Component Date Stamps.

[MiniG]

Are the date stamps on individual components e.g the wiper motor, boot lock, etc the date/period the component was built?. If so how old were the components typically/usually before they were used to build a car?, or were the components date stamped as and when they were used?.

[66S]

In my experience, anything from very current to about 3 months.

Al

[Simon776]

As Al says it varies - wiper motors - the easiest thing to see, seem to have the biggest variations. Have seen a six month old one on a very original one owner car.

[66S]

I agree Simon, wiper motors often seem to be the oldest stamp. Lucas possibly made big batches of them and they were stock-piled.

Al

[Benny]

A friend of mine is very big on parts being appropriately date stamped for his cars (MGBs). His rule of thumb is that the component can be date stamped 6 months prior to the production date of his cars, otherwise, he won't buy the part.

According to him, that is an appropriate period for how they were stocked

[Pete]

If I was restoring a car (I am ! ) I'd keep as many bits of the car (of the right type) that were on it when I got it, even if that meant a dizzy five years younger than the car or a Goldseal engine two years younger than the car cos to me they're part of it's history. I have to say I do tend to eye a fifty year old car that's got all the correct date stamps on with suspicion, ie it's kind of been concocted. Cynical, me ??!!

[JC T ONE]

The oldest date I found, on my car was probably the indicator stalk = 34/73 (cant remember the week on my org stoplight switch) and the latest is 40/73 (one of the doorlocks)

I only corrected 1 date so far = the light switch, which had been changed in 1992, but this "new" item was also starting to melt = H4 headlamps.
So I restored a correct switch, with dates that matched the other switches, as a new one would look wrong.

I also found a wiper motor with 38/73 dating that I will fit (some day) problem is, you wont see it on a LHD, the same way you do in a RHD.

[814CWE]

not always the case of wiper motors being made 6 months before hand
my oct 62 morris super has a sept 62 wiper motor and oct 62 dizzy

maybe morris didnt stockpile as many as austin so got through the smaller batches in parts bins much faster ??

my other morris cars all have very close lucas date codes to manufacture build dates

the austins i have seem a good few months behind...

think there is a pattern here???