against a mid year car from Lynch Road or Belvedere? Each plant could have handled things differently.

One thing I might point out here that could shed some light on my opinion. Weren't most 68 Chargers built in Hamtramck? I thought we were just talking about 68 Chargers, not 68 Mopars? If we're on the same page in that 68 Chargers is the main issue here I could see why many cars did not get stamped with production increasing 500% over the previous year. That much of a production increase could also account for a lot of the hodge-podge quirkiness in the parts that were installed too. When you're pumping out 5 times the cars you once did I can see how there would be some corners being cut early in the production year until things leveled off.

[69CoronetRT]

One thing I might point out here that could shed some light on my opinion. Weren't most 68 Chargers built in Hamtramck? I thought we were jst talking about 68 Chargers, not 68 Mopars? If we're on the same page in that 68 Chargers is the main issue here I could see why many cars did not get stamped with production incresing 500% over the previous year. That much of a production increase could also account for a lot of the hodge-podge quirkiness in the parts that were installed too. When you're pumping out 5 times the cars you once did I can see how there would be some corners being cut early in the production year until things leveled off.

Yes, Chargers were built only at Hamtramck until March of 68 when STL started building them too. That's why I'm asking if you were trying to compare two different plants and two different time frames.

In your upcoming research (    ) one thing you may want to do is look at how Hamtramck built Darts and Barracudas were stamped. That opens up an additional pool of cars to help you gather more and better data on how that particular plant handled the stamping.

I'm sure all plants wanted to cut corners but I doubt dropping a federal madate (stamping engines and trannys)would be the best way.

[bull]

Right. However, we all know that some of them did not get stamped so we can therefore conclude the federal "mandate" was probably not as serious a threat as it may seem. Or, perhaps the consequences of disobeying the mandate did not outweigh the benefits of knocking them out as quickly as possible and getting them into the hands of the customers. Either way, I can tell you with 100% certainty that not all 68 Chargers got stamped so obviously somebody somewhere was not that concerned about following the mandate all the time.