Tom,
As you know (but others might not), there is no absolute way to know if all the parts are original parts for/from the same vehicle.
However, some "Matching Numbers" are possible.
Casting dates and/or casting codes on parts do not indicate when that part was placed in the original vehicle.
- The casting date is the date a part was cast, not the date it was installed during assembly.
- The casting code might have been used in more than one year.
If the engine/transmission were matched at the factory, there might be matching-IDs on one/both parts (Hydra-Matic-equipped vehicles - block engine serial-number/ID on a tag on the transmission). Even this information does not reference the cab/body/vehicle ID/code.
The following "matches" are possible (I think):
- Date casting code, if on these parts: block (yes), head (yes), transmission (?), rear-end (?)
- Casting codes for other parts like manifold - but these do not have date casting codes. These casting codes would just would indicate a date-range for those parts?
- Information on engine: the engine "serial-number/ID" matching dates/codes on other parts (but that ID does not always have date/year information)
- Vehicle "serial-number/ID" usually can be used to figure out the production year based on the code's format/info, and/or on the style of plate, and/or the hp indicated on the plate.
Other "matching" info?
