Need help understanding date codes and sequence motor numbers

[Syleng1]

So I just spent over an hour on the Lost and Found page trying to find the original 340 and 4 speed for my 72' Dodge Demon.
Long shot I know BUT worth the try.

So as I am reading thru one 340 number after another I start to try to pattern the date codes
cast into the block and the 8 digit sequence code (last 8 of the cars vin) and I cannot for the life of me make any correlation between the two.

So my last 8 of the vin are 2B162797
What should be the date code of the engine I am looking for?
and how does it line up with the vin? How off can it be?
Car was built Sept 16th, 1971 ( according to fender data tag) but COULD it have come with a 1971 cast block and how early in the year did they produce the blocks before the body was made? The original owner I bought the car from told me years ago it had a 71' 340 steel crank motor new because it was such early production run. Anyone got info on that nugget of info?

Vin says Engine code is H - 340 single 4BBL 240 hp cast crank
Fender tag says E55- 340 4bbl 275hp steel crank


Thanks in advance!
Joe

 

[Alaskan_TA]

The real world answer is...........

There is NO pattern.

Here are some reasons why;

These cars were not built in VIN order.

The dates on the fender tags & broadcast sheets are SPDs (Scheduled Production Dates). This is the date they HOPED to build the car when the order was first entered into the system.

Actual build dates can be different by a day up to weeks, either earlier or later.

In addition to that, engine assemblies were completed elsewhere & shipped in to where the cars were assembled, transmissions also.

If they needed one of either with the correct part numbers for an imminent car build, the respective department could pull them & get them to the main line where they were mated together.

They were then stamped with either the cars partial VIN or full VIN depending on model year & time of year.

In your case they would have both been stamped with 2B 162797, same stamp set, bang-bang, one right after the other.

So........

The only real way for you to know the casting date & final assembly date on your block is if it actually surfaces so you can see what it says.

Best of luck with the search!

It is not hopeless, it does happen.

 

[Syleng1]

Alaskan_TA,

Thank you for that info. Very enlightening to say the least. Then the next question I have is you could have a engine date cast into the side of the block in my sequence case June30, 1971 and the transmission date cast of August 15,1971 but both and the car’s stamped showing my build sequence number.

So when these tv car shows are showing an “all original and numbers matching” they can only go by the sequence number and only know that the casting date is before the car’s build date, so “it’s possible” it’s all original. I try to sit thru an episode of GYCs and it seems as if Michael Scott wanna a be has a full production schedule memorized. But in reality it is just making sure date codes and sequence codes “jive.”

Thanks for the help
The mud is a little clearer now.
Joe

 

[Murray]

This is good advice. Am currently doing the "matching numbers" thing on a '68 cuda BB car. Am documenting all part numbers, casting numbers, dates, numbers/numbers/numbers, it gets crazy. In the end there is an overall pattern which is satisfying personally. The lesson though is that there are are so many variables we should never use that info to criticize another car. There are others in our hobby that think that we are totally crazy and I think they are partly right. Just enjoy your car wherever that takes you.