solidaxel

Were all the VIN stamped at one time and just stacked up and installed as needed or on a daily basis as needed?
They are both different

Nowhere Man

They would have been off the same machine using the same stock material most likely by the same guy every day operated the machine.

40ZR1

Thanks for more pics and the discussion, I'm learning a lot on what to look for so I can make an informed choice.

The local chemical plants use SS tags to identify plant equipment. As a last resort, I may buy a blank and have the numbers embossed using the photos as a guide and see how that comes out.

68hemi

And since this was all LOOONG before you were born, where do you get this info and how do you prove it?

Nowhere Man

John Z or somebody else has said that before. There were only two trim tag machines and one vin tag machine. If you don’t belive me that’s fine but please find proof that proves other wise.

68hemi

In the future if you are going to use info you have gathered from others on this forum maybe you should think of using a link to that info. I would believe John Z but I take a dim view of second hand info without backup.

Seems odd that there would be two trim tag and only one V.I.N. machine since there is much more info on the TT and would be more likelyhood for it to go down. So when the V.I.N. machine went down the plant shut down? This does not sound right to me. I think you need to research your source and post it here IF it exists.

Nowhere Man

The reason for two trim tag machines is one was at A. O. Smith the other at St. Louis. All the vin tags where attached at St. Louis on the trim line. The problem with C1 tags is you have over 60 years of theft, deception, and fraud from hobbiest to people who made a living from this. Now the fun is figuring out the real from memorx

68hemi

Your reply does not answer the question or provide any proof of what I commented on. You seem to be famous for that kind of thing as in only responding to the portion of what you are quoting that you want to.

Nowhere Man

I really don't know what you want from me or what your beef is with me.

here is a old thread where Critter1 tells us when and how the vin tag was made but his pictures are no longer online

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...n-problem.html

68hemi

I really don't have a beef with you. I just don't think people should make statement about a subject like this with a comment like you made as if you have some kind of 1st hand knowledge or can refer the thread to someone with 1st hand knowledge for conformation. Otherwise it is just someone on the Internet making a statement with no factual backup. This forum is used often by new members or older ones for that matter that are seeking true info. If you don't know the answer for sure or can't make a link to accurate info then just don't answer. I don't know Critter1' background that you linked to above. Did he work in the assembly plant during the time these cars were built?

As I said before, I find it hard to believe they only had ONE machine in the plant for these things since it was a continuous flow assembly line. They certainly would not want to stop it because the machine was down. Maybe in this case they would park the car in the holding lot until the machine was working again and then install the tag but that is just speculation. See how that works, I have a theory but did not frame it as a fact since I don't know for sure.

Nowhere Man

on all my years on here and the NCRS board I never read where that machine broke down. in a low volume production line like Corvettes it wouldn't be as bad as the B or A body lines who produced way more cars.

68hemi

Well, how often do you think the subject would come up? In high school I work for a local newspaper that used an address-o-graph machine to put labels on the mailed newspapers and in the year I worked there it broke three times and it was not nearly as high of volume as an auto manufacturing plant. It will be interesting to see what kind of response you get from your question on it on the NCRS forum.

kenba

EXACTLY! That's what I saw also.

wmf62

which one?

Bill

emccomas

Also not that you guys are comparing 1962 VIN tags to 1960 VIN tags. Apples and Oranges.

If you want to identify and verify a 1960 tag, compare it to other 1960 tags. Same for 1961, same for 1962, etc.

wmf62

kinda sorta.. but what makes you think that any of the stainless tags are different, no matter the year?

Bill

40ZR1

Good news, maybe? Called a friend at work last night and asked if he could bring an equipment tag, had to buy him breakfast this morning.

So, a few questions.
1. How tall are the numbers? Equipment tag numbers are approx. 3/16 . The V and 0 are correct.
2. Where is VIN number placed on tag; in center or at the bottom?
3. How far down is tag from firewall?
4. Anything else I need to know?

Friend is working night shift so it will be a couple weeks. Will still check with vendors.

JohnZ

Are you a charter member of the Flat Earth Society? What kind of documentation is required to prove to you that the sun came up this morning?

I spent 38 years in Chevrolet and Chrysler assembly plants, from assembler to reliefman to repairman to utilityman to Foreman to General Foreman to Superintendent to Production Manager to six years as a Plant Manager, and I know a little about how those places operate; I also worked at St. Louis-Corvette in 1967 and 1968 as a Production Engineer from the Corvette Group and the Chevrolet Pilot Line.

Corvette VIN plates were Graphotyped at the thundering rate of seven per hour (as Critter1 has pointed out previously), and it was entirely possible for the human operating the Graphotype machine to make a mistake. If a mistake was caught while the vehicle was still in the plant, a duplicate replacement was made and installed, and the removed plate with the mistake was given to the Plant Controller, who placed it in his safe with a report, which was shared with the FBI when they performed their semi-annual on-site joint VIN plate and VIN stamp security audit with the State Police (which they still do today). You wouldn't believe the details involved in complying with the FBI requirements.

That's the best I can do for VIN plate documentation for now - my time-traveling GoPro can't go back to 1965 today to film the VIN plate operation - it's down for maintenance.

wmf62

John
were all C1 SS vin tags essentially the same font, etc?

Bill

Nowhere Man

John I thank you whole heartily for that post