Distributor Cap

[William M.]

I know the Delco-Remy Patent 2769047 R cap is correct for my '73. I have seen 3 different variations of characters between the "D" of Delco-Remy and the "P" of Patent:
"AM"
"BB"
empty space
What's the difference and which is considered correct?

[William M.]

Re: Distributor Cap

Did I stump you guys?

[Jack H.]

Re: Distributor Cap

The lack of reply is probably because there's not much written in the judging text regrading these 'extra' emboss characters... They might represent source mold/source plant identifiers, but I don't think we really know their meaning/significance. Also, I can't recollect judges taking deduction(s) based on this aspect of originality, but I don't know it all!

[William M.]

Re: Distributor Cap

The lack of reply is probably because there's not much written in the judging text regrading these 'extra' emboss characters... They might represent source mold/source plant identifiers, but I don't think we really know their meaning/significance. Also, I can't recollect judges taking deduction(s) based on this aspect of originality, but I don't know it all!

How's about it judges? Do you bother looking at these extra characters?

[Terry M.]

Re: Distributor Cap

Not me.

I have no idea what they mean, but I suspect they are mold or assembly line designations, which would have no useful meaning anyway. If someone could come up with documentation as to what they mean, and if that meaning has significance, then we could communicate that in the TIM&JG, and then they could be judged. A lot of "ifs" in there though.

[John P.]

Re: Distributor Cap

Im with Terry and Jack.

[Jack H.]

Re: Distributor Cap

If you read the different JG books side by side, there IS some mention of this. For example the '68-68 JG book USED to consider the 'Delco Remy' + 'Patent 2769047' version of the D-308 cap correct for '68-69 Corvettes eventhough that belief is NOT held today. It's descriptive text read:

"....Other letters might be present, but caps with these added letters are thought to be service replacements. No deduction is to be made for these at this time..."

So, the issue HAS come up before and there IS some NCRS history on the subject. But, there's nothing definite as I mentioned above.

[William M.]

Re: Distributor Cap

"....Other letters might be present, but caps with these added letters are thought to be service replacements.

Interesting. So the one I have without any extra letters sounds like a keeper.

[Terry M.]

Re: Distributor Cap

I would almost bet that sentence about the letters will not survive the next revision, but I am not the decision maker in that game.

[Jim T.]

Re: Distributor Cap

My brown distributor cap has

Delco - Remy and then R between the spark plug towers and the coil tower

PATENT 2769047 below the above between the coil tower and spark plug towers.

Inside the the cap it has Delco with Remy below and between these two has MADE IN USA that is real small.

5A is to the right of the above.

Do not remember if I removed this cap from my original owner 68 or my original owner 70, it did come from one of them.

[William M.]

Re: Distributor Cap

My brown distributor cap has

Delco - Remy R between the spark plug towers and the coil tower

PATENT 2769047 below the above between the coil tower and spark plug towers.

Inside the the cap Delco with Remy below and between these two has MADE IN USA that is real small.

5A is to the right of the above.

My black cap is the same, except has "43" inside the cap instead of "5A".
My question is about the 2 letters that sometimes appear on the outside of the cap.

[Wayne M.]

Re: Distributor Cap

I know the Delco-Remy Patent 2769047 R cap is correct for my '73. I have seen 3 different variations of characters between the "D" of Delco-Remy and the "P" of Patent:
"AM"
"BB"
empty space
What's the difference and which is considered correct?

William -- came across a pic I copied from an eBay auction that shows what you described.

[William M.]

Re: Distributor Cap

William -- came across a pic I copied from an eBay auction that shows what you described.

Yup, that's what I'm talking about

[Craig B.]

Re: Distributor Cap

The letters you refer to are a toolroom reference most likely, the letters either identify the cavity that those mold segments fit in, the mold that the segments fit in, or the vendor identification who manufactured that mold. In high volume production injection molding, molds are routinely replaced for service or for a bad part. Those identifying letters are of only value to the toolroom, not to the car collector, unless you collect distributor caps.