I am restoring a '70 cuda 340 4 speed with a SPD of 2/26. I had always thought the trans was a matching assy but now I am not so sure. Take a look at this VIN Stamping. I had thought the fonts and size looked normal and I have seen some pretty crappy VIN stampings on both blocks and tranny's but until I looked closer this trans appears to have a different story.

For all practical purposes, this trans looked to be the original assy for this car. It has the correct 696 blue stencil on the housing. The assy date of the Trans is Jan 13, 1970 which is kind of early for MY SPD. My VIN is OB262398 but the VIN underneath looks to be OB253550. Is it possible that it is a factory screwup? Like I said ... all indications are that the trans is original to the car.

The stamp looks old and pretty close to factory font... in the '3' and '2'.

I know what most will think but am wondering if somehow the trans was mis ID'd at the factory and then overstamped with my cars VIN. Perhaps the other VIN had already been used? and was duplicated in error on this trans. Anyone ever heard of anything like that happening?

Thoughts?

Another pic of trans after cleaning tonight

Another

Post a good pic of your engines stamping

The engine and trans were bolted together before stamping

I hate to say this, but I'm sure you suspect it;

But it looks like someone took a set of stamps to it, particularly at the beginning around the "OB2" where it was restamped over and over and over again, it looks like its been redone 5 or 6 times, its highly suspect. Also the depth on those stamps are really deep and heavy, compared to the original average stamps with 30+ years of age on them. Unfortunately, that doesn't look like a factory restamp to me.

Both fonts are factory, but like Scott, I would like to see your engine stamping also.

That ones pretty obvious...yes, a restamp, but not factory done, I've been reproing fender tags, and other assorted tags, restamping blocks and transmissions, carbs, etc, etc for quite a few decades, most trying to re-stamp a casting, overly concern themselves with the font size, and shape, trying to match the factory "style",...but what the novice misses, or is not aware of is the "cut" of the stamp itself,...the factory (Chrysler in this case) always used "Sharp Faced" punch sets, even on "soft" castings like carbs,...the person that re-stamped this, while doing a decent job in font match, blew it by using a "Flat Faced" punch set, which is intended for aluminum or brass, etc, etc...that's the reason for the heavy "strike(s)", after the first blow, they realized the error, and decided to continue, albeit, a little heavy handed though... a Flat Face punch on cast iron is like using a butter knife to carve granite, even if they struck the pad clean, they blew it with the wrong punch face

I would think even at the factory if they restamped something they would use a very heavy strike and probably quite a few times to make sure the numbers would be seen clearly. Even "sharp faced" stamps hit repeatedly would bounce around and make it look like a "flat faced" stamp...

True,
But being cast iron, even IF the punch "bounced", it wouldn't bounce 5 or 6 times, and the bounce wouldn't be enough to make that heavy of a strike, repeatedly.
if it was aluminum?, sure, but not cast iron or steel.
Factory font? Yes,
but that's where the similarities end.

I know you're hoping for all factory, #'s matching, but the fact that you're asking, you already suspect that it isn't.

Heck, I'm no expert, so, maybe I'm wrong and I hope I am, but....

Quote:

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That ones pretty obvious...yes, a restamp, but not factory done, I've been reproing fender tags, and other assorted tags, restamping blocks and transmissions, carbs, etc, etc for quite a few decades, most trying to re-stamp a casting, overly concern themselves with the font size, and shape, trying to match the factory "style",...but what the novice misses, or is not aware of is the "cut" of the stamp itself,...the factory (Chrysler in this case) always used "Sharp Faced" punch sets, even on "soft" castings like carbs,...the person that re-stamped this, while doing a decent job in font match, blew it by using a "Flat Faced" punch set, which is intended for aluminum or brass, etc, etc...that's the reason for the heavy "strike(s)", after the first blow, they realized the error, and decided to continue, albeit, a little heavy handed though... a Flat Face punch on cast iron is like using a butter knife to carve granite, even if they struck the pad clean, they blew it with the wrong punch face

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Nice!

It's a pretty cool old cuda. It has been apart for ten years and prior to that had seen a pretty tough life. Like I said, this trans was nasty and had dirt stuck to it collected while Nixon was still in office. The original block was history when I got the car. It had a '68 block in it. I do not know what happened to the original... grenaded or broken somehow. Prior to me owning this car it was in thrashed, survivor condition having been through a shot to the front of it that required a lot of work to correct. I would be willing to say that it was never in a state that would drive a previous owner to screw with the numbers. No indication on this car show that it was ever treated anything other than harshly. It had the '68 340 block for a good long time. Like I said, the car had never been treated well. Not well enough to warrant going to this extent. It just does not add up for this car.

look at the top of the 3,6 & 9. I believe a sharp faced punch was used

Based on what I can see I would agree with Barry, that looks like a factory stamping. I can't explain WHY it was re-stamped, but there are various reasons why it COULD be original.

Post deleted by 70mopes

RhinoDart brings up a good point of the trans having been in another car, perhaps had an issue and was yanked, fixed and re-installed in this car. I have seen a number of '70 4 speed transmissions markings but have not seen a white X or the large part number stamped in more than one place - or on top. Come to think of it, the shift plate did not have any paint markings on it which most do... wonder if that might have been a problem that needed correcting???

It would have been a Challenger.

Both cars were likely scheduled for a mid-February build, but there is no way to know when either was actually built.

The engines & transmissions were stamped right before the matching body was lowered onto them.

These two cars may have been one right after the other on the assembly line & the worker doing the stamps simply neglected to roll the digits to the correct numbers the first time.

We may never know for sure, but I do not see any evidence of fraud on this one.

Good stuff Barry and Co. I have had this trans sitting on a dolly for years and had looked at the VIN many times... granted my eyesight is not what it once was but it always looked to me like it does in this picture which looked good to me. I didn't even notice the lighter understamping until I took a close up and downloaded the pic tonight. Man, this hobby never fails to amaze!

a friend of mine has a 69 roadrunner, matching numbers; tranny has never been out of the car; the numbers on his transmission look similar. I will try to post a pic later today.