Picked up this carb last year from a very well known and trusted Buick guy. Pretty early date code, and the stampings look different than later Stage carbs I have seen. Plus its also stamped on the inlet as well. Everything checks out correct on all of the parts. Its never been rebuilt and is pretty ugly. Discuss.
I do not suspect a restamp. I know some of the Carter built qjets lacked the 70 in the stamping. Im thinking this might be an early Carter built unit. Wondering on others thoughts.
I have never see the numbers that look like those. All the ones I have seen were stamped 7040246 LK then the date number after..
That is stamped like my 1969 carbs . I had a flow test four speed carb stamped on the inlet just like that .
I haven't seen one stamped on inlet like that or seen a 70 without the 70 stamp in front, I don't think. Plenty of 68, 69's stamped without 70. Are the pull over enrichment holes under the air valves? You may have a real early test carb or something there!
Rochester flow test carbs . Tested for jetting & metering . I May still have the tag with the recored flow specs . My 1969 four speed carb was Stamped just like this .
June 6, 1969 date code is the earliest I've seen by far. I've never seen the inlet stamping or the missing 70 either. The font looks legit. Very cool!
I agree, it is the earliest date I have seen, and do appear to be the original stamps. Also has the correct early base plate with the extra screw which was eliminated during the '70 model year.
Interesting this should come up right now. I have a `70 RAIV carb that I thought was original to the car, and it may very well be but on the other hand we have wondered if it is a restamp because, just like the carb in question here, some of the numbers appear to have been struck a little harder than others. Is this the way they were typically numbered? Individually rather than with a gang holder?
This carb shows the characteristics of a 69 carb (baseplate and choke rod), but is numbered as a 70 (in 69 format) and has the stage1/4speed POE holes. interesting, especially the stamping on the side of the inlet. what is the casting number on the main body? maybe check how that compares to a 69 carb. on the choke bracket, why would it have the secondary pulloff (70+style) if the baseplate isn't drilled to provide it with a vacuum source. or is it drilled? hard to tell from the pic. whatever its origin its a mish mash of 69 and 70 stuff.
Thanks for the info all. More photos for discussion. For some reason I cant get the casting number picture to post here?
Pretty sure that's a test flow carb .Maybe a Hybrid 1970 . The one I had was dated 1968 for 1969 400 four speed
If it were a Carter built unit it would say so right on the drivers side of the main casting. Carter also dated them with the letter/number deal instead of Julian. There were several different orientations used for stamping the part numbers on the main casting, and two different font sizes used as well. Having the part number, Plant Code and Julian Date all in one line seems to be the least common method but still legitimate. To date I've never seen any factory "high performance" q-jets that were Carter built either. I have seen a good number of factory "test" units, none were Carter built, and they often have modifications to them in one or more areas not done to production line units. That method of stamping the part number by leaving out the "70" was common in 1969 but quite rare in 1970, but I had a few in here to know that it was done in that manner on a few units. There are always anomalies with this sort of thing. I've been told by very reputable sources that the factory NEVER made an Pontiac Ram Air Service Replacement carburetors for manual transmission applications. Then about a year ago we have one sent to us or restoration for a 1970 Pontiac Ram Air manual transmission application, missing the Plant Code but original, and correct but dated almost a year after the factory production run. So I've learned to never say never with this topic. I'd say for certain that yours is the real deal and not a "re-stamp" or parts carb, nice find....Cliff