Author Topic: Carburetor Date Code  (Read 6028 times)

Vince

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Carburetor Date Code
« on: July 02, 2012, 06:51:32 PM »
Would a Holley 4053 carb with a date of 913 be too close to have come originally on an 01C Z/28?  Car was built at Van Nuys assembly plant if that would make any difference.  Thank you. 

william

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Re: Carburetor Date Code
« Reply #1 on: July 02, 2012, 08:44:08 PM »
Carbs were installed at Van Nuys and Norwood; not supplied with the engine. That carb was date-stamped the third week of January 1969 at the Holley plant in Detroit. The Van Nuys plant is 2,300 miles from there so it is virtually impossible for your car to have been built with it.
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MO

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Re: Carburetor Date Code
« Reply #2 on: July 03, 2012, 02:03:51 AM »
Doesn't seem likely with both being built the third week of January. Maybe if the carb was built and shipped the first of the week and the car was built at the end of the week; but that would be a long shot.

68camaroz28

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Re: Carburetor Date Code
« Reply #3 on: July 04, 2012, 12:35:41 AM »
Would it be the norm, No, is it possible and probably happened, my guess Yes!
Chick
68 Z/28 NOR 01B Orig motor/trans/rear
69 Z/28 NOR 07A Orig Block & GM Cross-ram/carbs
69 L34 Rest. Nova Father/Son Car
69 L78 Surv Nova Purch 4/69 31K miles
67 L89 Corv Tribute
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william

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Re: Carburetor Date Code
« Reply #4 on: July 04, 2012, 03:13:59 AM »
Sorry I doubt it.

Having worked in manufacturing operations my entire career I have a good idea how it works. Stamping the carb body was likely one of the first steps in manufacturing. They then had to be built, tested, and packaged. They had to be moved to shipping where they remained in queue until loaded on a carrier. Holley was likely under contract to supply carbs at a certain rate to each plant. Chevy averaged about 65 Z/28s per day between the two plants with 80% of those at Norwood. The second worst thing a Tier 1 can do is shut a line down with a part shortage so the supply chain is designed to virtually eliminate that possibility. Expecting parts built 2,200 miles away to arrive a few days later would require premium air freight and expedited handling at considerable additional expense. Carbs were probably shipped in weekly batches by rail to Van Nuys, maybe trucked to Norwood 260 miles away. Shipments wait be be unloaded, have to be checked in, must be moved and located. All takes time; all predictable. Suppliers cover their butt with stocking warehouses and safety stock.

So no, I do not believe a carb built in Detroit on Monday was on the assembly line in Van Nuys a few days later.  
« Last Edit: July 04, 2012, 11:52:56 AM by william »
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Vince

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Re: Carburetor Date Code
« Reply #5 on: July 05, 2012, 06:52:16 PM »
Thanks for the info guys.  In my own mind I thought that the carb was built too close to the car build date for it to be the original carb that came on my car, but I wanted to see what other opinions were. 

william

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Re: Carburetor Date Code
« Reply #6 on: July 06, 2012, 02:41:51 AM »
Since I'm stuck in the house [100º+] I checked our db for carb dates on 01C LA Z/28s - think about 2 months prior to the body tag date.
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red69

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Re: Carburetor Date Code
« Reply #7 on: July 06, 2012, 06:14:48 PM »
My car is LA built 12C Holley carb date 891