[Ramairnacho]

My original start broke when I was a kid and took.core to Kragens auto parts, the replacements didn't last that long but had lifetime warranty, I even installed a new one that didn't work. I had bad experience with them but the warranty was good but my labor wasn't covered. Well 30 years later I got the correct starter but date is 3 days off! Mine a nice rebuilt and is simular to my friends in San Francisco which is out of his Trans am with 69k. Once it's installed no one will know the date but us. My dash isn't 70 either, my hood is 71-75 steel reinforced, my rear end is going to be 16 days out too. Here is pics of my starter and my friends. Maybe some advice on this date stuff. Run the starter or shelf it for trade?

[1971455HO]

Like you said....nobody knows it,but you.
Rebuilt Hi-Torque Pontiac starters, not of a specific vintage, don't cost that much. Buy another one and use the hell out of it. Take that 1108436 and put it away until someone who needs it and is willing to pay the premium for it shows up. My $0.02

[Ramairnacho]

Originally Posted by 1971455HO

Like you said....nobody knows it,but you.
Rebuilt Hi-Torque Pontiac starters, not of a specific vintage, don't cost that much. Buy another one and use the hell out of it. Take that 1108436 and put it away until someone who needs it and is willing to pay the premium for it shows up. My $0.02

Thank you for advise, I'm use too just getting a car to run with what ever part of have but with this being my dad's old car I want to do it right. This is my first restoration and I apologized if I ask stupid questions. Thank you wisdom appreciated.

[1971455HO]

Okay, I fully realize what you are doing now. Didn't understand you are restoring your dad's '70 Trans Am. Got it. Anything worth doing, is worth doing right. Does it still have the original engine & transmission? If so, It's worth sourcing out all the OEM parts it may take to put it back right. Being that it is a '70 is gonna make it pretty difficult to find what is missing. There's a lot of one year only parts when it comes to the '70 model Trans Am. Good luck to you.

[FASTASSBIRD]

Stamping looks suspicious. The Y is awfully close to M. Are there “dots” between U S and A?

[Ramairnacho]

Originally Posted by FASTASSBIRD

Stamping looks suspicious. The Y is awfully close to M. Are there “dots” between U S and A?

The surface is curved so things appear off set but I'm no expert. I got I more pic

[FASTASSBIRD]

That whole number looks restamped now

[poncho-mike]

Here is what I believe is a known original 1108436 starter. It was in the trunk of a 1972 455HO Formula I parted out in the mid-1980s. Note the dots after the U.S.A. When I got it, the motor was out, but the ram air pan and all engine accessories were in the trunk (which leaked). It was an automatic non-a/c car.

[Uncle Judge]

Yes Mike. One of the tell tales!
Yours is absolutely original.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Ramairnacho]

Originally Posted by Uncle Judge

Yes Mike. One of the tell tales!
Yours is absolutely original.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I believe I have dots too. Interesting stuff, don't worry anyone I'm not in the parts sale business nor plan to be this is my hobby and restoring my ram air 3 car that was my dad's. I don't think I have a restamp and if you zoom in you will see a dot under S. I did? I waited a while to ask opinions and advice but it's all good. Starter not for sale.

[FASTASSBIRD]

Oh it’s a restamp for sure but as long as you didn’t pay stupid money for it it’ll fool most people anyways. I was just confirming the that the dots were there but there are other tell-tell signs it isn’t the original. I wouldn’t loose any sleep over it. It’s under the car anyways.

[FASTASSBIRD]

Originally Posted by poncho-mike

Here is what I believe is a known original 1108436 starter. It was in the trunk of a 1972 455HO Formula I parted out in the mid-1980s. Note the dots after the U.S.A. When I got it, the motor was out, but the ram air pan and all engine accessories were in the trunk (which leaked). It was an automatic non-a/c car.

Absolutely a correct original

[Formulabruce]

Originally Posted by Ramairnacho

I believe I have dots too. Interesting stuff, don't worry anyone I'm not in the parts sale business nor plan to be this is my hobby and restoring my ram air 3 car that was my dad's. I don't think I have a restamp and if you zoom in you will see a dot under S. I did? I waited a while to ask opinions and advice but it's all good. Starter not for sale.

you DO have Dots.... look close at picture. Yours is an original case anyway, a keeper.

[Ramairnacho]

Originally Posted by Formulabruce

you DO have Dots.... look close at picture. Yours is an original case anyway, a keeper.

Thank you sir. I'm just trying my best to restore my dad's old car. I remember being 8 grabbing passenger dash handle and dad flooring it. It was fun! I have an autozone starter should I install it or run thus one?

[Formulabruce]

If you are going to set aside original parts to run others, I can tell you how to install a 2004R automatic overdrive with no mods.

[Ramairnacho]

Originally Posted by Formulabruce

If you are going to set aside original parts to run others, I can tell you how to install a 2004R automatic overdrive with no mods.

Possibly I haven't got that far yet. But when I get closer I'll definitely aak

[Ramairnacho]

Originally Posted by Ramairnacho

Thank you sir. I'm just trying my best to restore my dad's old car. I remember being 8 grabbing passenger dash handle and dad flooring it. It was fun! I have an autozone starter should I install it or run thus one?

Im.curious to know how you know if original case and why it's commented as a restamp. On my original post I put my friends original starter and stamp is very simular. I do understand if I was in the selling business of rare parts that I would say everyone's is fake to only buy from me. That makes sense to me. I was told I didn't have dots but I do. All I really wanted to know is that the date being off that by a few day s if it's a big deal or not. I wonder how many of these cars have an original starter

[Ramairnacho]

Originally Posted by Ramairnacho

Im.curious to know how you know if original case and why it's commented as a restamp. On my original post I put my friends original starter and stamp is very simular. I do understand if I was in the selling business of rare parts that I would say everyone's is fake to only buy from me. That makes sense to me. I was told I didn't have dots but I do. All I really wanted to know is that the date being off that by a few day s if it's a big deal or not. I wonder how many of these cars have an original starter

I just got back.from vacation and am curious about my starter. I do.have dots on the USA. So hear is a pic.

[1971455HO]

Let me start by telling you that I, myself, am an amateur. What I have learned is based by comments and pics that others on this forum have shared with beginners like me. I'm going to attempt to help you learn how to recognize a poorly re-stamped starter or even a re-stamped alternator. These are round (as in cylindrical) shaped parts. GM developed roll type stamping devices to stamp these parts. It is extremely difficult to repeat this operation by hand with singular letter and number stamps and it not be totally apparent, even to an amateur. Once you know what to look for!

First GM used what is called gang stamping. That kept each number or letter perfectly inline and at the precise angle it should be. They used specific style & size fonts on certain parts. The experts here on this forum know them and can quickly identify a forged or re stamped part. Just for the record, study how straight the stamping is, or if the font changes, or if the spacing fluctuates at any given point on the part you are examining. Also GM gang style stamping usually resulted in all of the information starting and ending in the exact amount of space on the top and bottom line. I recommend you just go on eBay and look at what guys that are asking big prices for rare parts are selling. Lots of them are so obvious that they have been modified.

However, some part re-builders have finally come clean and admitted that as part of their product services, they will custom build and re-stamp a specific part & date code to your needs. This keeps them in the clear of not misrepresenting their services. I've saw them, while their products look god and operate as they should, their re-stamping is way different from the OEM.

If you dads original RA III engine is missing, I would not even worry about correct part or date codes. Build it with the best parts you can get and enjoy the car. Plenty of guys here to help you with any questions you might have. Good Luck to you.

[OG68]

Ehh, not quite as far as the starters are concerned. I bought a date correct starter off Ebay and my first thought was that it was a re-stamp. I asked the same question on the forum here and found out that the part numbers can be different sized.

https://forums.maxperformanceinc.com...d.php?t=855063

But as a few people have pointed out, if you don't have a numbers matching original engine, it doesn't really matter.