VIN & date

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prmurat

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Putting my Commando back together, I am installing the frame plate as sold with in the US (my stock US one was replaced when it was imported to France, prior to move back here with me...) which date of manufacture should be 311290, I know its a 1974 but which month? Format of the date?
Thank you
Philippe
 
Phillipe,
I have a 308 and a 315 here, (850 Mk2) and there is contradicatory evidence as to which are in '73 or '74. Looking at several versions of "factory records" it may be either late '73 or early '74. As a clue, the 308 has the front guard without the forward braces. As this bike has matching engine, gearbox and frame numbers and no sign of crash repair, I believe it to be authentic in its original equipment. Front brake is behind the right fork leg.

Mick
 
Thanks Mick....mine had the front stand on the fender...i am not looking at "proper" year but more to have a year in line with the title, 1974, I guess I'll take Jan... How the date should appear: 1/1974, 01/1974, 1-1974, 01-1974, 1 1974, 01 1974, JAN 1974, etc etc.
Thanks
Philippe
 
Phillipe,
The 308 VIN plate shows 9 73 as its build date, with the 9 on the upper left side about 12mm apart from the 73

This date would be September 1973. The 315 has lost its VIN plate so I can't double check. These bikes where imported to Australia by the national distributor so I assume the VIN plate was done in England and the bikes shipped out. I reckon your 311 woul d have to pretty close to January 1974 as 1 74.

Mick
 
I have 316XXX with a mfg. date of 6 1974 and Dave Comeau shows a 313761 with a date of Mar 1974 on his site. That should put your 311XXX around Jan 1974?
 
They must have abreviated it on later bikes.
My 1972 has it spelled out June 1972
Serial # 209199.
Thee Marshal
 
prmurat said:
Putting my Commando back together, I am installing the frame plate as sold with in the US (my stock US one was replaced when it was imported to France, prior to move back here with me...) which date of manufacture should be 311290, I know its a 1974 but which month? Format of the date?
Thank you
Philippe
Click to expand...

Hi Phillipe,

If you want to know the real mfg date for 311290, I'll check with the NOC's factory records project. Give it some time as these are volunteers.
 
310410 11/73 MK2A 74 model year with full set of front mudguard braces, order seems to follow no logical pattern.
 
My 850 is stamped 4 73 in the manufacture date box, and 303061 in the serial number box. These numbers are also upside down from each other, that is, the bottom of the numbers is closest to the edge of the plate - I assume so it can be easily read, as one would read the date from one side of the bike and the serial on the other.
 
I would not make any assumptions as to a clear proceedure for ensuring VIN numbers left the factory in numerical order. This is not peculiar to Norton. Checking date of mfg for my BSA showed the same at the BSA factory.
 
illf8ed said:
I would not make any assumptions as to a clear procedure for ensuring VIN numbers left the factory in numerical order. This is not peculiar to Norton. Checking date of mfg for my BSA showed the same at the BSA factory.
Click to expand...

I learned from my Ranger that the first batch of Commandos ran from 126125 to 128634 which ran between a batch of P11A/Rangers ending in 126123 and the Ranger, which ran from 128646 to 129145.

I know the last Commando in that first batch (128634) was dispatched to LA on Sept 30, 1968, and the last Ranger (129145) was shipped to New York on October 17, 1968.

This tells me they must have been building Rangers while they were still building Commandos, as 500 Rangers seems lot to assemble in 2 1/2 weeks
 
Billt comments are of interest to me as i previously owned a Ranger s/n 129110 which now belongs to a freind also i have a "69" fastback rev counter still driven off the end of the cam and round tank badges s/n 130823.
Al
 
prmurat said:
Putting my Commando back together, I am installing the frame plate as sold with in the US (my stock US one was replaced when it was imported to France, prior to move back here with me...) which date of manufacture should be 311290, I know its a 1974 but which month? Format of the date?
Thank you
Philippe
Click to expand...

Hi Phillippe,

Just received the response from the NOC. You machine was shipped from the factory in June 1974.
 
Shipped is not same as manufactured, when I worked at longbridge there was a guy employed to run around the finishing area finding the oldest vehicles and getting them pushed to the top of the rectification queues, the rectifications guys hated him because they wanted to work on the easy ones to keep their numbers up, guess how bad the golden oldies were ;)
 
BillT said:
My 850 is stamped 4 73 in the manufacture date box, and 303061 in the serial number box. These numbers are also upside down from each other, that is, the bottom of the numbers is closest to the edge of the plate - I assume so it can be easily read, as one would read the date from one side of the bike and the serial on the other.
Click to expand...


My 850 is marked 302593 and is stamped 4 73 on the plate. My numbers are correct to each other as in not upside down.
I'd be kind of interested in finding out what the monthly production was.
 
Supposedly, 850 production started in March, 1973, and I believe they probably ran at full tilt for a month or two to get them out to the dealers. Production probably fell off after that, as other posters have noted a 308xxx 9-73, 308xxx 10-73 and 310410 11-73
 
BillT said:
illf8ed said:
I would not make any assumptions as to a clear procedure for ensuring VIN numbers left the factory in numerical order. This is not peculiar to Norton. Checking date of mfg for my BSA showed the same at the BSA factory.
Click to expand...

I learned from my Ranger that the first batch of Commandos ran from 126125 to 128634 which ran between a batch of P11A/Rangers ending in 126123 and the Ranger, which ran from 128646 to 129145.

I know the last Commando in that first batch (128634) was dispatched to LA on Sept 30, 1968, and the last Ranger (129145) was shipped to New York on October 17, 1968.

This tells me they must have been building Rangers while they were still building Commandos, as 500 Rangers seems lot to assemble in 2 1/2 weeks
Click to expand...

My 68 Fastback is number #123671 and the title date is 1967. Go figure.
 
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