Starter cable, reproduction or original

[aboss4tg]

I purchased a large lot of 65 NOS parts and came across a set of battery and starter cables. A complete set of cables with the paper tags with C5ZB and extra starter cable with parts numbers, C5ZF-14431-A SX FOMOCO running the length of the cable. Would the cable with stamped part numbers be NOS?

Todd

[Bob Gaines]

Paper tags in this C5 case denote a repro for sure. The one that has the printed letters and number is most likely a repro too. The terminal ends have nuance differences that I can't see well enough in picture to give a comment. Also sometimes the thickness of the wire tells the story. Genuine is thinner and newer repro thicker.  Repro wire sets have other various "tells" to determine if genuine or not. Some of the very OLD (25-30 years ago) Marti cables are hard if not virtually impossible to tell . What complicates things is that they have been around so long now that many automatically assume since they are old that they must be NOS genuine.

[aboss4tg]

Bob, appreciate your response.
The markings on the tabs read SX  06 if that helps. Comparing both cables side by side it is difficult to tell if one is thinner than the other. Would the difference be that noticeable?

Todd

It was a pleasure meeting you in Melbourne Florida during the MCA show this summer judging my car. The information and notes were very helpful.

[Bob Gaines]

Bob, appreciate your response.
The markings on the tabs read SX  06 if that helps. Comparing both cables side by side it is difficult to tell if one is thinner than the other. Would the difference be that noticeable?

Todd

It was a pleasure meeting you in Melbourne Florida during the MCA show this summer judging my car. The information and notes were very helpful.

The difference between original thinner and repro thicker cable in a side by side comparison is very noticeable IMO. The paper tags on 65-69 starter cables was a typical repro tell until Marti started making better wires with the printing made on them. Marti wire was the thinner wire until he followed others in using the easier sourced thicker comparable metric wire about 25 years ago. Other repro companies have improved their look too. The paper tags with no printing on the wire are repro. I would be glad to take a look if you wanted to send it to me but have a very high suspicion that the wire in the picture with the printing on the wire is repro. PM me for shipping info if needed. I am glad I could help in Melbourne.