Topic: Special character in Date Code/Shift on Crossmember

[68Metuchen390GT]

Need a bit of help, I found a crossmember that is advertised as a 67-68 390 toploader crossmember. The shape of the part appears to be a late 68 crossmember with the notch for the speedo cable. I have never seen the special character stamped in the date code,  I checked the date code section of the library and couldn’t find anything with the special character that appears to be a circle with an A or a “@“. Is this a service part or a repo? It may be a later year, I’m not very familiar with the 69 and later cars. Thanks

Richard

[J_Speegle]

Haven't seen an "A" in a circle that I can recall There was a period of time when some of the stamping plants were using an "A" on the parts they were making. Not to be confused with other letters stamped in a circle stamp during other periods 

These ("A") were applied during a period of time after the cars were built - service replacements. Right this moment don't recall the year spread when this was done but have it in my spread sheets

[68Metuchen390GT]

Thanks so would it be safe to say this wouldn’t be a fresh from the factory assembly line part?

[J_Speegle]

Thanks so would it be safe to say this wouldn’t be a fresh from the factory assembly line part?

That would be my current belief and interpretation of the stamping

[DTruitt]

Check out this post on the 428Cobrajet forum.  The 390 / 428 used the same cross member.  You will see the difference between the 68 version and the 69-70 version.

https://www.428cobrajet.org/forum/index.php?topic=25959.msg175278#msg175278

Danny

[68Metuchen390GT]

This thread seems to indicate the large groove is at least a July 1968 change in the crossmember and not specific to 69 but a this would maybe been a 69 part used on 68s. This would be worth of a changeover thread for 68.

http://www.concoursmustang.com/forum/index.php?topic=18573.msg117486#msg117486

[CT428CJ]

And maybe earlier based on the added feature to clear larger diameter exhaust systems.

[68Metuchen390GT]

I wonder when this notch first occurred, is there a list of changes from the assembly line? I see some parts like clutch forks that changed in Feb 1968, could this be when the changes occurred.

[67gta289]

Here is some in from the 68 MPC.

Looks like for 67 & 68 there were four variations of the engine rear support cross member, part numbers C7ZZ-6A023-A, -B, -C, and -D.

The version I have is a bit early for the 428 CJ, not a lot of CJ parts listed, only a few.  I did not look at 69 or later parts in other MPCs.

It is interesting that the 6 cylinder and 289 version moved from -C to -D for 1968, but the 302 lists the -C.

The 390 parts appear to be different for auto vs. manual trans, where as 6 cylinder and small blocks share the same part.

I don't see a running change in 68, the MPC I have has updates up to June 68

[J_Speegle]

I wonder when this notch first occurred, is there a list of changes from the assembly line? I see some parts like clutch forks that changed in Feb 1968, could this be when the changes occurred.

No list that I know of. Sure we will start a running changes thread at some point for 68 as we've done for some of the 65-67 years

If you want start a thread just on this particular piece, rather than continue in this thread and later we can link it later to a master list one established.