I just finished the dim HVAC fix and in putting everything back together, I noticed on the underside of the console a year/month matrix that was part of the injection molding process. It indicates Jan '99 and next to it in grease pencil is written 1/20/99.
Does anyone know if this is the date the car came off the line? I wouldn't think it has anything to do with the date the part was made.
Thanks.

 

If you really want to know the "born on date" - send a PM to Sponge Vette or someone else that has access to the GM VIS system. It will show you the build date as well as the service and origination history of your car. All you have to do is say please and provide the VIN, and anyone with access can give you the information that you seek.

 

Gene Culley of GMPARTSHOUSE, site supporting vendor in column to the left, can provide the GM service history.
Your friendly local GM service writer can do it as well.
This site might give you some reference...
http://www.c5registry.com/MembersOnlly/production.htm

 

It's not the date it came off the line. Probably either the date it was checked by the part manufacturer or maybe even the date it was installed on the car. To find the date the car came off the line, take your VIN to a dealer and ask them to run a vehicle history. That will tell you the build date.

 

My thoughts exactly

Thanks,Matt

 

x3

 

Just be aware though that one cannot determine with any degree of accuracy their car's actual Build Date or number off the line using the info from the C5 Registry website. The information as presented at this website is very misleading and people tend to take all sorts of info away from this site that simply is not there.

As for the C5 Registry website, note the disclaimer at the top of the first page for each model year that states: "Numbers Reflect Start Of Production Day". This information came from and was originally posted (but no longer) at the assembly plant's website, http://www.bowlinggreenassemblyplant.com/. The assembly plant website used the following disclaimer for the info they posted: "Vehicle Identification Numbers are taken at the start of General Assembly Trim Department." Thus, the information that you're looking at really only shows the VINs that started through the Trim Department that day, not the ones that actually came off the assembly line or had that day as their build day. (The definition of build date that I've most often seen is the date that the car was first started and was able to run/move under it's own power.) Although many people here may find their car's actual build day to be one or two production days after the date shown at the C5 Registry site, I've seen some build dates that were two weeks or more after the date shown, especially when this date was just prior to the start of a vacation break.

However, as mentioned by several above, one can determine their car's actual build date from the Build Information portion of the GM Vehicle Inquiry System (VIS).

 

Why does it matter anyway? Hoping for baby pictures of your car? The build sheet in the front frame rail probably has all that useless info too, dig it out-takes about 30 minutes to get the front fascia off.

 

Sorry to hear someone peed in your Post Toasties this morning.

For the Corvette enthusiast, the build sheet may be a very nice piece of documentation to have. However, the build sheet will NOT tell you the build date for the car. Keep in mind, the build sheet is produced sometime prior to the build start and accompanies the car down the assembly line as it is being built. There is a machine printed date and time at the very top right of the build sheet and this is the only printed date and time that appears on the build sheet. I asked Adam Boca, the NCM Events and Vendor Coordinator, some time ago if he knew or could find out about the significance of this printed date and time. Adam's reply was that it is the projected production date and not the car's actual build date. Most people will find this printed date to be a number of days prior to their car's actual build day. In the case of our car, the printed date on its build sheet is 13 days prior to the car's build date.

Too, reproduction copies of the build sheet can be ordered from the NCM - much easier than taking the car apart:

Order Forum

 

AGAIN, what significance does the build date have? It's not like milk or eggs.

 

Sometimes an even greater difference can be found. The date printed on our Build Sheet is 12/16/99 - date shown on the C5 Registry information is 1/12/00 - GM VIS info shows the actual build date as 1/14/00.

To answer the question, What is the significance of the build date? Some of us just want to know. Simple as that.

 

why do you keep coming back to this thread if you don't care?

 

Just interested in what silly BS amuses people, maybe make some money on it one day-like pet rocks.

 

Thanks for the added info. That is the longest period I have seen between the printed date on the build sheet and the car's actual build date. I wonder if the Christmas/New Year holidays and perhaps a possible plant shutdown during this time period could have had a bearing on this. Again, the only way that I know for one to find their car's actual build date is from the GM VIS and I think what you have added helps to emphasize this.

 

One of the forum members with access to the GM VIS ran the vehicle history for me. It included all the dealer service records when the car was under warranty. I bought the car with 48k mi. from the 4th owner.
I was surprised at all the things that had to be fixed because it's been about 40k mi of basically trouble free motoring for me.
If you bought yours used, you might find it useful to see the repair history.
I won't disclose who did it for me as I don't want him to be flooded with requests, but his name appears in this thread in a post from another member.
"who peed in your Post Toasties"??......that's a good one. Do they even make those any more?