Original Frame Stencil Pictures

[Gary S.]

Boy...the new web site makes one feel guilty if they have not been posting or even watching on a regular basis!

Many of you know I have had a Corvette web site for several years (www.intentor.org/corvettes). One part of my site is called "Of Interest." This is the hobbiest part of my site (be sure to click on the page numbers at the bottm). On that part of my site, I have pictures of original frame stencils in order of year showing the vin number. Most are C2's. Go to this directly: (http://www.intentor.org/corvettes/ga...umName=album37).

If anyone cares to email me their original frame stencil (any year), I will add it to the site. Email "seymour@sosbbs.com" and attach your picture, year and vin number. Then we can all benefit from these in one place.

Thanks,

Gary

[Lyndon S.]

Re: Original Frame Stencil Pictures

Here is my LS-5 Dec built 71 stencil

[Alan S.]

Re: Original Frame Stencil Pictures

Lyndon,
Here's a picture of the stencil from my Mid-January built 71 Coupe, #6589. Quite close to your stencil.
Regards,
Alan

[Lyndon S.]

Re: Original Frame Stencil Pictures

that is odd, that your date is the 26 and mine is 28 yet my car was built before yours

[John H.]

Re: Original Frame Stencil Pictures

that is odd, that your date is the 26 and mine is 28 yet my car was built before yours

The stencils were done at A.O. Smith-Milwaukee (on C3's) and shipped by rail to St. Louis, where they were offloaded to the outdoor frame storage pad until they were needed; nobody paid any attention to dates - they just pulled them in off the pad by part number as needed.

I'll repeat this again just to emphasize it - NOBODY in an assembly plant paid ANY attention to dates on parts in those days; all that mattered was to get the right part number on the car, and there was no telling whether the part came from the front row or the back row in the off-line storage area when the rack was pulled and placed on the line.

[Michael H.]

Re: Original Frame Stencil Pictures

The stencils were done at A.O. Smith-Milwaukee (on C3's) and shipped by rail to St. Louis, where they were offloaded to the outdoor frame storage pad until they were needed; nobody paid any attention to dates - they just pulled them in off the pad by part number as needed.

I'll repeat this again just to emphasize it - NOBODY in an assembly plant paid ANY attention to dates on parts in those days; all that mattered was to get the right part number on the car, and there was no telling whether the part came from the front row or the back row in the off-line storage area when the rack was pulled and placed on the line.

Yup, and I remember some days frames were delivered all afternoon and then, the next day, none were delivered, at least not all morning and early afternoon. They were NOT first in/first out on the stacks outside, so that likely screwed up any date sequence too.
I doubt they left A O Smith in order.

[Nick C.]

Re: Original Frame Stencil Pictures

I support Gary's effort. Looking at sets and subsets of known original frame stencils would be interesting. I'll post a few from my files when I get a chance.

[Nick C.]

Re: Original Frame Stencil Pictures

I support Gary's effort. Looking at sets and subsets of known original frame stencils would be interesting. I'll post a few from my files when I get a chance.

A little looking around is interesting. Looks like this one grew an option during the restoration process?

[Gary S.]

Re: Original Frame Stencil Pictures

A little looking around is interesting. Looks like this one grew an option during the restoration process?

Nick, this is one of my cars. Sad part is the car was ordered with sidepipes and tele...they appear on the tank sheet and are crossed out. N14 was replaced with N11 in hand writing. Picture attached...I hope. Never tried attachments before.

[Robert E.]

Re: Original Frame Stencil Pictures

Attached is a picture of my July 15 built '71 frame stencil. Looks as though a previous owner painted the frame around the stencil.

Robert
41801

[Alan S.]

Re: Original Frame Stencil Pictures

Hi Robert,
Notice that Lyndon's and my stencils have dashes between the date characters and yours has dots.
Regards,
Alan

[Pat M.]

Re: Original Frame Stencil Pictures

Yup, and I remember some days frames were delivered all afternoon and then, the next day, none were delivered, at least not all morning and early afternoon. They were NOT first in/first out on the stacks outside, so that likely screwed up any date sequence too.
I doubt they left A O Smith in order.

This might be a stupid question, but the date sequence must bear SOME relation to the car's build date, in that the frame date must precede the car's build date, right?

[Michael H.]

Re: Original Frame Stencil Pictures

This might be a stupid question, but the date sequence must bear SOME relation to the car's build date, in that the frame date must precede the car's build date, right?

Yes, That's correct. If it was an A O Smith applied stencil date on the frame, it would always precede the body build date by at least a few days.
The time span between frame stencel date and body date would likely be within a few days to as many as 10 or more days though, depending on when the frames were shipped from Smith and the order in which they were stored at St Louis. (longer in the late 70's to the end of prod at St Louis)