Topic: How to decode hood hinge dates ?

[cjmustangman]

I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this but will start here and Jeff can move it to where it belongs.

So I have an assortment of hood hinges and am trying to sort them out by dates, some have just have stamp  like 8 3 3 and others start with OB 4 9D2 or OB326 2
I'm thinking that they translate to month, day, manufaccturer and shift maybe
Is there no Year date stamped on the hinges ?

Also I see a 2 digit number stamped on the opposite side of the date code , what does this represent ?

Thanks
Arild

[jwc66k]

Pictures would help define the years in question, there are subtle differences in designs as well. A date code is usually month, day and shift, all numbers, with a plant code, if any, as letters.
Jim

[TLea]

read the first 2 numbers after OB
4 9= april 9
3 26= March 26

D 2 is Dearborn stamping plant 2nd shift

[cjmustangman]

Thanks Tim,

Heres a couple of pictures
Arild

[TLea]

What interesting about 69 hinges is you will sometimes have a date on the top flange that attaches to hood and another in the location you show. Often they arent even close, I restored one the other day that was mid Jan on top and early March on the side

[specialed]

arild your top photo is 67-68 & bottom is 69 style hinge

[cjmustangman]

thanks Ed,
I guess I'd better change these hinges then...
How do you tell the 67/68 from the 69/70 version ?
I was led to believe the OB dates were 69 and later
Arild

[J_Speegle]

thanks Ed,
I guess I'd better change these hinges then...
How do you tell the 67/68 from the 69/70 version ?

The top section of the hinge (guess I could post pictures but its late   where it attaches to the hood. Later ones have a dip or edge that has a dip in it to clear the hood substructure where the earlier version is straight from one end to the other

[specialed]

This is why ford changed part # from C7ZZ to C9ZZ & it has nothing to do with the X rivets to the O rivets as that change showed up in early 70 production. You can use the later version on all cars but if you use the c7 version on a 69-70 hood the top angle area between the top 2 rivets will rub on hood crossbraceing & that is why that top angle part is notched out on c9zz hinge.  I have seen the c9zz style on late 68 KRs as ford may have ran out or just used up C7zz version & started using the c9zz type & that is why you never find the c7zz nos only the c9zz service nos hinges out there.

[cjmustangman]

Thanks Jeff and Ed,
This is what I love about this forum, ask and you shall recieve.
Arild