SD455 Starters

[njsteve]

Just thought this would be interesting as it addresses a date issue with starters on one particular high performance application: the 1973 Super Duty 455 engines.

After we got dinged for having what was thought to be a way too early (though original) starter in my 19,000 mile SD455 Formula, I did a little research with other unrestored low mileage SD455's. (as a result, the Vintage Certification score is in the process of being recalculated)

Here is what we found out:

All of them had the exact same early dated starter built on the same exact day, more than two years prior to the car's being built!

This actually came as a shock to the SD455 fraternity out there who didn't realize this anomaly existed.

The 1973 SD455 appears to have used a particular starter, model number 1108436 and they all (so far that I have found) were manufactured on the same production date of 1B11 (Feb 11, 1971)

11,000 mile white/red Trans Am automatic: VIN 137XXX (mid-June 73 ship date)
40,000 mile green/white Trams Am automatic: VIN 139XXX (late-June 73 ship date)
10,000 mile red/white Trans Am 4-speed: VIN 141XXX (early-July 73 ship date)
19,000 mile Formula automatic: VIN 142XXX (mid-July 73 ship date)
1,700 mile red/white Trans Am automatic: VIN 144XXX (late-July 73 ship date)

So far, this time span/VIN span covers the majority of the shipping time frames of the 1973 SD455. Quite interesting indeed.

Here's some photos:

(the first photo is my car's starter)