Superbird Radiator Numbers

Sold my Bird to D.M. in SoCal in 2004.

Just dug out Galen's Verification report. In it, he states that no Vin numbers are visable on the Radiator Yoke. Original yoke. "it is common for Super Birds not to have #'s on Rad yoke".

I had never heard of this before nor have I read it in any book/Mag.

What is you guys opinion? (Not about GG, Flypaper) The numbers?

I know Vin numbers sometimes were not stamped. I missed a few in my day. (One more reason I didn't receive Chryslers Employee of the Month). But COMMON?

That is what I have heard and the Superbird I just got doesn't have the sequence stamping on the core support either.

None on mine either !

Mine has it but a bud of mine had two and neither were stamped in the front, only the back.

My long running theory is that the latch tray bracket somehow interfered with the jig or sequence that the jig was used; when the typed the numbers on the radiator support were more commonly placed.

This seems to work on several levels for Superbirds. 1st, it seems to be a rather occurrence on Superbirds. 2nd, it gives a specific reason why it is common on Superbirds. 3rd, since the latch tray support was somehow integrated on the assembly line process before painting the car, and since it was a very non-standard item as far as the common b-body assembly process occurred; some cars could have easily had the #'s installed before the support was spot welded on and others could have had the support installed before the #'s jig got to the car-preventing the jig from being able to latch on the car.

I expect credit for advancing this theory. No Nobel prize, but recognizable credit.

This suit ?

damm, swapper is throwing some serious shade at me...

Well I could give GG your address. You looking for a roommate?

Or better still I will have RHINOTRUCK visit you next time he is in JOISEY.

they both need to room together!
i would guess that rino is the oscar of the 2..

You might be right. Here is why I think you could be wrong.

Where I worked (BELVIDERE) the Body in White was Vin Stamped at the last line workers station before the Louden Hoist transferred it to the Metal Line.
There were no fenders doors or hoods/decklids on the Body at this time.

Now The C-Body was a stub frame car. (nothing before the firewall till Metal Line)
RRunners and E-Body's could and I say could have had the Vin #'s put on in Metal after fenders and doors but sadly, I wasn't paying attention that day in Detroit.
I will see if one of my friends/enemies from the past at Lynch Road can remember. But I wouldn't count on it as most are now pushing up daisys or being spoon feed.

But the real reason I disagree is the fact that the latch tray was painted Black and assembled later in the life of the car.

Don't go spending that Nobel prize money just yet

One more thing FLYMAN. You gotta stop using that urban 21st century language. Throwing shade?

I just hate going to GOOGLE to find out what you said.

I am just now getting over using Groovy an Dig this.

Have mercy on your elders.

Damn...

But when we crossed into Canada and went "Gentlemen's Club hopping....... I PAID ATTENTION!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Canadian women are mighty fine!

The latch tray support bracket was painted body color. It is a z-well really a z bent at 90 degrees that is the length of the radiator opening. It was spot welded to the top of the radiator opening.

Now if I can just figure out how to attach a picture.

Now your theory holds some water. But you originally posted this....."My long running theory is that the latch tray bracket somehow interfered with the jig"

I should have realized what you meant, but my thoughts went straight to the "latch tray" as you said.

Your theory is the best I have heard so far,
If Lynch Road used the same "CADILLAC" machine that we did, I can see what you are getting at. But if the machines anvil pad wouldn't fit under a few Birds rad yoke, without interference from the support, then how could it fit under any. I have a pic somewhere of us using that machine from back in the day, but it might take hours up in the attic to find it.

A few Birds slipping thru without Vin stamps wouldn't get noticed by management. But enough for GG to say this is "common"?
I would think they would find another place on the car for the stamp or Juryrig something else. Of course the answer could most likely be as simple as Chrysler didn't care, just ship 'em out as fast as they can. Trust me, I heard that many times.

So maybe, just maybe you are inline for that prize money after all.

I'll even drink the first beers at the party.

Superbirds, unlike Daytona's had some oddball pieces that were installed in the Metal Shop. Rear window plug, trunk stops, wing support reinforcements, brackets on the trunk floor, jack stud on the trunk floor, and the latch tray bracket.

David Patik's well researched paper suggests these items were installed in "repair holes" which were side-tracks off the main assembly line.

It seems as if they all had to be installed with the regular people on the line. So people had to be assigned extra jobs in addition to their regular jobs for every other car except for this "special". All these had to be done before the car was painted.

So for me, I can see that some cars got the latch tray bracket installed before the numbering machine got to the car to put on the radiator support numbers. Then the numbering machine wouldn't fit. Some cars could have had the numbers put on the radiator support and then someone walked up and put the brackets on, those cars have #'s.

I do not know if it is 50% of the cars, but it is a very high percentage of the cars that have no numbers on the radiator support bracket.

Makes sense. I guess we will never know for sure one way or another.

The ones who know are becoming dust faster everyday. My Chrysler co workers seem to be dropping like flies.

Thanks for the info.

Bye the Bye my old Bird is up in your neck of the woods now. Do you have any info on it?