Proof Of Vehicle Assembly Completion Date

[66andBlue]

Deiter, Anything is certainly possible but the way in which the stamp was done is interesting. They were stamped with a hand punch and it looks as if they were struck twice and in haste.  I had also read on another forum that this is how the 600’s line production date is established. It’s definitely not the date of the steering wheel being manufactured as that would put its manufacture within 2 weeks of the production range. There is another 250sl close by that is within 100 digits of my vin. Ill take a look at that one sometime.
Here is a better shot.

Back to date stamps again. Next time you have access to the emergency switch look at the front, there will be a date stamp that is quite close to the production date.

[MikeSimon]

Many cast parts have a "casting clock" which gives year and month of the actual casting process. It can narrow down vehicle production date, although it is not that close, of course.

[66andBlue]

When is "close" close enough?
Do you play horseshoe, or throw hand grenades?  🤣

[Raymond]

As we narrow down when the 250 stopped and the 280 began.  My 280 is serial number 000176.   The number on the steering wheel is 23 12 67.  That was a Saturday. If the numbers in the Wiki are right, If the factory was running 6 days per week, and Christmas was a holiday, that would mean that there were 80 cars after mine produced in th 6 remaining work days that year.  No significance, just fun to know.

[Pawel66]

What if you find out your car was produced on Monday? Or the first day after October Fest? Scary...

[MikeSimon]

As we narrow down when the 250 stopped and the 280 began.  My 280 is serial number 000176.   The number on the steering wheel is 23 12 67.  That was a Saturday. If the numbers in the Wiki are right, If the factory was running 6 days per week, and Christmas was a holiday, that would mean that there were 80 cars after mine produced in th 6 remaining work days that year.  No significance, just fun to know.

Remember, in Germany there are TWO Christmas Days. The 25th AND the 26th of December. Both Holidays.

[JamesL]

A habit that happily continues.

[kampala]

As we narrow down when the 250 stopped and the 280 began.  My 280 is serial number 000176.   The number on the steering wheel is 23 12 67.

This adds more credence to Tyler's point - again we have a steering stamp date that coincides within days of presumed completion.

 

[Mike Hughes]

... which leads one to consider that "just in time" logistics is not as recent a phenomenon in automobile assembly plant operations as manufacturers were touting around the turn of the millennium!

[MikeSimon]

Mike, I started working in 1978 and when I got involved in passenger car manufacturing in 1979, there was already "Just in Time".
We always had the discussion about some OEMs interpreting "JiT" as "I can get anything I want at any time I want"
It took a while until both sides, OEMs and suppliers, had solid systems in place that were doing good planning for JiT to work.
I remember that Mercedes had their seat plant in Bremerhaven on JiT for the production of the new 190. They were shipping the correct upholstery color to the car line as needed.

[Mike Hughes]

Quite true, Mike, and I remember that FoMoCo was talking about the benefits of JIT even when I began my automotive career in 1980.  It seemed like it took forever for it to bear fruit.  By the mid 2000s real life order-to-delivery time had been reduced from 10-12 weeks in the '80s to 3-4 weeks.  Back in 2005, when Taurus and Sable production came from both Chicago and Atlanta assembly plants, I factory ordered a Mercury Sable for a client, told her to expect it in about a month and received it from Atlanta nine days later!

[FGN59]

A bit late to the party here, but as I recently took my car out of winter storage, I tried looking at the date stamped on the steering wheel: none... it appears that the center plate has been brushed or sanded, and the date, if there ever was one, is gone 

Why would someone do that? Or is it because it could be a replacement? The steering wheel is in perfect condition, no cracks at all.

[Jordan]

I was going through some pics I had taken some time ago and came across this.  I recalled Tyler mentioning a date stamp on his steering wheel so i thought I would post mine, which was on the splined hub.

[JamesL]

I had my steering wheel off again today and noticed a crayon number on the boss/end of the steering column. Definitely not the date stamp that is discussed above but this seems to be "526" - not my body number. Anyone any suggestions?

[Pawel66]

Is there a date stamped there, as it on most hubs?

Sure not 914? You see it better...

[JamesL]

There’s a date stamp (as well), referenced further up the thread.
Could be 914, it’s certainly tough to make out. Could also be a 6 as I rotated the photo as what I thought of as a 5 made more sense that way up: but could also be a 2 I guess.

Any ideas as to meaning, even if we can’t get the digits?

[BobH]

Last three digits of the production number?

[JamesL]

Last three digits of the production number?

Mine is 302 (I think - last three digits of the first five digit number in line four on the body/data plate)
And body number is 482

[Pawel66]

There’s a date stamp (as well), referenced further up the thread.
Could be 914, it’s certainly tough to make out. Could also be a 6 as I rotated the photo as what I thought of as a 5 made more sense that way up: but could also be a 2 I guess.

Any ideas as to meaning, even if we can’t get the digits?

Is there a date stamp?

[JamesL]

Not necessarily the easiest thing to spot but very clearly done by hand (in my case to the right of the logo and with the yy dd mm format

Pawel, yes, this is in addition to the date stamp (which I read as 25/09/69)