1970 body date off from VIN date

[Leslie Forsman]

I've got a 1970 that I bought just for the fun of having a corvette. A number of years later, I'm trying to decide if I should restore it judging-style or just restore it as a daily driver, somewhat original somewhat not.

Doing some prelim checking at the various dates on the car, I came up with this:

My trim code build date is C09 - March 9th.
My VIN number indicates that this car is a June-July build - 14831
My Muncie 4-speed build date is POH23A - June 23rd.
My engine is A200 - January 20th.

The transmission has a VIN match on it, so I know its a correct piece. The block is a CE, but not VIn stamped, so I know its a repro.

Going through my NCRS manuals that arrived in the mail yesterday, I know I have a six month window for build month on several components. But havining a trim code 3 months earlier than my tranny code makes me wonder. Is this legit?

Thanks for any info.
Leslie

[Tony Merendino]

Re: 1970 body date off from VIN date

The trim ag date of C06 means that the car was assembled on March 9, 1970. Since the engine is not stamped it is a NOM so that is no problem. The fact that the vin# and the transmission dates are June - July timeframe it appears that the trim tag belongs to another car.

Now to determine whether the trim tag has been replaced or the body placed on a different chassis will be harder to determine. The vin# tag on the windshield post was rivited on as was the trim tag. You need to look to determine which one was original to the car. Hopefully it is the trim tag since if it is the vin tag you could have a stolen car and could possibly lose it to the original owner.

Researching the ownership of the vehicle may help solve the mystery. In any case you have a vehicle that has undergone some significant alterations in its history. Be careful what you discover you may not want to know the truth.

[Jim T.]

Re: 1970 body date off from VIN date

Leslie I don't think there is anything wrong with you trim code plate, I think your trip code plate reads G09 and you think the G is a C. This could be very easy to do. Your VIN number is right on for a July 09 or G09. My 70 is a G08 July 08 and your VIN is less than two hundred higher than mine.

[Dick W.]

Re: 1970 body date off from VIN date

I agree with Jim. The G is very easily mistaken for as a "C". The bar on the "G" is often very faint.

[Leslie Forsman]

Re: 1970 body date off from VIN date

I'll go get a good flashlight and take another look for the C v. G stamp. Thanks a lot to everyone.

Leslie

[Tom D.]

What about a C2 from Michigan to St Louis?

I understand the trim code date is BODY assembly date.

I wonder how long a body could sit in St. Louis before car assembly. I suspect only from one shift to another...

Also, in the mid-year era, if the body was shipped from Michigan to St. Louis, what's a typical window of time before "car build"?

Tom Dingman

[Jack H.]

Re: What about a C2 from Michigan to St Louis?

St. Louis didn't have much space to 'inventory' finished bodies, so you're correct in thinking it was typically a 'hand to mouth' transistion from the body shop to the final line. But, as John Hinckley told us (see archieves), the trim tag went on when the body started its build and the trek through the paint shop was often VERY circuitious with a given car making an indeterminate number of 'loops' before being declared 'finished'. Then, you through in the possibility of work stoppage events (weekends + holidays) and there could WELL be a 'time sponge' between the body's trim tag date and that of the final car's VIN....

Noland Adams had a reasonable amount to say regarding AO Smith bodies for MY cars. Since these arrived on rail cars that were 'side docked' outside the plant, they had a 'natural' inventory space. Noland shows pictures of rail car loads of AO Smith bodies sitting outside, covered in snow, awaiting their time to 'pulled' for final assy.

So, you've got the trim tag going on those bodies at the start of their build, the intrinsic variance of completing build/paint, the time to be packed onto rail car, the transit time to St. Louis + the 'inventory' time sitting outside the plant.

AO Smith cars are often confusing to novice owners and judges because it's quite possible for these cars to have engines that were built (stamp pad) AFTER the car was built (if you presume trim tag body built date = vehicle final assy date; a 'no no' -- you go by VIN!)....

[John H.]

Re: What about a C2 from Michigan to St Louis?

Tom -

7 to 14 days was typical between the A.O. Smith body build date and produced off the line at St. Louis. The photo in Noland's book was taken at A.O. Smith - those bodies are waiting for a train to haul them to St. Louis.