Topic: Date codes, when to start per build

[rare70cat]

So I didn't seem to find much searching ( too broad a search). So my car was built on 1/28/70. What would/should my date code for parts be? "M" for December? Is "L" Nov. too early for engine parts? Thanks

[67gta289]

The engine type probably matters.   Standard 302 parts were probably cast every week, boss 302/429 much longer between events I would imagine

[rare70cat]

engine: 351 Cleveland 4v. if that helps with date coding for availability of parts going down the line.

[jwc66k]

This brings up an interesting "side" question. We have block casting part numbers, block casting date codes and engine assembly dates that we are familiar with, but is there a "mold" identification for blocks? There is a "mold" number for 289 heads. Blocks?
Jim

[J_Speegle]

So I didn't seem to find much searching ( too broad a search). So my car was built on 1/28/70. What would/should my date code for parts be? "M" for December? Is "L" Nov. too early for engine parts? Thanks

You won't typically find anything other than generic responses with possible ranges in most threads, things like three months often get tossed around. But if you start getting serious then your going to need to focus IMHO on what plant, year and month to see what other examples built the same time and plant can offer. Finding replacement parts and appropriate dates is different than trying to find and determine parts that make up your car is a different subject.

Too many variables to make blanket statements unless your just looking for something in the ball park that others would not take notice of

I would either start with a "What I'm missing" or "what I have" list and go from there. Once we identify the part then we can look at other cars, hopefully, to see what they were built with. Parts didn't get shipped to plants individually so there would have been dozens, hundreds or thousands of the same parts on the line at the same time your car and many others were being built

[rare70cat]

So I'm not doing a Thoroughbred Concours trailered resto. I'm doing a resto mod (everyone cringing lol) but I want to have correct date coded parts to put my car back stock if wanting to in the future. My car per Marti report is 1 of 56, wide ratio 4sp, '70 Merc. Cougar XR-7 vert built on Dearborn line. Bucked on 1-21-70. Built 1-28-70. So I'm trying to have correct date coded engine parts. I'm finding a lot of Nov. parts not any Dec. or Jan. So from what you say Jeff I need to hit up the cougar forum and ask about peoples build dates to compare builds/dates codes.

[J_Speegle]

So I'm not doing a Thoroughbred Concours trailered resto. I'm doing a resto mod (everyone cringing lol) but I want to have correct date coded parts to put my car back stock if wanting to in the future. My car per Marti report is 1 of 56, wide ratio 4sp, '70 Merc. Cougar XR-7 vert built on Dearborn line. Bucked on 1-21-70. Built 1-28-70. So I'm trying to have correct date coded engine parts. I'm finding a lot of Nov. parts not any Dec. or Jan. So from what you say Jeff I need to hit up the cougar forum and ask about peoples build dates to compare builds/dates codes.

That would be my suggestion. For some of the shared parts I can help as well as others with Mustangs built at the same plant around the same time.

Things like drivetrain and the body panels such as firewall forward would have been from the same sources. Of course if you have a CJ or a Boss 302 you can also use those forums to gather more information, casting and stamping dates, from those good sites and members

I invite you to start a new thread in the Cougar area or open in the Member Restorations/Builds if you stay on the focus of the site with the discussions Plenty of room to talk modifications over on the Cougar site