69 Rochester Date Code

[Chuck Iliff]

I have a 69 L-46 350/350 4-speed. The Rochester carburetor has the following number on it 7029207 DA (which is correct) and a Date Code of 0251, which means Jan 25, 1971. (correct?) The car's time built code is F21 which correlates to Jan 21, 1969 (a time that it passed a point on the assembly line.)

Is this carburetor a service replacement that was made on Jan 25, 71 or am I miss reading the Julian date?

[Joe L.]

Re: 69 Rochester Date Code

Chuck-----

You are interpretting the date code correctly. However, this particular carburetor was manufactured for many years for use as a SERVICE carburetor for all 68-69 Corvettes and other 68-69 Chevrolets with 4 barrel carb. So, it's possible that the "1" could refer to 1981 or, even, 1991. It's really a point of little significance, though-----no GM #7029207 carburetors originally used in PRODUCTION for 1969 could have had a "1" in the year position of the date code regardless of what year that the "1" represented.

[Chuck S.]

Re: 69 Rochester Date Code

Chuck, you have the Julian date correct for a Rochester carb.

Without knowing when the carb was installed, it is difficult to know if the carb is a service replacement or a rebuilt original carb. It is possibile that the carb was an original carb from a 71 that had been rebuilt and sold through an auto parts chain many years later.

Two or three years seems like a short service life for a carb, and unless a service carb had been setting on the dealer's shelf for a long time, a new service carb would seem likely to have a later date than 71.

FWIW, my 70 350/300 had a rebuilt carb originally from a 69 350/350 when I bought it. Most likely, the carb had been rebuilt to 70 350/300 specs and sold as such, but the body was still stamped for the 69 350/350.

[Joe L.]

Re: 69 Rochester Date Code

Chuck-----

A GM #7029207 carb with a 1971 (or, 1981 or 1991) year of manufacture has to be a SERVICE carb. Carbs of GM #7029207 were not used in PRODUCTION for 1971 or later---they are a 1969-only carb part number. So, any carbs of this part number with a date after 1969 have to be a SERVICE carb. Like I mentioned, though, the "1" does not necessarily represent 1971.

[Chuck S.]

Re: 69 Rochester Date Code

Doop! You're right, Joe. Thanks for nudging me awake me here in church. Excuse me, while I run my mind down and get it back on the tracks.