Topic: Sheet Metal Date Codes

[9F94M567042]

Hey All,
Curious to know if anyone has any information regarding date codes on body panels? Where were they stamped, breakdown of the information?
Just something I wish to add to my knowledge base.
Thanks

[67gtasanjose]

Hey All,
Curious to know if anyone has any information regarding date codes on body panels? Where were they stamped, breakdown of the information?
Just something I wish to add to my knowledge base.
Thanks

Have you read the Date Code information contained in the Library Section? Most questions may be answered there. Specific locations of such stampings may require a production date.

[9F94M567042]

Thanks, I'll have a look and see what is there.

[J_Speegle]

Hey All,
Curious to know if anyone has any information regarding date codes on body panels? Where were they stamped, breakdown of the information?
Just something I wish to add to my knowledge base.
Thanks

Information has not been compiled into an article since the types of panels, different stamping plants used and details differ depending on year and assembly plant, since not all car plants were always supplied by the same stamping plants as another

In some examples, say for inner fender panels and sway bar brackets they are the same from plant to plant but not always from year to year. Also in studying them you will find what I refer to as micro patterns where you can identify over, reverse or mistaken date codes within a production year or time period.

In some situation some panels can even have two date stamps


Is there something specifically your looking for or you just looking for someone who has taken possibly days to assemble a list of where to look in general

Currently I track date codes from 234 different commonly seen or found panels and I don't think that is a third of all that are possible

[Tomdeg]

How do you decode a panel (in this case a front valance), that has a letter and a 2 digit number, I.e. ?A 80?.
I also came across a fender with ?C  4. B2?

Thanks

[J_Speegle]

How do you decode a panel (in this case a front valance), that has a letter and a 2 digit number, I.e. ?A 80?.

That pattern and markings suggests a service replacement panel stamped in 1980

I also came across a fender with ?C  4. B2?

As shown in the date coding article located in the Library if this is the typical pattern (guessing this is not from a Mustang given the code and the mounting hole shown) the first mark is likely a "6" followed by the day of the month the "B" would be the stamping plant and the "2" the shift