FB Ute identity

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fraze
Posts: 138
Joined: Sun Jul 31, 2016 12:59 pm
State: VIC
Location: melbourne

FB Ute identity

Post by fraze »

Hi all, I have an FB Ute, Chassis number 30730S, Body No, FB2106-5822-S and engine number B154003. I am keen to know the build month for the car and also for the engine. Can anyone help? Thanks, Fraze. (PS I have been led to think that it might be early 1961????) :huhhh:
ardiesse
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Re: FB Ute identity

Post by ardiesse »

Fraze,

Dating the engine's fairly easy - You need to read a four or five-character code cast into the right hand side of the engine block, above the 74xxxxx part number. There'll be a letter followed by three or four numbers. A similar code is on the cylinder head, gearbox case, and the manifolds.

Dating the body's harder, and has to be done indirectly. If your ute has its original glass, you'll need a magnifying glass -
There's the little circular "Armourglass" logo etched into the glass. If you look really hard, one of the letters in the "Armourglass" will have a dot above it. That's a year code. And there's another part of the logo which might say "AUST". If you look hard, one of those letters will have a dot above it. That's a "quarter" code. The dot will be above the first, second, third or fourth letter corresponding to the quarter of the year.

Look on the front quarter windows, the door windows, and the rear windows. Your windscreen will probably have been replaced.

Rob
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FJWALLY
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Re: FB Ute identity

Post by FJWALLY »

Also if you give the details to Steve jackson on the FB EK facebook page he can add it to the listing he's built which can put it in sequence with other build info collected.
You will find me lost somewhere!
fraze
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Location: melbourne

Re: FB Ute identity

Post by fraze »

Thanks for your input Rob, I have checked my quarter windows and no help there. The logo consists of a fist holding a hammer and underneath the word "armourglass", in straight script with no discernable dots. I have another set of quarter glasses and they have the circular logo you describe, with the dots but they are not off my car. I have checked the rear window glasses, one centre and the one each side and all they have is "armourplate" but no logo. At least I can see the dots on these, which is above the T in all cases. I don't know how to interpret that however. The door windows are no help as I know they both have been replaced. I will try Steve Jackson as FJWALLY suggests. Cheers, Fraze.
ardiesse
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Re: FB Ute identity

Post by ardiesse »

Fraze,

You've come up trumps with the "Armourplate". The dot is above the tenth letter, which means that the glass dates from 1960.
One of Don Loffler's books has an appendix showing how to work out the year and quarter of manufacture of glass.

Read the date codes off the block, head and manifolds while you're at it too.

Rob
EK283
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Re: FB Ute identity

Post by EK283 »

I reckon it still would be difficult considering the glass was probably made in batches and could have be in storage or vise versa.

I wonder does Holden themselves have a data base us old customers could access ?? Like a &*#@ verification letter ??

Anyway it would be close enough I suppose if it were original.

Regards Greg
So many cars so little time!
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FJWALLY
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Re: FB Ute identity

Post by FJWALLY »

At a quick look on Steves listing the engine number looks a bit odd as cars of that numbering should have an engine number with 5 numbers - not 6 - like B90456 - in that region - B154003 is from a later time frame but there is nothing to say it's not right but does look a bit out of sequence.
I'd say it's a very late FB after June 61 as EK's started coming out later that year in utes - car from Sydney plant - my EK is from same plant and a nov/dec build but Jan 62 sale.
Supposedly the first EK engine number was B175814 so you are not far off with that number being towards the end of FB utes - mine is B256174 and was a late 61 build
Subframe number looks to be in right range to be original

Steve would be able to give a more accurate timeline but the dot over the T on glass may indicate an Oct build
You will find me lost somewhere!
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