Kit car?

[Kit car guy]

Does anyone know if the kit cars were all built sequentially on the assembly line with the VIN numbers in sequential order and what was the first one built and the last one built according to their VIN number? Is there a registry for them? TIA

 

[JackVolareBeep]

Does anyone know if the kit cars were all built sequentially on the assembly line with the VIN numbers in sequential order and what was the first one built and the last one built according to their VIN number? Is there a registry for them? TIA

 

[Mikes5thAve]

If they were like other unique models or trim they were built in very small groups or as ordered.

 

[kmccabe56]

Does anyone know if the kit cars were all built sequentially on the assembly line with the VIN numbers in sequential order and what was the first one built and the last one built according to their VIN number? Is there a registry for them? TIA

Highly unlikely that they were built sequentially on the assembly line and also extremely highly doubtful they would have sequential VINs. A specialty vehicle like this would have been "Batch" run, where they were all scheduled to be built within a certain time period. Given the extra work that these cars required with the flares, special paint and so on, I would venture to guess that all of the paint shop work would have been done ahead of time and the bodies accumulated in the body bank area of the assembly plant. Same for adding the flares and so on. Because these vehicles were extra work for the guys on the line, they would have been run as every (pick a number - 4?, 5?, 6?) car on the line to give the guys time to catch up on the following vehicle or get a bit ahead on the vehicle preceding a kit car.

No known information on when the first car was built or the last one. Chrysler trashed the records from mid 1972 through some time in 1977 thanks to an idiot supervisor who took it upon himself to throw out shipping invoices after they were 10 years old. It took until some time in the early 1980s before anyone caught on to what he was doing and get it stopped.

IF you want more information on dates and so on, you'd have to poll the members of this forum who have a kit car to see if they'd provide you with the BFD (Body Frame Date - NOTE: It is NOT THE SCHEDULED BUILD DATE nor is it the BUILD DATE OF THE CAR !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) as well as the SO Number and the sequential portion of the vin. Also keep in mind that while the date on the fender tag is SUPPOSED to be when the body was put together (about 1/3 of the way through the assembly plant), cars could still be built when ever the plant was ready to build it. Typically I've seen cars built ahead of the BFD date more so than after it.

 

[XfbodyX]

Can you post some factual info on this body frame date term? I ask because I seen you used that term years ago on the C body site however when asked further then about that term/words you never followed up with a concrete reply.

 

[Camtron]

Can you post some factual info on this body frame date term? I ask because I seen you used that term years ago on the C body site however when asked further then about that term/words you never followed up with a concrete reply.

GM and Ford stamped part numbers and manufacturing dates on their frames. I don’t know about Chrysler doing it, not like the cars have frames in the same fashion. Idk, maybe there’s a manufacturing date on the K-frame somewhere; not that it would tell you when the car itself was assembled.

 

[Kit car guy]

Pretty much every major part/assembly has a build date stamp on it. K-members, rearends, engine and transmissions, bellhousings,, starters, alternators, steering boxes, even thermostat housings have them. Sheet metal has part numbers stamped and change from year to year designating the model year the part was intended to go on.

 

[Camtron]

Oh, I know.
Chrysler just wasn’t that on the ball with making sure all the dates and everything matched up. My uncles owns, my moms 1970 Plymouth Duster. It’s all factory original, numbers matching ect... but, there’s as many parts made in 1969 on the car as there is parts made in 1970. The /6 and trans particularly were manufactured in 69. Chrysler had a bad habit of just using parts that they had around in most cases.
And more to the point, the part manufacturing numbers still don’t tell you when your car was actually made.

 

[XfbodyX]

Im just asking were one will find this body frame date number, ive a kit car and a couple stripped bodies in my shop. Im ready to learn and take pics.

Just trying to figure out what this body frame date number is and its location and what it has to do in the F-s in the context of build order and how it impacts production as the term seemingly has only been used by this one poster. Cant find any other reference to it anyplace in the mopar community.

Or is it simply a number on the paperwork???? Is it on the buildsheet?

 

[Kit car guy]

1970 model year started in September of 1969 so the parts had to be made in 1969 for some, not all 1979 models. It just depends on when rhe car is actually assembled as to the year the parts were made/cast/assembled. Usually 30 days before the car is assembled for the major parts but there are always exceptions.

 

[XfbodyX]

Maybe what im posting is confusing.

Im just asking for this to be explained below.....Ok, we know what the fender tag appox date is, we know the MDH on the Fed. door sticker... SO im asking for clarification on where this Body Frame Date is located?

I have 80% of the kit car vins and a good many fender tags and door tags if there is a BFD indeed Id like to go look on my kit car and find it. Im not asking for much I dont think, just where I can find the BFD on my kit car as it sits.

If its not the scheduled build date or the Build date of the car..... what is it? Where is it? And how does it factor into the big picture of knowing production order?

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IF you want more information on dates and so on, you'd have to poll the members of this forum who have a kit car to see if they'd provide you with the BFD (Body Frame Date - NOTE: It is NOT THE SCHEDULED BUILD DATE nor is it the BUILD DATE OF THE CAR !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

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[Kit car guy]

The body numbers are in a few different locations. They will match the vin numbers or the order numbers on the fender tag and build sheet. Radiator support, trunk lip, package tray area, rocker panel pinchweld area are some of the places that it could/would be stamped depending on the year, model, and what assembly plant. Some, like the 1970 dart are stamped under the passenger front fender where it bolts on. You have to remove the fender to see the actual vin number but it was stamped on every 1970 dodge dart.

 

[XfbodyX]

We know about the hidden vins..... Im asking about what was posted about a BODY FRAME DATE as mentioned. Obviously im looking for a date, right?

The body vins, (partial vin with no date) yes match the tag and door, so nothing to learn from that on production order that can not be gleaned from the other two.

Excuse me for not posting Partial vins (that dont have dates) along with the tag dates and Fed door sticker reference.

Here is the only info on the "hidden" vins on a F. Core support, truck, ect..... Would not a body frame date number have some sort of "date" in the mix? A date other then the actual production year only. We all know kittys were only 78 mod. year cars.

Motor/trans/body.... Kits show the same type body id.

 

[XfbodyX]

So let me phrase it this way.

If we have these.

The Vin as it is on the car.
The cars Fender Tag
The cars Door sticker
The body stamp with partial vin
The Window sticker
The build sheet

What criteria would we use to determine which "like" car was produced first?

What does the majority of the mopar world use?


The above are the norms.... this BODY FRAME DATE is not a new term but used by only one poster.

So is the BFD a number we have all overlooked in the mopar community or is it all symantics and is in one of the above mentioned areas?

 

[80mirada]

I've never seen or heard of a "body frame date" before now. I've seen all of the other numbers and markings, so this would be new information that could be useful.

 

[XfbodyX]

Well see what we get for useful info.

 

[DCAspen]

Never heard of a "body frame date" either, please explain.......

 

[XfbodyX]

Dam I wrote a long post and it glitched when I hit save, grrr.

 

[Aspen500]

Dam I wrote a long post and it glitched when I hit save, grrr.

Been there

 

[Oldiron440]

When that happens to me I go to start over and I don't remember what the post was about.