Re: Build date

Posted by Fish'n Jim On 2023/6/6 20:43:16

In order to have '48's for model change in the fall, they would've started in '47. It didn't happen on the same date every year in this period because of the low sales issues. eg: 23s didn't get made til July and the run was short becasue of the left over 22s. But they made a small flotilla of gold painted 50th 23 cars for marketing.
That production info should be in the book, but the sequence of models was not clear as I recall, but memory is short and not going to go look it up, if you have one.
If they made that model later, then it may not be calendar early, just early in the sequence, but they likely had a quota based on sales to meet as dealers would want cars to sell when model change came and customer orders.
They were making the bodies at a supplier, Briggs, and assembling at P. So there's another possibility for mismatch dates. There's probably some method to the model madness, like by frame size or something, but those data would be mired between the PAC, P museum, and Stude museum, if they exist at all. There's was a fire or something and records were also lost. Speculative at best without documents.
Other than curiosity, I don't see much value in knowing this. Since it's not a leftover is was sooner than later. The build sheet is likely missing, if you don't have it already. Should've been on the back of the glove box.
Another clue maybe the casting dates. I recall my manifold was cast on my birthday, but 4 years hence to mine.