Re: 1965-66 Knock-Off Date Codes
Wayne, your example and reasoning based on build date of your car to your wheels, is what made me question the alpha as month. But, I am not convinced; here's why: how would we then explain the examples that have an alpha, only one set of numbers (assume day), and the year? Would you not agree in that example, the alpha is the month?
The mystery to me is weather you talk alpha or first number in the examples that have both: what is the meaning of the extra character? Is it the mold used for that wheel, or is it the shift, or maybe the inspector ID that stamped the wheel? Either way: I have seen alpha as high as "H" & "J", and first set of numbers as high as "21". So, neither make total sense to me-at least "H" could be August and "J" could be September (if I ever see an "L" or "M", I will be 100% convinced alpha=month). But, how would we explain "21" as a month (A21_1_66)? Was it perhaps a quality control deal, that only some wheels have the alpha and 2 sets of numbers? I have seen examples within a few days (at least from what I believe): 1 may have just the alpha and no second set of numbers and another have both.
On the year part of the stamp: I have observed many of the "6" & "5"s are thinner and lighter than the rest of the stamp. Perhaps, Wayne, your observation/offering to this question that the curvature of the wheel and the use of a stacked holder, perhaps it did not make full contact. Maybe, but it does not explain the thinner font-look closely on your wheels, the yr. characters appear not as fat/wide as the rest of the stamp-at least from what I can tell from the pics. If it were just a light hit, due to the holder, I offer the font would still be wide, just not deep. I often thought, did they hand stamp the yr? Well, on many examples I have seen the year part of the stamp is not on the same plain and have more "double hits", feeding to the hand stamp theory. Or, did they devote certain stamps left in the holder to the year, and they happen to be thinner font. I believe the fatter font is used on aluminum and the sharper/thinner font is for steel and would last longer.
But, all of the font theory, still does not address which character is the month. So, I come back to the examples that do not have two sets of numbers-alpha then has to be the month, at least in those examples.
The mystery continues!
Mike Zamora
#12455
Mike -- here's the other four of my set (5th wheel is found above, in thread post #9).
Sometimes the first digit is real close to the 2nd, inviting the interpretation that it's (say) 13, rather than 1_3. Also, I offer that sometimes the missing two year digits at the end might be due to the straight gang stamp hitting the compound curve of the wheel casting (depending on angle of strike). Notice on some of my others that there's "bounce". Just some thoughts
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Sometimes the first digit is real close to the 2nd, inviting the interpretation that it's (say) 13, rather than 1_3. Also, I offer that sometimes the missing two year digits at the end might be due to the straight gang stamp hitting the compound curve of the wheel casting (depending on angle of strike). Notice on some of my others that there's "bounce". Just some thoughts
.The mystery to me is weather you talk alpha or first number in the examples that have both: what is the meaning of the extra character? Is it the mold used for that wheel, or is it the shift, or maybe the inspector ID that stamped the wheel? Either way: I have seen alpha as high as "H" & "J", and first set of numbers as high as "21". So, neither make total sense to me-at least "H" could be August and "J" could be September (if I ever see an "L" or "M", I will be 100% convinced alpha=month). But, how would we explain "21" as a month (A21_1_66)? Was it perhaps a quality control deal, that only some wheels have the alpha and 2 sets of numbers? I have seen examples within a few days (at least from what I believe): 1 may have just the alpha and no second set of numbers and another have both.
On the year part of the stamp: I have observed many of the "6" & "5"s are thinner and lighter than the rest of the stamp. Perhaps, Wayne, your observation/offering to this question that the curvature of the wheel and the use of a stacked holder, perhaps it did not make full contact. Maybe, but it does not explain the thinner font-look closely on your wheels, the yr. characters appear not as fat/wide as the rest of the stamp-at least from what I can tell from the pics. If it were just a light hit, due to the holder, I offer the font would still be wide, just not deep. I often thought, did they hand stamp the yr? Well, on many examples I have seen the year part of the stamp is not on the same plain and have more "double hits", feeding to the hand stamp theory. Or, did they devote certain stamps left in the holder to the year, and they happen to be thinner font. I believe the fatter font is used on aluminum and the sharper/thinner font is for steel and would last longer.
But, all of the font theory, still does not address which character is the month. So, I come back to the examples that do not have two sets of numbers-alpha then has to be the month, at least in those examples.
The mystery continues!
Mike Zamora
#12455
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