Firewall dimples made by workers at Hamtramck Michigan plant

[Dean Prevolos]

I took my 1967 Charger Hemi to a car show yesterday in Naples and had so many great comments and conversations with everyone admiring my car. I did learn one thing about my car from a gentleman that pointed out the dimples on the top of the firewall at either side of the car. He asked me if I knew what those dimples meant? I said NO. He said that one dimple meant that the car was built on the first shift of the day. It was a way for the workers to put their own moniker on the cars that were built at the Hamtramck Building Plant where they built the Charger Hemi cars. If it was on the second shift there were two dimples. I have circled the dimples in blue but you will need to enlarge the photo to see.

My SO# 72B2108146 identifies the date built as Nov. 21, 1966, at the Hamtramck Michigan plant Gate #8, 146th car built that day.

Has anyone heard of this detail before and can someone confirm that for me?

 

[AR67GTX]

I believe I remember a thread on here several years ago that said the same thing basically. I don’t clearly remember all the details but I believe they were to denote the plant shift.

 

[jimkf]

There's a Graveyard Cars video on Youtube that mentions the dimples.

 

[dadsbee]

Ya my, Lynch Road, Superbird is a shift two car. Doesn't appear they did so on A bodies.

 

[Richard Cranium]

I had heard that this was only done at the St. Louis plant. Checking out the cars with dimples at Carlisle a couple years ago, and then looking at their VINs seemed to confirm this.

 

[Charles Cook]

I fixed mine.



Just kidding.

 

[Big D A12]

These dimples have nothing to do with the shift the car was built. They appear at multiple plants, most notably Lynch Road (left & right side) and St Louis (right side). I have not observed them on Hamtramck cars but honestly haven't looked and wouldn't be surprised if they are there.

The dimples appear in the body in white area of the production process. This is well documented in various literature from the era. Close inspection of these dimples without the paint reveals electrical arc points indicating a ground (magnetic spring type) for the welding process. There are two ground shapes, a chisel bit and a pointed bit. I have also seen 3 dimples on Lynch Road cars.

There is a lengthy thread on the A12 Playground discussing this topic. I used to believe the shift theory until other facts and research proved different.

D

 

[dadsbee]

I fixed mine.



Just kidding.

I fixed mine on the Bee...

 

[Dean Prevolos]

There's a Graveyard Cars video on Youtube that mentions the dimples.

I looked for that video but couldn't find it. But I also didn't watch every episode. I'm sure Mark knows that detail and mentioned it in a video.

 

[Dean Prevolos]

These dimples have nothing to do with the shift the car was built. They appear at multiple plants, most notably Lynch Road (left & right side) and St Louis (right side). I have not observed them on Hamtramck cars but honestly haven't looked and wouldn't be surprised if they are there.

The dimples appear in the body in white area of the production process. This is well documented in various literature from the era. Close inspection of these dimples without the paint reveals electrical arc points indicating a ground (magnetic spring type) for the welding process. There are two ground shapes, a chisel bit and a pointed bit. I have also seen 3 dimples on Lynch Road cars.

There is a lengthy thread on the A12 Playground discussing this topic. I used to believe the shift theory until other facts and research proved different.

D

Ok thank you

 

[Hey-O]

They put beer cans in the doors too. The stories are endless. LOL

 

[chargervert]

Like Rembrandt signing a painting!

 

[zyzzyx]

My 68 Lynch built GTX has them!

 

[Dodge-Scatpack]

My father worked at the GM plant in Linden NJ from the early 70’s to late 80’s. The stories he would tell me about build quality, items left in cars, part shortages and swaps, etc….