Charger Engine VIN Conundrum

[JPWally]

I've owned a 1968 R/T 440 Charger since 1981. I do not know the car's history previously. I have no build sheet. I pulled the motor recently and looked to check the engine serial no. for the first time. The engine sequence no. - 8B334975, is one digit off from the window VIN sequence no. - 8B334972. The last digits do not coincide! Is it possible the lines workers would mistake the die stamp numbers 2 and 5 occasionally due to their similarities? Anyone here heard or seen a similar situation? Thank you in advance!
JW

 

[pnora]

What is on the fender tag?

 

[R413]

If the guy is looking at the stamps from the business side then a 5 looks like a 2 because they are backwards.

 

[Rebelrouser]

I could see that as a possibility the guy stamped it upside down or picked up the wrong stamp. I worked as a technician at a Chevy dealer 1976 to 1983 and when new cars came in we always had to verify the numbers and do a check list, for pre delivery. It was a small dealer sold about 500 vehicles a year. While I was checking in cars 3 came in that had the wrong engines. They were supposed to have 305's and they came with 350's They sold the cars so I don't know if they changed the titles or what, but if anybody was to restore one of those Impalas I guarantee the numbers were not right. I had a buddy who worked the chrysler plant back in the 70's and he told stories of guys bribing the line workers with beer and they would install options not on the build sheet. I am sure computers put a stop to all that now.

 

[Orig69]

It looks like the last 3 numbers are 875 not 972

 

[1 Wild R/T]

It happened more often than most think.... These were line workers that were doing a boring shitty job... In order to cope some drank excessively & did all sorts of drugs.... You think they got every detail perfect?

 

[pnora]

It looks like the last 3 numbers are 875 not 972

8B334875 to me

 

[JPWally]

I have the same thoughts as R413. If this was the case, there must be quite a few mixed-up engine sequence nos. I might hear about .....
My Fender Tag has the vehicle sequence no.(which matches the car's two other locations), but not the engine sequence no. The fender tag does confirm the existing 440 HP motor.

 

[pnora]

I have the same thoughts as R413. If this was the case, there must be quite a few mixed-up engine sequence nos. I might hear about .....
My Fender Tag has the vehicle sequence no.(which matches the car's two other locations), but not the engine sequence no. The fender tag does confirm the existing 440 HP motor.

You could start looking at engine build dates to the cars build date.

 

[JPWally]

My mistake ----- engine sequence no . 8B334875 and Window VIN sequence no. 8B344872

 

[turbine68rt]

What is on the fender tag?

68 used a shipping order number that didn't match the vin.

 

[eldubb440]

68 used a shipping order number that didn't match the vin.

not on the engine, just on the body...... some engines got a partial vin

 

[JPWally]

Thanks pnora ----- after checking --- the vehicle build date is 3/27/68'. Engine build date is 3/26/68'

 

[1 Wild R/T]

When I posted above it was a statement about line practices, the posted picture wasn't visible to me at that time.... Now that I've seen it I'm less convinced about this stamping... Lets get someone who's more focused on these kind of details...

@69Coronetrt

 

[1 Wild R/T]

Thanks pnora ----- after checking --- the vehicle build date is 3/27/68'. Engine build date is 3/26/68'

Correction.. The Scheduled Vehicle Build Date I have a car with a legit original engine with an engine assembly date a couple days after the SPD....

 

[dadsbee]

Stamps look fine to me. Camera optics makes them appear "proud". As for dates, my Bee's SPD was Feb 25th, my engine was built on the 26th and my drivers side exhaust manifold wasn't even cast until the 27th.

 

[1 Wild R/T]

So, just my opinion... The font looks like a generic hardware store stamp... But being a 68 the whole VIN stamp thing was new & plants were still working on the details.... My computer that I had saved a number of 68 VIN stamps to crashed awhile back... Currently I have to search the web for photos... My recollection of 68 Hamtramck VIN stamps they were similar to the Belvedere stamp...

Belvedere Stamp

Lynch Rd Stamp

I couldn't find any 68 Hamtramck stamps on the web... I'm sure they are out there... I didn't find it..

But another thing to notice it the tilt/cant of the letters... There is some up & down movement of the Belvedere letters but they aren't tilted... The Lynch Rd stamps aren't tilted & actually are pretty much vertically matched too...

The O/P's numbers are tilted quite a bit... Like they were stamped free hand... Anybody here actually believe every letter/number on every engine was individually stamped??? They were held in a fixture that kept them clocked...

 

[turbine68rt]

I have the same thoughts as R413. If this was the case, there must be quite a few mixed-up engine sequence nos. I might hear about .....
My Fender Tag has the vehicle sequence no.(which matches the car's two other locations), but not the engine sequence no. The fender tag does confirm the existing 440 HP motor.

This was discussed in prior threads, and I'm in the same situation as you are regarding not having the broadcast sheet, that without the sheet, there's nothing to tie the engine/trans/dash vin to the body. Fortunately in my case I know all owners back to 1970. Engine assembly date was 4/17 with a spd of 4/23. Matching # partial vin on both engine and trans.

 

[dadsbee]

Hamtramck stamp

 

[1 Wild R/T]

Okay, apparently the boys at Hamtramck were drinking overtime....

Odd the engine numbers are straight & the transmission numbers are all over the place..