CRG Discussion Forum
Camaro Research Group Discussion => Decoding/Numbers => Topic started by: nuch_ss396 on July 21, 2007, 11:27:41 PM
-
I'm doing some VIN research to determine the build date of a car I'm considering. I went to the archives ( here ) and got the "Ending VIN #" for the previous month,
then added the daily production rate ( per production day ) to work my way up to the VIN I'm researching. Using the previously agreed to figure of 912 cars per day,
I come up with a build date that is two weeks later than the build date on the trim tag. ??? Is this possible?
A couple issues need to be clarified:
1) If a build month ends on a Wednesday ( let's say April 30th, 1969 for this example ), that would be a 04E build date. The following month starts on the next day,
Thursday in this example. Would Thursday & Friday count as 05A? What if there was only one day ( Friday ) left in the week that starts the new month? Does
Friday count as 05A?
2) How accurate are the "Ending VIN" numbers GM supplied ( listed here )?
I had done a similar VIN research on my current SS and it worked out to late 10D, or possibly very early 10E - so my 10D trim tage code is very close. As I mentioned
earlier, the potential car is off by two weeks ( later than the code on the trim tag ).
Am I missing something here? ??? Or, is this within the acceptable tolerance for VIN research?
Steve
-
1. Build dates are approximates. Fisher had no reason to be rigorous about them.
2. The answer is right there in the monthly VIN listing that you referenced (http://www.camaros.org/geninfo.shtml#HowMany) :
Due to several limitations the VINs in this list will not necessarily correlate exactly with either a specific calendar day or the build week on the cowl tag. The list data for some months deviate significantly from actual build dates, while other months correlate well.
That needs to be bolded on the site too.....
-
Yeah Kurt, I saw that but sort of put it in the back of my mind for some unknown reason. ::)
On a somewhat similar note, why don't we have VIN vs. build date information for the LA built cars?
Steve
-
Umm, what column are you missing? :)
-
1) If a build month ends on a Wednesday ( let's say April 30th, 1969 for this example ), that would be a 04E build date. The following month starts on the next day, Thursday in this example. Would Thursday & Friday count as 05A? What if there was only one day ( Friday ) left in the week that starts the new month? Does Friday count as 05A?
Steve
Typically, build weeks started on a Monday and remained the same all the way thru Friday(or Saturday if they were working). So if the month ended on a Monday and it was an E week, the build dates stayed the same for that whole week. The A week would start the following Monday which would be the 6th calenadar day of the month.
-
I thought they worked on sat and sun? I have a 06B car with the mso sheet that has the car in the dealership on the 12th which is a monday in 67 the second week
-
For the most part production was 2 shifts a day, Monday thru Friday. There may have been some Saturdays worked to clear backlogs, or when there were heavy orders, but they are pretty rare. Don't think the plants ever worked a Sunday, as thats double time and a half OT.
Its more likely the dealership itself was not open on Sunday so they could not receive the car, or maybe thats just the way the delivery worked out.
-
OK, now I'm lost here I have a 06B car which would to me would say the car was built the second week of june correct? the second week of june in 1967 starts on sunday the 11 and goes to saturday the 17 my SMO on the car is the 12th which is a MONDAY so explain it to me please thanks phil
-
Since theres an 06E week in June, one can surmise that 06A is May 29th thru June 2nd, 06B is June 5th thru June 9th. OR this may be one of those odd months where the build week DID change when the calendar changed, ie 05E is May 29th thru the 31st and 06A is June 1st and 2nd. Or maybe your car was pushed up in production a week after the tag had been issued, for some odd reason. The build weeks were not set in stone, sometimes they were shorter than a week sometimes they were longer than a week.
-
OK, now I'm lost here I have a 06B car which would to me would say the car was built the second week of june correct? the second week of june in 1967 starts on sunday the 11 and goes to saturday the 17 my SMO on the car is the 12th which is a MONDAY so explain it to me please thanks phil
Mark or Kurt will correct me if I am off base, but the "build date" is closer to when the car was entered into production than when it was finished (built).
-
Yes Gary,
But with 912 cars finished per day, how far can it possibly be off?
Steve
-
Yes Gary,
But with 912 cars finished per day, how far can it possibly be off?
Steve
My 02D car has a 9N613xxx VIN. The last recorded Febraury VIN is 607164. I am at least a full week into March. Quite a bit off I guess. If this is a high dollar car you are considering you should post specific numbers and pictures, then let the experts give you an opiniion.
-
Yes Gary,
But with 912 cars finished per day, how far can it possibly be off?
Steve
Minimum of two production days, possibly up to three between the body start date in the Body Shop and the time it came off the Chevrolet Final Line as a finished car.
-
My car 9N638xxx has a 04L trim tag. Anyone have any thoughts on this? When was it built?
-
Most 4L tags are at the end of April. It may be they lost or broke the D and used the L instead. This has been noted on a number of late April cars.
-
Since the VIN is about 1000 (up to 2000) cars past the last April of 69 VIN (N637101) This 04L car was started in April, probably on the 30th, and finished on May 2nd or 3rd.