How many months back can dates go?

[Dean S.]

All of my numbers and dates match on my 1965 Coupe with the possible exception of the right head? Could it be possible that the right head could be 6 months behind the left head? It was the 110th car built for the 1965 model year.....1st month of production.





Body __________August 27, 1964____ (A27)
Transmission_____August 18th________(P 08 18)
Engine Block_____July 13th _________(G 13 4)
Engine Code______June 8th__________(F 08 HF)
Carburetor______June 4th__________ (F4)


Left Head _______June 26th_________(G 26 4)

Right Head______December 19th_____(L 19 3) 6 months behind

[Chuck S.]

Re: How many months back can dates go?

All of my numbers and dates match on my 1965 Coupe with the possible exception of the right head? Could it be possible that the right head could be 6 months behind the left head? It was the 110th car built for the 1965 model year.....1st month of production.





Body __________August 27, 1964____ (A27)
Transmission_____August 18th________(P 08 18)
Engine Block_____July 13th _________(G 13 4)
Engine Code______June 8th__________(F 08 HF)
Carburetor______June 4th__________ (F4)


Left Head _______June 26th_________(G 26 4)

Right Head______December 19th_____(L 19 3) 6 months behind

I just reread your post, and deleted my first reply as headspace before coffee.

From your information, you should really be worrying about the block casting date. If your pad stamp really shows engine assembly as June 8, and the block casting date is July 13, then something is fishy in Denmark: ALL CASTING DATES should precede the engine assembly date. Is it possible you (or I) have misinterpreted some of the dates?

Edit: The first character in the engine plant stamp is typically "F" for "Flint", not June.

[John H.]

Re: How many months back can dates go?

Engine Code______June 8th__________(F 08 HF)

Right Head______December 19th_____(L 19 3) 6 months behind

Dean -

Your engine assembly date (F 08 HF) is missing two digits - it should have four numbers following the "F", followed by the "HF". Can you re-check that?

Your right head casting date (L 19 3) is outside the six-month window from the car's August 27th final assembly date; fortunately, head casting dates aren't judged.

[Dean S.]

Re: How many months back can dates go?

The block is F 0808 HF

[Chuck S.]

Re: How many months back can dates go?

The block is F 0808 HF

What I would expect for your A27 build date...F=Flint, 0808=August 8, HF=300HP w/manual transmission. Your engine build date preceded the car build by almost exactly the same number of days as my car (same horsepower, different model year).

As John said, head casting dates aren't judged since they're under the valve covers. Eight months before the engine build is outside the NCRS six month rule, but given all the possible head casting dates a replacement could have had, I think I would just rationalize that it's original if the configuration is otherwise correct and forget about it.