Acceptable dates for Alternator?

[Mike]

I've found an alternator for my 68 Nova with a date code six months prior to the build date of my car. Is this too far ahead or still acceptable? I thought the rule of thumb was about three months but I wasn't sure if that applied to parts such as alternators, carbs, starters, etc.

Thanks,
Mike

[WILMASBOYL78]

A lot of these parts were made in big batches, so it is common to see a number of units with the same date. The factory would use them until they were gone. I have 3 70 Novas that all have alternators with a summer 69 date. The cars range from dec-feb. I would feel that it would be important to make sure you have one of the common production dates.

wilma