Best date code to get for my 69

[Keith M.]

Ok...so this one should be a layup...but thought I would confirm. About to make big purchase of full set of wiring harnesses and other things from LL. Seems they offer date codes for spark plug wires of either 1Q69 or 3Q69. My car is a late Oct 69 build so would 3Q69 wires be MOST correct?

I know there was the GM strike summer 69...but that should not impact production of third party suppliers. So even though GM may have been shut down for part of 3Q...suppliers were likely still producing and likely 3Q wires would be used in late Oct though I understand 1Q likely not "incorrect".
Thanks.

[Harry S.]

Re: Best date code to get for my 69

Keith, there is the 6 month judging date rule. 1Q69 puts you outside of 6 months. You need the 3Q69. LL does not produce 2Q69 or 4Q69 because of the 6 month judging date rule. So they have no need to make 2Q or 4Q and stock them.

[Keith M.]

Re: Best date code to get for my 69

Keith, there is the 6 month judging date rule. 1Q69 puts you outside of 6 months. You need the 3Q69. LL does not produce 2Q69 or 4Q69 because of the 6 month judging date rule. So they have need to make 2Q or 4Q and stock them.

Well there is my answer. Thanks for the prompt reply Harry. I want to get the order in....will be getting 10% off due to getting full harness set. I understand they do add'l 5% at Carlisle but that is not in the cards for me this year.

[Harry S.]

Re: Best date code to get for my 69

I should have said, "they have no need" instead of "they have need". Just typing too fast.

[Terry M.]

Re: Best date code to get for my 69

Keith
Given the chance to study enough Corvettes with original spark plug wires you will find that they never had all the sires dated in the same quarter. Packard Electric (a GM subsidiary when your Corvette was built -- NOT a third-party vendor) produced the wires to length (see your copy of the AIM for the part numbers for the individual spark plug wires). Thus, to be authentic there is a need for wires dated in all four quarters and the vendor should sell a mix of dates. That however would increase their costs in terms of items to stock and labor to sort. Since our judging standards don't require this level of authenticity and those of us who care that much are so few we have the current artificial wires. Everyone settles for this current situation.

Those who really care make stamps with proper date codes and produce their own spark plug wires. Those people often improve on the performance and longevity of the wires by using solid core wires. We can debate if those actions result in more authentic wires than ones purchased from the common vendor. That discussion is worth an adult beverage or several.

I see what I call "catalog cars" all the time. They are only a fair facsimile of what a Corvette once was. As Pogo said: "We have met the enemy, and he is us."