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Old Jun 12, 2007 | 02:27 PM
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Default '68 Trim Tag

I went to look at a '68 this weekend and the trim tag had 983 the car was green and 420 it had black int. and no date code. Is this a '68 thing? The 983 matches , but 420 is a '69 saddle color I believe...

Last edited by mvftw; Jun 12, 2007 at 03:10 PM.
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Old Jun 12, 2007 | 02:59 PM
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Originally Posted by mvftw
I went to look at a '68 this weekend and the trim tag had 983 the car was green and 420 it had black int. and no date code. Is this a '68 thing? The 983 matches , but 420 is a '69 silver color I believe...
My 68 Coupe has a black vinyl interior and the trim tag indicates STD as it should. 420 does not compute for 68. (402 is black/leather). 420 on a 69 would be saddle.

The date code is at the top of the trim tag to the right of the word Chevrolet. 983 is correct for British Green (dark green). Good luck.
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Old Jun 12, 2007 | 03:10 PM
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That's 1 of the reasons I ran away...
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Old Jun 12, 2007 | 04:25 PM
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Originally Posted by mvftw
I went to look at a '68 this weekend and the trim tag had 983 the car was green and 420 it had black int. and no date code. Is this a '68 thing? The 983 matches , but 420 is a '69 saddle color I believe...
My "Corvette ID numbers" book says there should be a build date on the Trim Plate just like all the other year sharks. Something fishy here.
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Old Jun 12, 2007 | 09:54 PM
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Originally Posted by capevettes
My 68 Coupe has a black vinyl interior and the trim tag indicates STD as it should. 420 does not compute for 68. (402 is black/leather). 420 on a 69 would be saddle.

The date code is at the top of the trim tag to the right of the word Chevrolet. 983 is correct for British Green (dark green). Good luck.
...even though supposedly this is what the Black Book says, I at one time had documented over 5 1968 Corvettes with 420 Saddle Vinyl/421 Saddle Leather cars. Not even sure what the '68 Sales Brochure says about interior color choices, but there was indeed Saddle in 1968.
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Old Jun 12, 2007 | 10:39 PM
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Originally Posted by Paul Borowski
...even though supposedly this is what the Black Book says, I at one time had documented over 5 1968 Corvettes with 420 Saddle Vinyl/421 Saddle Leather cars. Not even sure what the '68 Sales Brochure says about interior color choices, but there was indeed Saddle in 1968.

My 68 sales brochure does have saddle vinyl as an interior option. Just the pic with "saddle", no code numbers. The same brochure also refers to the car as a Corvette Stingray.

Also states: " The textured vinyl looks like leather, but if you like genuine hide can be ordered in black, red, medium blue, dark orange, saddle or tobacco. "
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Old Jun 13, 2007 | 08:59 AM
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Originally Posted by Paul Borowski
...even though supposedly this is what the Black Book says, I at one time had documented over 5 1968 Corvettes with 420 Saddle Vinyl/421 Saddle Leather cars. Not even sure what the '68 Sales Brochure says about interior color choices, but there was indeed Saddle in 1968.
Didn't know that. You learn something every day
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Old Jun 13, 2007 | 09:28 AM
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Holy Mackrel!

Ok first, I am as many know a 68 nut. My 68 does not have a date code and neither does the car before it or after it off the line. That's right.

My 68 does not have a date code. When I saw by chance car #1271, the car before mine I wanted to see the date code as I was curious what mine should have been. Amazing find with no date code. Alan bought the car sfter mine, and amazingly, no date. Three consecutive survivors with missing date codes. Thats documenting a production "oversight" related to the 68.

As for this car! Its certainly one of the saddle cars that has been hiding in plain sight. The Green Saddle color scheme was offered in 69 due to demand, and this must be one of the first. Since this is not really an offered color, it is the rarest color for interiors as only a handful were made. Quite a find!

Any chance you can run back?

PS I need to see that car and get the vin! I am curious if its an early october 67 car like the others.

Here are the last 3 plates....all consecutive serial numbers, and across 3 time zones!






Last edited by international blue; Jun 13, 2007 at 09:51 AM.
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Old Jun 13, 2007 | 10:08 AM
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My yellow '68 doesn't even have a trim tag
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Old Jun 13, 2007 | 10:49 AM
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Now that's interesting! I like learning something new. Thanks for that insight.
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Old Jun 13, 2007 | 12:32 PM
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Originally Posted by international blue
Holy Mackrel!

Ok first, I am as many know a 68 nut. My 68 does not have a date code and neither does the car before it or after it off the line. That's right.

My 68 does not have a date code. When I saw by chance car #1271, the car before mine I wanted to see the date code as I was curious what mine should have been. Amazing find with no date code. Alan bought the car sfter mine, and amazingly, no date. Three consecutive survivors with missing date codes. Thats documenting a production "oversight" related to the 68.

As for this car! Its certainly one of the saddle cars that has been hiding in plain sight. The Green Saddle color scheme was offered in 69 due to demand, and this must be one of the first. Since this is not really an offered color, it is the rarest color for interiors as only a handful were made. Quite a find!

Any chance you can run back?

PS I need to see that car and get the vin! I am curious if its an early october 67 car like the others.

Here are the last 3 plates....all consecutive serial numbers, and across 3 time zones!






Joe,

That's great info. I learn more and more about '68's from you and some of the other experts here on the forum. Thanks to all of you.
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Old Jun 13, 2007 | 01:26 PM
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And it keeps going around. Its through this forum and the many owners and caretakers of the 68 that I get much of the data from! The use of the internet has changed the car hobby forever. The future will certainly be a lot different than Hemmings would have imagined. They have to go online! Knowledge that took years to accumulate can be accessed in minutes, resulting in many more "perfect" cars. However, the reason for Ecklers and Mid Americ's success was that the swap meet could not satisfy serious corvette restorers and their quest for parts. The result was a repro industry that served the hobby for many years. The next stage has been brought about by ebay. Parts houses are now second search option based on cost and originality. The rise of original part availability has been brought about by the accessiblity of EVERYONE"S garage contents on ebay. Through that actual original parts are now becoming more accurately valued and deviations noted. This is why I believe the 68 database idea is important. The turnaround is beginning and the parts cars will soon become either projects or memories. Having a good idea of the remainder of 68 production will elevate the value of the survivors.

Joe
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Old Jun 13, 2007 | 07:19 PM
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Originally Posted by international blue
And it keeps going around. Its through this forum and the many owners and caretakers of the 68 that I get much of the data from! The use of the internet has changed the car hobby forever. The future will certainly be a lot different than Hemmings would have imagined. They have to go online! Knowledge that took years to accumulate can be accessed in minutes, resulting in many more "perfect" cars. However, the reason for Ecklers and Mid Americ's success was that the swap meet could not satisfy serious corvette restorers and their quest for parts. The result was a repro industry that served the hobby for many years. The next stage has been brought about by ebay. Parts houses are now second search option based on cost and originality. The rise of original part availability has been brought about by the accessiblity of EVERYONE"S garage contents on ebay. Through that actual original parts are now becoming more accurately valued and deviations noted. This is why I believe the 68 database idea is important. The turnaround is beginning and the parts cars will soon become either projects or memories. Having a good idea of the remainder of 68 production will elevate the value of the survivors.

Joe
...very cool info on the tags without dates. Surely an oddball reason for this to happen? Got by inspectors? Different operator on the "tag" machine at the time??? More reasons to love the mysterious '68s.

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Old Jun 14, 2007 | 08:44 AM
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The car i saw has black int. The trim tag is 983 & 420. It's green with black...
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Old Jun 14, 2007 | 08:49 AM
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Originally Posted by Paul Borowski
...Different operator on the "tag" machine at the time???...
That would be my guess. Someone who wasn't clued in about dates filling in for someone else. Makes you qonder how many he/she punched out with no dates but they caught it and corrected it.

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Old Jun 14, 2007 | 10:49 AM
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Thats the question! How many conscutive cars were there without dates in the beginning of October 1967? Car 1240 is in Norway, a survivor but unknown plate date. The export car plates are also different. Car 1248 migt have been a C 04 tag date, but this is unconfirmed. 1269 is a survivor, but has no trim plate. Its a black black car that was just sold in Tennesee, but the original configuration is unknown. The next closest survivors are 1345 and 1365. So I have many gaps....An am really looking to fill out the 1200 to 1300 serial range.
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Old Jun 14, 2007 | 04:20 PM
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Originally Posted by international blue
Thats the question! How many conscutive cars were there without dates in the beginning of October 1967? Car 1240 is in Norway, a survivor but unknown plate date. The export car plates are also different. Car 1248 migt have been a C 04 tag date, but this is unconfirmed. 1269 is a survivor, but has no trim plate. Its a black black car that was just sold in Tennesee, but the original configuration is unknown. The next closest survivors are 1345 and 1365. So I have many gaps....An am really looking to fill out the 1200 to 1300 serial range.

Your tracking vin's, but is the info you have on them available or listed for others to see also?? Thanks Manuel
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Old Jun 16, 2007 | 12:11 PM
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Originally Posted by mvftw
The car i saw has black int. The trim tag is 983 & 420. It's green with black...
Interestingly there was a 68 coupe up for auction today on Cape Cod. It had the green exterior with the saddle interior. Trim tag had correct 983 for exterior paint and 420 for interior. There was a date code on the car. It was a late car.
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Old Jun 16, 2007 | 12:56 PM
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Manuel

My data is not on the web, and is not published either. I only have logged 700 cars or so. The lists are not all complete either, but its interesting to me just the same. My motives are to get an idea of how many are left and to log the differences and variations from the norm. The vin is logged as a build number and then where possible referenced to the grease job number drawn on the body. I was really trying to link these up initially, but its still not really working out as I would need a consecutive run of a few hundred cars to make it comprehensible.

I am hoping to aid in publishing a 68 book similar to the Bizzoco 69 book. I would love to help him produce a 68 book actually. In any case the production run must have been an interesting year for those that lived through it.

Any info that you want in particular?

JOE
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Old Jun 16, 2007 | 01:25 PM
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Joe:

FYI.

I just purchased a 1968 Coupe. Build date 5/3/68. Le mans blue.

Les
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