C4 hood date code etchings

[Pat F.]

Re: C4 hood date code etchings

Ken, On my 1995 that has a build date of August 4, 1994, I have a date on my build sheet of July 27, 1994. I am supposing that is when it went into the system. As for your build sheet, I really don't know the significance of the 89/348. What is the caption of the box 6?
What is the build date on your decal on the driver side door?
Can you send me a copy of your build sheet at fulassoc@comcast.net? By sending it to my email address I can enlarge it whereby I can read a lot of the small print.

[Kenneth P.]

Re: C4 hood date code etchings

The date 89/348 is a Julian date which means the 348 day of 1989 which is the 14th day of December in 89. This box has no label as well as box 5 which has the words "DATE: and TIME: corresponding to the Julian date and time in box 6. Box 10 is label "SCHED. NO. DATE" and has the schedule number of 0109322 and the date just below of 00--00. I am leaning towards box 6 being the date and time the order was enter into the system. I'll send you a pic of my build sheet via email shortly.

Ken

[Rex M.]

Re: C4 hood date code etchings

Couldn't sleep so started playing on the computer and noticed there's still comments about the hood etchings. It just donned on me why some hoods don't have etchings. Most likely the hoods have been replaced with service hoods. Base coat, clear coat can easily be sprayed on at body shops and if down good can past for factory production on C-4's. Unless you are the original owner it's very possible the hood could have been replaced from some type of defect (wreck, adhesive issues, paint problems, etc). Typically, "Service Hoods" sold by GM were hoods that were not quite good enough to ship to Bowling Green yet good enough to sell to body shops. There's actually a company making C-4 hoods today. There made from the very same molds as back in the 90's but are lacking the In-mold (black) coating. These have been approved by GM.

[Kenneth P.]

Re: C4 hood date code etchings

Hi Pat

Found this pic on the FB C4 Corvette 1984-96 forum. This show a hood date of 6-22-88 and the car has a door date of 7/88.

Ken

1558387_10206295262922860_7230364787198558118_n.jpg

[Pat F.]

Re: C4 hood date code etchings

Ken, thanks for the photo of the 1988 Hood Etching. We did not have a 1988 in the data base. The full etching date appears to be 6-22-88B.

The final date indicator of B may represent the second shift.
I am having a little problem on determining what side of the hood this etching was inscribed. How is your original photo?

Most of the early etchings were on the driver side for the early Corvette's, although we do have an example on the passenger side on an early Corvette.
Is there any way you can positively identify the side of the hood in which this etching appeared?
Thanks again for your help.

[Kenneth P.]

Re: C4 hood date code etchings

Pat

This would be on the passenger side. Also it looks like they may have used a paint pen. The thread on FB was about finding signature of the plant workers but this is more inline with the hood manufacturing date.

Ken

[Rex M.]

Re: C4 hood date code etchings

Ken, This hood would be in the timeframe, hoods were produced in Shelbyville, Indiana and not Marion, Indiana. No markings were etched on hoods made in Marion in 1987 and before.