Topic: Sheet Metal Date Codes

[9F94M567042]

Hey All,
Curious to know if anyone has any information regarding date codes on body panels? Where were they stamped, breakdown of the information?
Just something I wish to add to my knowledge base.
Thanks

[67gtasanjose]

Hey All,
Curious to know if anyone has any information regarding date codes on body panels? Where were they stamped, breakdown of the information?
Just something I wish to add to my knowledge base.
Thanks

Have you read the Date Code information contained in the Library Section? Most questions may be answered there. Specific locations of such stampings may require a production date.

[9F94M567042]

Thanks, I'll have a look and see what is there.

[J_Speegle]

Hey All,
Curious to know if anyone has any information regarding date codes on body panels? Where were they stamped, breakdown of the information?
Just something I wish to add to my knowledge base.
Thanks

Information has not been compiled into an article since the types of panels, different stamping plants used and details differ depending on year and assembly plant, since not all car plants were always supplied by the same stamping plants as another

In some examples, say for inner fender panels and sway bar brackets they are the same from plant to plant but not always from year to year. Also in studying them you will find what I refer to as micro patterns where you can identify over, reverse or mistaken date codes within a production year or time period.

In some situation some panels can even have two date stamps


Is there something specifically your looking for or you just looking for someone who has taken possibly days to assemble a list of where to look in general

Currently I track date codes from 234 different commonly seen or found panels and I don't think that is a third of all that are possible

[Tomdeg]

How do you decode a panel (in this case a front valance), that has a letter and a 2 digit number, I.e. ?A 80?.
I also came across a fender with ?C  4. B2?

Thanks

[J_Speegle]

How do you decode a panel (in this case a front valance), that has a letter and a 2 digit number, I.e. ?A 80?.

That pattern and markings suggests a service replacement panel stamped in 1980

I also came across a fender with ?C  4. B2?

As shown in the date coding article located in the Library if this is the typical pattern (guessing this is not from a Mustang given the code and the mounting hole shown) the first mark is likely a "6" followed by the day of the month the "B" would be the stamping plant and the "2" the shift

[livetoride60]

Revising an old thread.  I have heard original replacement sheet metal, which I assume means early red oxide pieces, have the same date code pattern (generally month-day-shift,plant) as factory line sheet metal.  This is opposed to the later date code patterns I?ve seen on black NOS Ford pieces likely made in the 80s

Can anyone shed some light on
- is it true early replacement sheet metal had the same codes as factory line sheet metal?
- is this true for all red oxide NOS pieces?
- do we know the appropriate time of switchover to the later date formats?

PS:  I didn?t see this mentioned in the Library article on date stamps in sheet metal.

Thanks
Rich

[J_Speegle]

Very early replacement sheet metal would have had the same patterns since it was created at the same plants as those turning out new sheet metal for the car assembly lines. During  64 and into 69. When the cars were new a percentage of sheet metal was routed to dealerships so that they had panels for repairs on new and almost new cars.

Don't know anyone that has studied in depth or had enough access to sheet metal produced every year to compare. Maybe there is someone else out there that has showing date patterns and original protecting paint coat

Part of the problem or challenge is that if the original date pattern was used for 64-69 panels there is no year date to identify when they were made. Sometimes this can be overcome if the part still has an inspected stamp with a visible date with year on the part. Without that you often have to fall back on the shipping label - if present but that could be from the year the part was stamped or ten years or more later as the part was taken out of inventory and shipped to dealership or even between two dealerships

Good question just a difficult one to get answers for I believe