Superbird Owners with original engine - Date stamp Question

[WINGIN IT]

If the SPD for all Superbirds is 11/30 , what are the date codes stamped on the motors by the water pump inlet?
Is there an accepted date range?
Obviously the VIN stamp should be intact to verify original, but always wondered what the date stamps would should on top.

[pettybird]

my two cars are mid november builds by the NASCAR list.  my blocks are CAST in late september and early october.  They were BUILT (that date on top) just a couple weeks before the car was assembled.  AFAIK you want the assembly date (stamped number) to be somewhere around 2-15 days before the car was built. 

[WINGIN IT]

my two cars are mid november builds by the NASCAR list.  my blocks are CAST in late september and early october.  They were BUILT (that date on top) just a couple weeks before the car was assembled.  AFAIK you want the assembly date (stamped number) to be somewhere around 2-15 days before the car was built. 

So they were built ( that date on top) a couple of weeks before the mid november build date by the Nascar list?  Wasn't sure what date you meant when you said a few weeks before the car was "assembled".

[maxwellwedge]

What's on your pad?

[pettybird]

my two cars are mid november builds by the NASCAR list.  my blocks are CAST in late september and early october.  They were BUILT (that date on top) just a couple weeks before the car was assembled.  AFAIK you want the assembly date (stamped number) to be somewhere around 2-15 days before the car was built. 

So they were built ( that date on top) a couple of weeks before the mid november build date by the Nascar list?  Wasn't sure what date you meant when you said a few weeks before the car was "assembled".

Jim's idea is best.


Yes, my cars were shipped to Clairpointe the 2nd week of November, and my engines were assembled a couple of weeks prior.

[WINGIN IT]

Jim's idea is great, but I don' have a pad 
Was just a general question, as I know typically with most Mopars other than Superbirds you'd go by the few week rule of the SPD. But since all Superbirds SPD is 11/30, was wondering what other reference point to use.

[Hemi_tyme]

If the SPD for all Superbirds is 11/30 , what are the date codes stamped on the motors by the water pump inlet?
Is there an accepted date range?

the pad to the right of water neck shows F-440 if that what your looking for a correct date coded motor NOT numbers matching

[WINGIN IT]

Ken, below or next to the F440 stamping is a date code that with most Mopars is supposed to be close to the SPD of the car. For my car ( not a Superbird),  it says F440 and the date of 5 25. The SPD is 5/29 so it's within a couple of days of the scheduled date.
But if all Superbirds have an SPD of 11/30 I was thinking not all engines for the 1920 (or so) Superbird motors would be within a couple of days or weeks of the scheduled SPD.  

Leading to my question - what range of dates stamped on the water inlet are acceptable for Superbirds.

Pettybird gave me his example that the dates on his are within a couples weeks of the SHIPPING DATE per the Nascar list.
Was looking for more examples.

[maxwellwedge]

Jim's idea is great, but I don' have a pad 
Was just a general question, as I know typically with most Mopars other than Superbirds you'd go by the few week rule of the SPD. But since all Superbirds SPD is 11/30, was wondering what other reference point to use.

Ahhh - OK. The May (5) on the pad would probably be May of 70.....since 69 (E-Series) engines were still being assembled in 5 69. I'll check the pad of my Bird and report.....don't remember what the date of the car is on the list.....will have to dig up the list. Generally the engine assembly dates precede the SPD of the vehicle from a day before, up to 2 months before........remember though - the SPD (in many cases) is not the actual day the car was assembled....it is only the scheduled date. I had a car that was shipped to the dealer 3 weeks after the SPD - may have been a problem with the parts pertaining to an option or ....... who knows for sure.

[WINGIN IT]

........remember though - the SPD (in many cases) is not the actual day the car was assembled....it is only the scheduled date...

Understood, but as a general guideline I've learned and got burned on VIN # stamps and date codes on the water inlet in relation to the SPD on the fender tag.

As all Superbirds have the same SPD just wondering what was the accepted range.
Per your reply :
Generally the engine assembly dates precede the SPD of the vehicle from a day before, up to 2 months before.

So for those who have the original engine in their Superbird, does this generalization apply?

That is my question, and was hoping to get responses from those owners.

[70EK2Bird]

I recently purchased a rebuilt F440 HP for my bird to replace the D383 that is in there.  Coming out of California and should be here next Wednesday 

The casting date is 9-27 and the build date is 11-23.  My car was built in December so that will work out just fine.  Will now have a "period correct" engine in my car this spring.

[WINGIN IT]

I recently purchased a rebuilt F440 HP for my bird to replace the D383 that is in there.  Coming out of California and should be here next Wednesday 

The casting date is 9-27 and the build date is 11-23.  My car was built in December so that will work out just fine.  Will now have a "period correct" engine in my car this spring.

Nice score! 
It would indeed be period corrrect based on maxwellwedge's general rule posted above.

But my question is it different for Superbirds as ALL have SPDs of 1130 , or do you have to go by the Nascar shipping list??
That's why I was asking for owners to check and see how close they are to the 1130 SPD date.

[Redbird]

The casting date better be before the assembly date! There are casting dates well before the assembly date, and casting dates just before the assembly date.

The 1920 list shows when each car was delivered to Clairpointe, so there should be some differences between the earlier and later cars for engine assembly dates. I believe there is variation in the date codes on radiators that follows this thinking. All the 3-spd wiper motors that I have seen have the same date code.

[WINGIN IT]

For reference ( not a Superbird) , the inlet date is 5 / 26 and the SPD is 5/29

[hotrod98]

On the Superbird vin list, what do the two dates actually refer to? The dates for my vin are 14-Nov and 17-Nov.

[69CoronetRT]

But my question is it different for Superbirds as ALL have SPDs of 1130 , or do you have to go by the Nascar shipping list??

Since we know the SPD is a generic SPD to all Superbirds and not the actual, or even close to, built date, the SPD is not a good reference for the actual build. What would help date code components better would be the actual VIN number associated to non SB's built at the LR plant.

What would be better to find for this question is somone that has compiled a data base of cars built at the LR plant for model year 1970. I'm doing that for 69 for a similar reason. All A12 6bbl cars have one of two SPDs so owners of those cars have the same problem you have with SBs.

When you compile the data base and compare the VINs of cars with generic SPDs like A12s or SBs to the rest of cars built, you can getter a better handle of when the car was actually built and therefore a better handle on things like engine assembly dates and date coded components.

Bottom line...don't focus on the SPD. It's not helpful. Focus on the VIN.

[WINGIN IT]

"Bottom line...don't focus on the SPD. It's not helpful. Focus on the VIN"

Agreed, the SPD is useless and thought it would be easier to compile the engine stamping dates on the inlet and compare to other source data ( like the Nascar shipping list )  than trying to compile build dates for all Lynch Road vehicles, as the question pertains only to Superbirds.

I figured a range of engine assembly dates would emerge and therefore be helpful to those looking at "number's matching " motors in prospective birds for sale .

[69CoronetRT]

"Bottom line...don't focus on the SPD. It's not helpful. Focus on the VIN"

Agreed, the SPD is useless and thought it would be easier to compile the engine stamping dates on the inlet and compare to other source data ( like the Nascar shipping list )  than trying to compile build dates for all Lynch Road vehicles, as the question pertains only to Superbirds.

I figured a range of engine assembly dates would emerge and therefore be helpful to those looking at "number's matching " motors in prospective birds for sale .

If it was me, I wouldn't focus solely on SBs. You would probably be better served to focus on cars such as 440-6 RRs, GTXs and Coronet R/Ts. That will help get an understanding as to the supplies, and therefore the EAD, of engines at the plant as it correlates to the VIN. No one would care what the 440/Hemi went into until it was actually installed in a car and stamped with a VIN. No engine would be built solely for a SB. It would be harder to compile this list but it would be more accurate and useful due to a larger sample size. 

I haven't compiled a 70 LR data base. Has anyone ever run a correlation of the VIN to the shipping list?