Manufacture Date

Any ideas when my '73 would have been manufactured? The last five digits of my VIN number are 13100. The original dash has replaced by the PO with aluminum and I'd like to order a reproduction sticker.

Thanks,

Chuck

 

need the numbers at the beginning, after the J.

the numbers you posted are the serial #, as in jeep #13,100 produced in that year.

 

Look at the build date code on the engine; tag on the right valve cover. That should be no more than a couple months off. If you don't have a manual, post it up and I can decode it.

 

The first number should be a 6 if built in 73
Second and third, day of the month
Fourth engine size/type, should be H
Fifth and sixth, day built

6xxHxx

 

The PO installed aftermarket valve covers so I'm out of luck on the valve cover tag information. The whole VIN# is J3F835TH13100. I think those numbers indicate a 1973 model, Toledo 3 speed LHD, CJ5, open body, with a 304. I was hoping that someone else might be able to tell my by their sequential serial number when mine was built. If there is another place to look on the engine, frame, or body, I will be glad to have a look.

Thanks again for your help. Can anyone else tell me when their '73 was made and it's respective sequential serial number?

Chuck

 

The tranny codes out to be a Borg-Warner T14a 3-spd, still working on the date.

 

There are also build dates on your axles. IIRC it is to the right of the center section. Also although I have never checked on mine I believe there is also supposed to be a build date on the radiator, all this providing none of these items have been changed.
My last digits are 74xxx and was built in late June. So I guess yours is earlier then that.

 

Uhm just a quibble - the 304s came with the T15A in 72-75; the T14A only came with the 232 or 258. The "F" only spec's a 3-speed.

J = Jeep
3 = 1973
F = Toledo 3-speed LHD
83 = CJ-5
5 = open body
T = standard GVW (3750#)
H = 304 V8, regular compression
xxxxx = sequential serial number

I would guess there were about 30 or 40 thousand CJ-5s made in '73 (a WAG!), so you could guess about when it was made. Remember that the production started in late August 1972; any date between then and July 1973 would be plausible, say December 1972 or January 1973.

<edit> 74xxx by June '73 would imply about 80,000 total - that's very close to the end of the run. Quite a few! 13xxx was probably buitl sometime in 1972.

 

I found in the tech service manual the data about radiator codes. It is a 2 character designation supposedly stamped on the top tank in line with the vendors name and Jeep part number. The first letter is the month with A=Jan B=Feb etc. Second digit is the year 2=72 3=73 etc.
On axle it is stamped on the tube to right of cover in approx 1/8 inch characters. First digit = month second= day and third =year there are also shift and line numbers and mfg part number. For what it is worth my axles were built 2 days after my engine.

 

Mine was made in March of 1973, serial number:49563:JEEP:

 

Thank you for the build date/serial number info. If anyone else has information to share, I would be thankful.

Chuck

 

Then this site http://www.cjoffroad.com/writeup.asp?WU_ID=13&noAdd=1 would be incorrect, when typing in Chuck’s (mcq211) vin number (J3F835TH13100) it comes back T-14A.

Thanks for the heads up Tim.