Decipher Manufacturing Process with Data Points

[Erv M.]

Re: Decipher Manufacturing Process with Data Points

The Pad Stamp date can be equal to or before the VIN date not after. The Shipping Data Report that you can obtain from NCRS gives the date the car was built, well maybe. The information NCRS is looking at is on Microfiche. It displays what VIN's were to built on a given day. This is as close as you can get unless you have Copy 5 of the Regular Commercial and Truck report. This document was partially typed and handwritten. Additional information was added when the car was near the assembly line. The person at that spot looked at the car in front of him, checked the VIN then looked at the clock for the date. Then he typed the date on the document. The car was essentilly finished (engine installed, etc). So if the Shipping date report says November 3rd and the car was at the documentation station at 1 minute past midnight the build date is November 4th. Very few, probably 1% or less of the Regular Commercial and Truck reports were given to the original owner and less survived yill today. It essentially the Holy Grail of birth certificates.

The Regular Commercial and Truck report accompanied the car to the dealership. The dealership either threw it away or put it in the glove box.

Did I decipher the C21 on an A.O. body correctly?

[Harry S.]

Re: Decipher Manufacturing Process with Data Points

Did I decipher the C21 on an A.O. body correctly?

Since I'm a 63 guy I''ll let an AO body guy answer that, but I always thought A was September, B was October and C was November, So C21 is November 21st.

[Leif A.]

Re: Decipher Manufacturing Process with Data Points

Yes. C is October for a '66 AO Smith car built in October of 1965. It would have been a B if it were a St Louis car built in October 1965.

[Rob M.]

Re: Decipher Manufacturing Process with Data Points

Erv,

I'll give it a try to help answer your questions...
First, you have the body build date correct Oct. 21 (for A.O. Smith bodies A=Aug., B=Sept, C=Oct.). The vin calculates out to Nov. 2nd according to the C2 birthday calculator, however I would argue that it could have been completed during the first shift of Nov. 3rd. As others have mentioned the shipping data report could give you the exact date (or not). The engine stamp date should be on or before the final assembly date of the car. You have it as Nov. 3rd. So, everything lines up as expected except the engine stamp date which is cutting it really close (it would get people's attention in my opinion). I just don't know how long it would take from when the engine pad was stamped until the body was dropped and the car was completed and rolled off the line. Could that have happened within a 24 hour period of time?

But it doesn't seem likely that someone would re-stamp the engine knowing that it would attract attention by being off by one day or that it has a replacement engine (the stamping would be very different from what you have). How long have you owned the car and what do you know of it's history? Agree with Michael and think it would be nice to know the engine block casting number and casting date.

To compare, my 66 is also an AO bodied car. The body build date is April 26 (I26). According to the NCRS shipping report, it came off the line on May 6th. The engine stamp is April 27 (0427).