how to read bumper code 9 17 M3

[hurlbird]

anyone know the application? selling as 67-68 bumper? thanks

[JohnB]

anyone know the application? selling as 67-68 bumper? thanks

9 17 M3 = September 17, Monroe plant, 3 shift!

[hurlbird]

that is where i arrived but what about the year? thank you!!!

[Karguy]

Jeff, on that note I have a question please. Were the Monroe bumpers used on San Jose cars?

[J_Speegle]

that is where i arrived but what about the year? thank you!!!

Sorry don't know where my head was - didn't focus as I should. Should have double checked my date coding article to make sure

Unlike other sheet metal pieces the year of the stamping is the last digit in the pattern. Month, day of month, stamping plant, year of stamping the Three above would suggest IMHO that the bumper was stamped in 1973, or 1983. The last digit being the shift is something we see in some other sheet metal date code patterns from other stamping plants and "shift" does not work out when you have numbers greater than "3"

[J_Speegle]

Jeff, on that note I have a question please. Were the Monroe bumpers used on San Jose cars?

Yes the Monroe plant supplied bumpers for San Jose plant built Mustangs. Included an examples of an early front and rear bumpers below as examples

[hurlbird]

so is this a bumper made for a 1968 but manufactured in 1973?

[J_Speegle]

so is this a bumper made for a 1968 but manufactured in 1973?

That would my opinion based on looking and documenting a fair numbers of this. Could be manufactured in 1983. Don't think they were stamping service replacements in 1993

Later bumpers can be found using a different date pattern where the year is stamped using the last two digits of the year such as "73" for 1973. Just more room for more letters and numbers built into those stamping dies

Have not worked out all the patterns for all the bumper patterns I have pictures of. And of course as with sheet metal we do find mistakes though these should be seen as rare cases but even they form patterns that can be applied and tracked along with the others

[hurlbird]

then my question has changed!!!! How do I know if I have the correct bumper for the 1968? I assumed and hoped the stamped codes would do that for me so I would not have to become an expert on which bumper fits which year.. 

[J_Speegle]

then my question has changed!!!! How do I know if I have the correct bumper for the 1968? I assumed and hoped the stamped codes would do that for me so I would not have to become an expert on which bumper fits which year.. 

Like other parts (ex exhaust manifolds, inner fender panels and more) date codes do not provide enough information on their own to identify what year the part is for or will fit. Date will only identify (within limits of the pattern used) when the part was stamped or formed

Not sure if "expert" is the right term. You know what a 65 Shelby looks like compared to a 68 KR. It's just learning and experience. Like life there are few if any easy buttons. This is how we learn.  You don't really have to learn all the bumpers only the style that fits your car based on your current need and then the details so that you can determine if the one found fits your needs, plan and budget.

[JohnB]

Datecode information for 69/70 here; http://anghelrestorations.com/uploads/3/5/1/2/35122002/1969_1970_front_bumper_id_v1.0b.pdf

[J_Speegle]

Datecode information for 69/70 here; http://anghelrestorations.com/uploads/3/5/1/2/35122002/1969_1970_front_bumper_id_v1.0b.pdf

Yes have seen it. If you notice the pattern does not always include the shift (examples first page last two examples in both lines of pictures. If you read the text it suggests that shift or two digit dates were stamped last in line. if you notice the last picture to the right in the upper line of picture does not end with 68 but starts with 68.  As mentioned above the pattern changed - maybe a number of times during that period. The one ending in "M 9" with a "68" has lead some to believe that some bumpers were marked to identify the application but that idea has its conflicts.


Also the OP was asking about 67/68 and the article focuses on 69/70 though you may have missed that since he didn't include it in the title of the thread. But the article likely, is a great help for those who have those cars and are interested in rear bumper details since front bumpers are different between Mustangs and Shelby's as I'm sure your aware

[hurlbird]

thanks for all the help!!!